Letter to the Editor
Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, must allow those who have the old hundred dollar bills to be redeemed when he delivers his Budget Speech on Monday October 5, 2020.
Hon. Minister, according to press reports, there is an excess of $475 million still to be redeemed and without your intervention to allow this sum to be redeemed in our commercial banks, or even the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago., this issue will become history, and one that would hurt the banking system later on.
The decision to call in the old hundred bills last year was an act of betrayal and it was a denial of nationals of TT of their hard-earned money to cash in their old bills, in exchange for the new bills.
Government continues to suppress and deny nationals their basic human rights as enshrined in both our Independence and later Republican Constitutions. I do not think that this is right thing to do, especially since there continues to be freedom of movement, and this implies nationals’ money. Trinidad and Tobago continues to become a nation where the populace is already put into a state of disrepute.
We are suffering from all forms of governance processes, and the unilateral decision to withdraw the old hundred bills without proper notification is the latest edition of recklessness by the Government
I shudder to think that the Minister of Finance would ignore this quintessential issue, one that hits the pockets of nationals.
People are suffering with the Covid-19. There are thousands of jobs lost. And in incoming budget would be another one.
Please Mr. Minister act as if you have a heart and conscience. Your positive intervention is greatly needed NOW.
PARAS RAMOUTAR,
Former Councilor, CAPARO