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00:22Business leaders are weighing in on the special operations bill and the upcoming budget presentation, both of which they note
00:30have the potential to greatly impact productivity in the country for better or for worse.
00:37The private sector organization of Trinidad and Tobago and the Greater Tunapuna Chamber are expressing cautious optimism as it relates
00:47to the government's special operations zones.
00:50A move, they say, could redound to the benefit of businesses, particularly those whose employees come from so-called hotspots.
00:58As for the special operations zones, once implemented efficiently and correctly, I think it actually would help businesses in the
01:10long run because currently you have this affair in certain neighborhoods where workers and customers are scared to come out,
01:20especially at night or in the evenings.
01:23As for the special operations, currently, when scheduling our employees to work, there's a challenge for some of them, depending
01:30on where they live, because they can't work late hours or late shifts, because they can't get transport to get
01:39back home.
01:40In certain neighborhoods, taxis stop operating after a certain time because it's unsafe for them to enter the areas.
01:56However, the event producers and promoters association notes that the move could likely negatively impact the event sector.
02:05With regard to the special operations, you know, first of all, we support firm action against crime because public safety
02:12is essential to our industry.
02:16However, close areas, curfews, and movement restrictions could affect events, workers, suppliers, and patrons as well.
02:26So, as a group, we are calling for early communication, clear information, and a simple permit process.
02:34Meantime, the Coalition of Services Industries says it supports the government's push to make TNT safer.
02:40However, they're calling for a youth-focused program to form part of Budget 2026-2027.
02:48Out of our submissions for the 2026-2027 budget projections, however, we want to just highlight two critical areas.
02:57And one has to do with the at-risk youth and a definite program to support those persons.
03:04And in the case of restoration for those persons, sending them home from school full-time, that's one thing.
03:13But molding and shaping them into responsible individuals in the future, there must be some mechanism in place that is
03:21reliable and sustainable to help those youths so that we have a better social fabric as we go forward.
03:26In addition, we want to address the issue of the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago and suggest that the
03:34police post seem to be one of the commendable initiatives and that we look forward to having our government explore
03:46that option and to have them set up in all the areas that they have identified.
03:52Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:54Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:54Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:54Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:54If
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