Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles-Robinson says the government could have done better in assisting Trinidad and Tobago students in Jamaica to return home before the approach of Hurricane Melissa.
Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition program earlier today, the Opposition Leader said students in Jamaica should not have had to pay to return home.
“A reduced airfare? That’s really surprising,” said Mrs Beckles-Robinson, “Why would you even contemplate that you are offering a reduced fare to a student?”
“That should be revenue foregone. It should be something the government should never think about,” she added.
Mrs Beckles-Robinson said that the PNM would have sent a chartered flight for the students.
She said that the students who paid a reduced fee to return home should be given a rebate.
“I am calling on the government that the students that have paid, they should be given a rebate,” Mrs Beckles-Robinson said.
The Opposition Leader also said she is not surprised by Venezuela’s decision to suspend gas agreements with Trinidad and Tobago.
She said the Prime Minister should address the nation on this matter as this country is still dependant on oil and gas.
Mrs Beckles-Robinson said the PNM does not support narco-trafficking and human trafficking, but the country’s foreign policy must always be rooted in international law.
She said the government must recognize the importance of CARICOM, and the importance of this region remaining a ‘zone of peace.’
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said yesterday the Venezuela government will not pressure or blackmail her into retreating from the fight against drug cartels.
