Persad-Bissessar: TT is no ATM

She had first stated her position at the recent summit of regional leaders in Jamaica.

Attending her first Caricom summit as her country's prime minister since leading her coalition People's Partnership to victory in May elections, Mrs Persad-Bissessar left no one guessing as to her policy on her oil and gas rich country's largesse to her less well-off Caricom partners.

"Each time there is a shortfall we cannot continue like Trinidad and Tobago is an ATM card ... you come in you put the card there and you come back out with cash.

"It just cannot happen anymore", declared Trinidad and Tobago's first woman prime minister.

We cannot continue like Trinidad and Tobago is an ATM card Kamla Persad-Bissessar

She has also lamented that "a lot of money has been shelled out by Trinidad and Tobago with no accountability, no transparency".

Reaction from her Caricom leadership colleagues has been muted to say the least.

But a BBC Caribbean forum has seen a wave of comments, for and against, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar's stance.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar's comments came in the wake of her concerns about the funding and management of two regional funds in which her country is the main regional benefactor; the Caricom Development Fund and Trinidad and Tobago's own Petroleum Fund which was set up to assist other Caricom partners.

The long-established supportive role of Trinidad and Tobago to its Caricom neighbours was further emphasised under the previous People's National Movement government of then prime minister Patrick Manning.

Rowley

Speaking for the now-opposition party this week, its new leader Dr Keith Rowley, decried the "ATM" comments as insulting to the rest of the region.

He suggested that Mrs Persad-Bissessar could have been more diplomatic in her comments while at the same time alerting regional partners that her country too was feeling the economic squeeze.

	Manning:"excessive" in his regional outreach?

Speaking at a PNM rally, Dr Rowley admitted to a view held by many Trinidadians that former leader Patrick Manning "was trying to be Caricom's godfather", and might have been "excessive" in his regional outreach.

But, reminded the new PNM leader, Caricom is Trinidad and Tobago's largest market - sounding a warning that this could some Caribbean countries to do business elsewhere with the resulting implications for jobs for Trinidadians.

"Our jobs here are largely dependent on what they spend on our products over there", he said.

Adding that: "Those of you who travel will know that when you go to Barbados, St Vincent, St Lucia, Antigua, (and) Jamaica, all the shelves are stocked largely with products that say 'made in Trinidad and Tobago.'"

Patterson

While there have been no direct governmental reactions from across the region, the former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson, sought to take his country out of Mrs Persad-Bissessar's firing line.

	Patterson: "We did not line up or benefit from any ATM..."

"I can only speak for Jamaica and I would have to say that we did not line up or benefit from any ATM machine and I confine that remark to Jamaica," he told business leaders at a meeting in Port of Spain this week.

Mr Patterson was in Trinidad in his role as Caricom's Special Representative to Haiti, for meetings with Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar on the reconstruction of the earthquake-stricken country.

Gonsalves

The St Vincent and Grenadines leader, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who did not attend the Caricom Summit, has been quoted as speaking of "confusion among some people in government …and in some governments, about the (two) funds", to which the Trinidad and Tobago prime minister referred.

	Gonsalves: "out of order for any leader to suggest they are weary..." of Caricom fund

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has had close ties to former Trinidad and Tobago leader Patrick Manning.

Dr Gonsalves has been quoted as saying that while he was not referring to Trinidad and Tobago in particular, "it would be out of order for any head of government who speaks in relation to the Caricom Development Fund in a manner to suggest that they have no obligation to be participating in such a fund, or that they are tired, or that they are weary".

Sanders

A more unequivocal reaction to the Trinidad and Tobago prime minister's comments has come from former Caribbean diplomat, Sir Ron Sanders.

Sir Ron, a syndicated public affairs commentator, writes in his current column: "Such statements would not endear Trinidad and Tobago to the rest of the Caricom countries, nor would it encourage citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to regard other Caricom citizens with anything but contempt."

Such statements would not endear Trinidad and Tobago to the rest of the Caricom countries Sir Ron Sanders

He goes on to state: "In reality, the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and other Caricom countries, particularly the smaller nations of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), is far more mutually beneficial than is conveyed by the analogy of the "ATM machine".

Other Caricom countries are lucrative and protected markets for Trinidad and Tobago's manufactured products and financial services under the Caricom Treaty."

"Were it not for their Caricom membership", he adds, "these countries could purchase most of what they buy from Trinidad and Tobago at cheaper prices elsewhere in the world."