Trinidad and Tobago’s political landscape has erupted in conflict as Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles launched a scathing critique against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s administration over sweeping fee increases set to take effect January 1. The controversial measures, published through legal notices on Christmas Day, encompass dramatic escalations in traffic penalties, customs declarations, and civil registry services.
Beckles characterized the government’s approach as a ‘reckless revenue-raising exercise’ designed to compensate for what she described as a ‘gaping revenue shortfall’ resulting from flawed oil price projections in the 2025/26 national budget. ‘The Government misled the nation on oil price projections, inflating expectations to US$70 per barrel when global prices now stand at US$56 per barrel,’ Beckles stated in her December 28 declaration.
The opposition leader particularly targeted the administration’s abandonment of its campaign commitments, noting that Persad-Bissessar had explicitly promised to reduce traffic fines while in opposition during a UNC cottage meeting in April 2024. ‘In 2024, while in Opposition, Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised the people a reduction in traffic fines. Now in government, she has done the exact opposite, betraying that promise and burdening citizens even further,’ Beckles emphasized.
The revised penalty structure demonstrates substantial increases across multiple categories. Traffic fines have predominantly doubled, with offenses such as seatbelt violations, helmet non-compliance, and mobile phone usage while driving now carrying $2,000 penalties instead of $1,000. Most strikingly, driving without valid insurance skyrockets from $1,000 to $10,000—a tenfold increase. Speeding penalties now feature tiered structures reaching up to $6,000 for exceeding limits by more than 31 km/h.
Beyond traffic enforcement, customs declaration fees jump from $40 to $80 per import entry, while container examination fees increase from $375 to $750 and $525 to $1,050 respectively. Civil registry services also face revised pricing, with late birth registration fees increasing to $40-$50 for children between 3-12 months and $100-$150 for registrations beyond one year.
Beckles dismissed the Prime Minister’s public safety justification for the traffic fine increases as ‘flimsy, baseless and misleading,’ arguing that the administration had deliberately abandoned the demerit points system designed to improve driver behavior in favor of purely financial penalties. She maintained that the timing and manner of implementation—during the holiday season and without legislative debate—demonstrated ‘poor governance and a disregard for the people.’
The opposition leader concluded with an urgent appeal for reversal, stating that ordinary families already struggling with economic pressures would bear the brunt of these measures. She demanded transparency regarding the nation’s financial status and called for the Prime Minister to ‘come clean with the nation about the true state of the country’s finances.’