By RESHMA BAAL Friday, January 27 2012

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Louis Lee Sing...

Mayor of Port-of-Spain Louis Lee Sing yesterday blasted Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s plans to offer free utilities and transport to pensioners and social welfare recipients under the Utility Assistance Programme.

During the City’s monthly statutory meeting at City Hall yesterday, Lee Sing accused Government of creating a welfare state and introducing a system of socialism by “handing out freeness.”

At the UNC’s second anniversary celebrations at Rienzi Complex on Tuesday Persad-Bissessar announced the initiative.

“Now, that subsidy will be one hundred percent, you know what that means-free water and free electricity to our pensioners and poor,” the Prime Minister said.

Lee Sing advised “socialism and communism fails.” He noted the last state of socialism in the Caribbean, Cuba, was today opening up. He said there should be an honest day’s work for a fair day’s pay.

“We are not going to encourage people to become millionaires like Standford and Madoff,” Lee Sing said.

He proposed instead of giving free utilities and “bus rides”, at least the administrative cost associated with tickets and utilities should be charged.

“You will find there are only people riding free and those who paying cannot get on the bus. Not any of the countries in the world which are world leaders today engage in welfare. Lets move to a fair state,” the Mayor said.