T&T Business Chamber backing the State of Emergency

Business leaders are backing the State of Emergency (SoE) as a necessary step to restore public safety, but they’re also warning it cannot be the country’s long-term plan. No progress occurred in the past decade.

In a statement issued yesterday, the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce described the SoE as “a necessary measure in restoring the safety and security of our citizens and businesses,” pointing to rising violence and the growing threat posed by organized gangs. The Chamber noted that by early March 2026, official figures showed 63 homicides for the year, almost matching the same period last year, and said authorities have cited credible intelligence linking gang activity, including individuals released from detention after the last SoE, to renewed violent attacks.

The Chamber said the spike in organized criminal activity identified by the National Security Council represents a serious threat to public safety and that it therefore understands the government's decision to move swiftly with emergency measures to protect citizens and maintain national order.

At the same time, the organization cautioned that while an SoE may be needed in the moment, it is “necessary but not sufficient.” It described the measure as a “high-handed tool” and argued it has become the default option partly because of legislative gridlock, particularly following the defeat of the Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) bill in the Senate. The Chamber urged the government to address the concerns raised during that debate and to take a more collaborative approach to its legislative agenda, especially on bills designed to strengthen public safety.

“They’re small in number, and it is unfortunate that they hold the entire country to ransom,” one business representative said, adding that the private sector expects to see measurable results from the current SoE and hopes it will not significantly disrupt economic activity.

But the larger warning from the business community is that repeating emergency interventions without structural reform is unlikely to break the cycle of violence. as seen during the decade of the opposition's tenure, where murders peaked.

“We tried it two times, two or three times, and it is not working,” a business leader said. “Because if you go back to when the state of emergency ends, crime spirals again… you cannot be doing the same thing… and expect the same results. You have to do something different.”

Sarge

Compilation of statements made by the business committee yesterday.