THE Prime Minister has called on the nation not to submit to fear but work together to achieve the hope of a brighter future.
Dr Rowley made this call in his New Year's message on December 31, one day after a state of emergency (SoE) was declared.
Rowley hoped citizens can begin 2025 with clearer insights and be more open to new perspectives on the challenges that face the nation.
"It is in this context that I ask the nation to consider the existence, at this time, of a SoE which is aimed at criminal elements in our society who have engaged in open warfare against each other and who were executing plans to make this unacceptable state of affairs the norm in Trinidad and Tobago."
While citizens treasure their fundamental rights and freedoms, Rowley said, "When murder, home invasion, kidnappings and extortion become the choice of commercial activity and sustenance of persons who threaten the peace and security of the national population, the State must then act decisively to restore a balance between the fundamental rights of all citizens and the protection from the dangerous excesses carried out by a lawless few."
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Government, he continued, understands that some citizens may, at some point, hold fears about the direction of the country. "I urge that they try to imagine how intolerable and shattering our lives would be without that virtue of hope."
Rowley said fear and hope reside within the human spirit and they can be misplaced, equally, with false expectations.
"Fear always has to be conquered, while hope, as a moral virtue, has to be sustained. We need that virtue of hope in order to successfully undertake our nation’s business."
Rowley urged citizens to use 2025 as a time to think about how they live their lives, their values and their goals.
"These age-old questions should be raised daily by parents in every household, in family gatherings, in schools, churches, mosques and mandirs, in every workplace, in social exchanges and even among members of Parliament."
These questions, he continued, become more crucial as the nation enters 2025 with a cautious sense of optimism.
Rowley said this optimism requires each citizen to acknowledge his or her individual responsibility to the nation "because the challenges, we face have to be handled collectively - particularly, the rising crime situation."
He repeated that despite many challenges over 2024, the nation has much to be proud about.
"At this point, many of our immense economic challenges in our economy are being navigated successfully and the country is on a path considered to be sustained growth."
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In 2024, Rowley continued, we recorded our third consecutive year of real GDP growth, with the IMF World Economic Outlook giving TT a 2.3 per cent estimated growth rate for 2025."
He said, "What is significantly encouraging is that economic recovery is being led by our non-energy sector. Our Heritage and Stabilisation Fund stands at over US$6 billion, according to our last budget, and foreign reserves are at US$5.4 billion."
This gives TT a comfortable buffer of seven to eight months of import cover.
Rowley said the national unemployment rate remains contained and "much lower than our neighbours."
He added, "These positive aspects should support our collective hope, given the immense and unprecedented challenges of the past decade, ranging from international oil shocks."
Rowley said, "Hope can also be found in the records that not a single gazetted public servant has lost his/her job, a boast that many of our Caricom neighbours cannot make. It is found also in our low inflation rate which, in October 2024, measured at 0.2 per cent."
He was optimistic about other successes in 2025.
"It is my hope that where we have found success, we will continue to enjoy those benefits and resolve to stay the course to do even better."
Rowley said were other efforts "have not borne fruit in a manner commensurate with our output and expectations, we must not lose hope or give up in any way."
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He added these are times when "we should commit to even greater efforts and make necessary adjustments where they are required."
In acknowledging challenges and responsibilities, Rowley said, "We do so knowing that there are no situations which are insurmountable once we act together as one nation in pursuit of a common cause which embodies peace, love and prosperity for all."
