Republic Day Message
It is fitting that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago proclaimed its status as a republic on August 1st 1976, a day celebrated as Emancipation Day. September 24th, 1976 marked the sitting of the 1st Republican Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, the day now marked by Republic Day. Republic Day represented the continuation of the journey of our nation to deepen its independence from the British monarchy. The past 46 years have seen the nation grow tremendously but with a deepening concern given the scourge of corruption that has led to us being ranked 82nd on the Corruption Perceptions Index produced by Transparency International for 2021. The average is 66 for CARICOM countries. The Integrity Commission joins the national community in celebrating Republic Day but wishes to stress the need for our leaders to address the serious issue of corruption. Corruption denies a nation of much needed resources for its development. Under the current challenging economic circumstances, there is need more than ever to reflect on the words of Nelson Mandela: “Our hope for the future depends also on our resolution as a nation in dealing with the scourge of corruption. Success will require an acceptance that, in many respects, we are a sick society.” (February 5th 1999.)
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