Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said it is time “for every pot to stand on its own bottom” as every citizen’s taxes should be used to directly uplift and improve their lives.

In WhatsApp messages to Newsday, in response to the PNM’s criticism, Persad-Bissessar vehemently defended the recent tax implementations, which include the doubling of the bus-route toll fee, increasing the births and deaths registration fee and the doubling of customs fees.

Via social media posts, Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles-Robinson warned citizens to brace for “economic hardship” as taxation has become the government’s theme for 2026.