‘Fears preventing spending’

With the Christmas shopping season fast approaching, rising crime in Trinidad and Tobago is threatening retail sales in Port of Spain and other areas, as business leaders warn that customers’ fears are keeping them from spending.

Business groups yesterday noted that violent robberies by bandits, attacks on shoppers and theft of commercial equipment were affecting consumer confidence, operating conditions and the public’s willingness to go about their daily lives.

The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) warned that persistent criminal activity was having a “very negative impact” on the day-to-day operations of small and medium-sized businesses, arguing that fear for personal safety was spending across the economy.