OWTU: Rowley’s address focused on revenue, expenditure

Dr Keith Rowley
Dr Keith Rowley

OWTU executive member Ozzi Warwick has compared Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s national address on Sunday to a budget presentation which focused on revenue and expenditure instead of growing the economy out of its present difficulties.

Warwick said despite Rowley’s statements on Petrotrin and his pledge to fix it in 2018, there was no “real and serious” attempt to restructure the state-owned oil company.

During his nationally televised address, Rowley said the company stood to have losses of US$1.5 billion over the next five years and needed fundamental restructuring which could not be put off any longer.

“It is our intention to fix Petrotrin’s problems once and for all in 2018, so that the company can service its debt and taxes thereby contributing to Government’s revenue and the country’s development in the way that it should as well as providing job security for an adequate quota of high performing employees,” said Rowley.

However, Warwick said Rowley had not presented any “general strategy” to grow the economy, with the focus seeming to be how to “cut our way out of the crisis.”

“Last year he did a similar address to the nation. We right back to where we start, so there is no real and serious attempt to restructure Petrotrin,” Warwick said. “Last year he said he would move with great haste, but nothing, and since then we have had the resignation of a chairman and the president has also resigned.”

Warwick also took issue with Rowley’s statement that the company owed $2 billion in outstanding taxes, saying he had given the impression that Petrotrin had not paid any taxes during periods of high oil prices. Warwick said Petrotrin had paid $1.5 billion in 2011/2012; approximately $4 billion in 201/2013 and approximately $6 billion in 2013/2014.

“That is deceitful. We are not saying they may not still owe ,but it is how you make your presentation,” he said. “Some would say that the Prime Minister’s address could not go into detail, but then you don’t make broad general statements that hide the truth.”

Warwick said Rowley had steered clear of the A&V Drilling controversy or the farm-out operations and who was benefiting from the lease-out operations.

“There was nothing about the A&V Drilling fiasco, which he did not touch at all, there was no mention of the lease and farm-out operations, which are hurting the company. The country needs to know how what that is and who is benefiting from it,” he said.

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