Chief Sec, Duke to appear before JSC enquiry sea bridge woes

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles and Minority Leader Watson Duke are among 47 people who have been summoned to appear before the Land and Physical Infrastructure Joint Select Committee (JSC) of the Parliament as it enquires into the problems on the domestic sea bridge.

Charles and Duke will appear before the JSC at its third hearing on Wednesday, September 6, at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough, from 1 pm. Earlier in the day, from 9 am, the JSC will hold an enquiry on the state of agriculture and fisheries in Tobago at the same venue.

Charles and Duke will be among 11 persons to appear before the JSC in Scarborough. Last Monday, Duke engaged in a protest swim from Scarborough to Toco to protest the problems on the sea bridge.

Also to appear before the JSC in Scarborough on Wednesday are head of the inter-island committee of the Tobago Chamber of Commerce, Dianne Hadad, members of the Truckers and Traders Association and members of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association.

The JSC hearings on the sea bridge woes begin today in Trinidad, and will be held again tomorrow, both sessions starting at 1 pm at Tower D of the International Waterfront Centre on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

According to a statement issued by the Parliament, 36 people are scheduled to appear before the JSC at Tower D today and tomorrow.

The Parliament said that today, September 4, the JSC would hear from Permanent Secretary from the Works and Transport Ministry, Sonia Francis-Yearwood and other ministry officials, Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis and the members of the port board, former Port chairman Christine Sahadeo and members of the former port board, and TV6 reporter Mark Bassant.

Tomorrow, September 5, the JSC will interview Works Minister Rohan Sinanan, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Fitzgerald Hinds, former Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz, Bridgemans Services Group vice-president Andrew Purdey, Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union president Michael Annisette, Intercontinental Shipping Limited managing director John Powell, representatives of the TT Inter-Island Transport Company, Ken Shipping and Marine Services Limited managing director Lester Kenny, marine consultant Alfred McMillan and attorney Nyree Alfonso.

After these hearings, the JSC will compile a report which will be sent to the House for debate. Sinanan will have a certain time period within which to accept or reject the recommendations of the JSC which is chaired by Independent Senator Stephen Creese.

All hearings are taking place before the resumption of Parliament with a sitting of the House of Representatives scheduled for September 8. The sitting will not be a ceremonial one as the Parliament is returning from its mid-year recess.

Comments

"Chief Sec, Duke to appear before JSC enquiry sea bridge woes"

More in this section