Sinanan: I was aware of Port problems from the start

While he declined to comment on the joint select committee’s inquiry into the operations of the Port of Port of Spain, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said on Sunday he became aware of the problems at the Port one week after assuming duties as minister last November.

“I raised that the Port is in a mess, and the problems we are experiencing now was inevitable,” Sinanan said.

“I recognised that since November. I did not have to wait for a JSC to tell me that. The reason why I would have gone to the Cabinet, the reason why we would have had a change in boards, the reason why I had put in a three-man committee to report even before this fiasco started, is because I recognised in November that the Port of Port of Spain was a disaster.”

Speaking with reporters during a tour of the Fyzabad constituency, Sinanan said he did not expect the outcome of the JSC’s inquiry “to be too pleasing” but he expects the outcome to “point out the challenges and find mechanisms to fix it. The Port needs fixing.”

A joint select committee of Parliament is conducting an inquiry into the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Ferry Service with specific focus on the procurement and maintenance of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower II cargo and passenger ferries.

Sinanan also dispelled rumours of a seabridge crisis saying there are three vessels on the route.

“However I must admit because of the unreliability of the seabridge, some people would have opted not to travel. However, all the vessels that we have are no way close to full capacity.

“The problem with the sea bridge existed for quite a while. It is a problem that has been existing when I came into office. I recognised that and we are working to solve the problem.”