PM announces committee for construction

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley received a rapturous round of applause on Tuesday when he announced the re-establishment of a Ministerial Committee for the Construction Industry that will “facilitate continuous communication” between the governemnt and other industry stakeholders.

Rowley disclosed plans for the Committee at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Port of Spain.

The Committee is expected to be set up by the end of the month, and will comprise all the relevant ministries and professional bodies related to the industry.

It will be chaired by the Prime Minister, supplemented by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan. Rowley also invited the JCC to nominate two of its members to be part of the committee.

Rowley said government will also regularise the quarrying industry, ensuring compliance with the Environmental Management Authority’s policies for mining licences and royalty payments.

The PM said he was surprised to hear a few months ago that quarries operating on state lands only paid a flat annual fee regardless of the volume removed. The Cabinet has also been working to resolve issues regarding the shortage of certain

“These regularising practices will undoubtedly assist in eliminating the risks and inconveniences as a result of the unauthorized use of state lands to operate unlawful quarrying activity. It will also prohibit illegal material from being sold into the construction,” he said. The mandatory requirement for licenses granted by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries to conduct quarrying operations for sandpits will be more forcefully implemented, he added.

The country also has enough aggregate to meet the needs of the local construction industry, he said, and the government has even refused bids from contractors who import aggregate.

“In this time of foreign exchange shortage, we certainly should not be importing crushed rock with the little foreign dollars that we have,” he said.

This new policy should see the accelerated development of the Studley Park Quarry in Tobago. Ramlogan Roopnarinesingh, president of the Contractor’s Association (TTCA) supported this move, noting that Studley Park has andesite volcanic rock, which is internationally rates among the best quality for paving.