Le Hunte denies OWTU claim of plan to sell Tobago power plant

OWTU president general Ancel Roget claims there are plans to privatise the TT Electricity Commission (TTEC) Cove Power Plant in Lowlands, Tobago.

Speaking with members of the media today outside the power plant, Roget said his aim was to alert the public about another instalment of Government's plan to "run down" the power plant facility, which, he said, “at the end of the day if we do not take stock, we will see it going into private hands”.

However, Minister of Public Utilities, Robert Le Hunte denied the claim when contacted today.

“I have no proposal of that in front of me and I know nothing of that...I don’t know to what extent Mr Roget is speaking about. There is nothing that I have before me to do anything of the sought...I am not aware of any plans do same, I have nothing like that in front of me,” he said.

According to Roget, the power plant was commissioned in 2010 by late prime minister Patrick Manning supported by the OWTU with the intent of providing energy independent for Tobago.

“What we are seeing happening is that over time, the TTEC management supported by successive ministers of public utilities, this one included, and especially this one is allowing the facility to run down; no proper maintenance, no proper training for the personnel who would operate on this facility and therefore the net result of that…if we do not take stock, it would be another one of their best model.

“Their best model these days is to run these state enterprises down and then tell you that it is not performing… and then tell you that the best way to deal with it, is to put it into private hands. If that is to happen, Tobago would be placed back in a state of dependency and we would be subjected to the whims and fancies and the vagaries of the cost of electricity coming from some private ownership,” he said, adding that this would be converted into higher rates of inflation for Tobago.