Rowley: We were not racist on Caroni

PM Dr. Keith Rowley 

Photo: Vashti Singh
PM Dr. Keith Rowley Photo: Vashti Singh

THE Prime Minister has strongly denied the PNM was racist for having closed Caroni (1975) Ltd in 2003 under the Patrick Manning administration.

He was addressing a PNM rally at La Horquetta Regional Complex on Thursday. He said such an allegation had been made by someone amid the outpouring of accolades at the recent death of Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha head Satnarayan Maharaj.

Dr Rowley said in 1975 a PNM government had bought sugar estates from owners keen to sell and had then run the industry for 20 years buoyed by preferential prices in the United States and Europe.

However, this overseas support was ended by the World Trade Organisation, leading to the closure of Caroni, as sugar estates also shut in St Kitts, Antigua and Jamaica, none of which countries were accused of racism.

“Yet only last week I had to read the Caroni closure was due to racism,” said an exasperated Rowley.

He recalled the Government had spent $9 billion in Caroni’s closure on things such as providing benefits to ex-workers.

Rowley hit the media for their uncritical reporting on the issue, including the Opposition’s plans to restart the local sugar cane industry.

“What really galls me is, the media will just print that without any challenge,” he said.

The PM recalled how the Government had tried to keep the economy steady, resisting calls to trim the budget.

He said, “Some of you might not have made it.”

He criticised individuals he had recently met who were demanding he give them “more, more, more,” as he replied that you cannot get more from less.

Saying the Energy Minister smiles at everything, the PM said Franklin Khan’s recent news that TT has just ten years of natural gas reserves left now means it will run out before the SEA exam date of a baby born today, unless new gas deposits are found.

“You don’t know what we’ve been through,” Rowley said of the challenges of governance.

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"Rowley: We were not racist on Caroni"

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