Patriotic pledges economic revival in south

Patriotic Energies and Technologies Co Ltd has pledged job creation and economic revival in south Trinidad.

The company owned by the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) met with several government-appointed committees last Wednesday as it got ready to acquire and restart the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.

The Patriotic team, in a statement issued on Friday evening, said the meeting with the Cabinet-appointed evaluation committee and the cabinet sub-committee was very productive and moves one step closer to restarting the refinery which has been down for over one year.

Patriotic was identified by government last year as the preferred bidder to operate the refinery. Certain conditions have been laid down before the company can acquire two of the subsidiary companies of the former Petrotrin to facilitate the refinery process.

“The OWTU views the meeting as an important step toward consummation of the acquisition of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. Our company, Patriotic, will restart the refinery and raise it to best-in-class in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Patriotic will create jobs and revive economic activity in South Trinidad. OWTU reconfirms its commitment to operating the refinery in the best interest of the people of TT, fulfilling our 83-year commitment to achieving equity, social justice and a decent standard of living for all.”

The Patriotic team was led by president general of the OWTU Ancel Roget and their international advisors. Government was represented by Energy Minister Franklin Khan, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young and Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte.

Following that meeting, Government also indicated that the talks were productive. Patriotic in its statement, said agreements were reached on several vitally important issues. Among them, that Patriotic will be the exclusive and sole entity that will work towards the acquisition of Guaracara and Paria with a view to restarting the refinery in the shortest possible time.