Indarsingh: Chinese, French eyeing Port of Port of Spain

COUVA South MP Rudranath Indarsingh asked whether the privatisation of the Port of Port of Spain was “a done deal” with a preferred bidder, perhaps a Chinese firm. He was speaking on the budget on Monday in the House of Representatives.

“I want to ask the Minister of Finance (Colm Imbert) or the Minister of Works and Transport (Rohan Sinanan), if he is brave enough to join this debate, whether the Government has already made up its mind in terms of the business model and who will be the business partner as relates to the Port of Port of Spain.

“I am getting news on the grapevine that a Chinese entity by the name of Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), a container shipping and logistics service company with a track record of being involved in over 70 countries, based in Hong Kong, has its eyes on the port.

“There are probably those in the Government who are facilitating their entry.”

Indarsingh claimed a firm CMA CGM, based in Marseilles, France, also wanted to become a partner at the port.

He said if it was a done deal, it would be "a total disrespect by the Government" to announce it in the budget speech without first telling the port's majority-recognised union, the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union.

Indarsingh asked if the Prime Minister’s freeze on public-sector recruitment, announced in his televised address last Saturday, would include the teaching service, health sector and protective services. He said it had taken seven months of the pandemic for Dr Rowley to realise the alleged high absenteeism of public servants who are now on rotation in reporting for duty.

“Is the Prime Minister attacking the head of the Public Service? Is the Prime Minister attacking all permanent secretaries and heads of department?”

Indarsingh accused Finance Minister Colm Imbert of “playing dead to catch corbeaux alive” by floating the idea of pushing the retirement age from 60 to 65, while not revealing he had allegedly seen the National Insurance Board’s tenth actuarial review which he said contained this recommendation.

Indarsingh said, “If you access your pension between 64 to 60, you will lose six per cent of your entitlement on an annual basis if you exercise the option of an early retirement.” He called on Imbert to say if he agreed with that report.

He then alleged discrimination by the Government against his constituency.

“Based on the track record of this PNM Government, no road, no school, no health issues, nothing will be addressed in the constituency of Couva South.

“They will continue their policy of discrimination and treating the Opposition constituencies as second class.”