PM: People trying to scuttle Patriotic’s bid for refinery

THE Prime Minister on Wednesday said certain individuals, including an Opposition MP, were trying to scuttle the bid by Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company to buy the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.

Dr Rowley’s claim came as he replied to an urgent question in the House of Representatives by Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh. The Opposition MP asked about the status of a report by an evaluation committee which was given until November 30 to review Patriotic’s bid, which was previously rejected by the Government.

Rowley said on October 29 Patriotic had submitted a revised proposal with additional details on financing and national fuel security, which was now being reviewed to see if the transaction should move to the next stage. Indarsingh asked if Cabinet has given the committee an extension to evaluate the bid.

Rowley replied, “I don’t know where that mischief is coming from, but when an extension was granted it was immediately made known to the public that an extension was granted to November 30.

“I know of no statement or any issue with respect to any (further) extension. So once again, this is just pure mischief on the part of those who have taken a position that they will scuttle this at all costs.”

Indarsingh asked if Cabinet had received the committee’s report and when would Cabinet make a decision on the issue.

Rowley replied, “In response to the anxiety of my colleague to scuttle this matter, I may want to advise him that the report is not yet before the Cabinet. Therefore, I cannot indicate to you when ­– which day, which week – it will be available to you, to scuttle it.

“What I can say to you is that the report has been received in the proper quarter. It is being reviewed and it will be advanced to the Cabinet in the proper way, and the population will be kept informed quite appropriately as it has been along the way.”

Rowley, in reply to an earlier urgent question, said a private electricity plant at Point Lisas is being sold by its US owners to a UK firm, ContourGlobal. He said he had heard it in the day’s news.

He said upon news of this on Tuesday, T&TEC’s general manager contacted the general manager of Trinity Power Ltd

“An officer of that company (Trinity) on that date confirmed this process has started for acquisition of Trinity Power Ltd by a company called ContourGlobal. The present owner (of Trinity) remains Western Generation Partners.” He said T&TEC will be notified when the transaction is completed.

The PM said Trinity is an independent generator at Point Lisas of 225 megawatts output, with a US owner.