Private, state construction lead off reopening of economy

ALL trowels matter.

The Prime Minister on Saturday changed the Government’s position again on the resumption of construction, this time allowing all construction to restart on Monday.

On June 19, Labour Day, Dr Rowley said the Government was considering restarting construction on July 5. One week late, on June 26, he said it was only for state projects, then on Saturday, he announced both private and public construction to resume.

Rowley has previously said the balancing of lives and livelihoods would focus on livelihoods as more vaccines become available. He reiterated this on Saturday as he announced the reopening of the construction sector.

His reasons given on June 26 for resuming economic activity with construction was : “We have not done too badly, we have not worsened our position, but we have not accelerated to the point of comfort that we would like to have been. We have come into a reasonably good place, where we act on only these parameters where we can take the decision to relax a bit.”

To date some 15,000 construction workers have been vaccinated. On Saturday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said an additional 10,000 doses will be allocated to the industry as the vaccine programme continues.

Along with construction all complimentary businesses such as hardware, paint shops and cement plants are allowed to be open. Prior to the resumption of construction, hardware stores opened Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays up to 4 pm. This will change to allow for daily opening hours.

Rowley said along with construction, laundromats will reopen. He hinted that the next sector to be allowed to resume operations t will be the services sector.

Asked again on why the construction sector was chosen to be the first to re-open, Rowley said: “The reasoning behind it is it allows for a large number of people, relatively safely, to go back out to their livelihood in a way that will allow them to not depend too much on the government.”

He added: “Being in the outdoors, there is some positivity to that, once you have your mask on and whatnot it is safer than working on the indoors.”

He did not give a reason for why laundromats were opened but urged those using them to obey all protocols. Rowley said no matter which sector came out first, there would have been a complaint of preferential treatment. The only alternative to that, he said, was to allow all sectors to come out at once but then the Government would be deemed irresponsible.

President of the TT Construction Association (TTCA), Glenn Mahabirsingh, who was already supportive of the resumption of state projects only, said he welcomes the opening of the industry across the board.

Mahabirsingh said with the resumption construction, between 40,000 to 50,000 people will be out working.

“The TTCA welcomes and thanks the Prime Minister for resuming construction and associated industries. The association wants to emphasize that TT is still in a pandemic and wants to ensure that there is strict adherence to all protocols. We the industry need to do our responsible part to ensure we don’t return to stay at home measures. The industry will be returning from eight weeks away from sites and we want to ensure all work resume in a safe manner.”

Private contractor Namalco Construction Services Ltd has promised to continue following all public health guidelines to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Namalco’s project director Lenny Sookram, said: "We look forward to returning to work and shall observe all of the guidelines and protocols set by the authorities for the restart and operations of our projects."

"The confirmation on the reopening of the construction sector by the authorities today (Saturday) is well received," Sookram said.

Namalco, based at the Labidco Estate in La Brea, is currently carrying out four of the packages for the construction on the extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin.

"We look forward to picking up where we left off when work was suspended in early May 2021 in which we were well on course for completion by the end of the year," he said.

On Friday, scores of truck drivers honked their horns and flashed their lights as they drove in Claxton Bay to highlight their frustrations over the closure of the industry owning to the pandemic. They had pleaded with the Government to restart private construction.

Many complained about mounting bills, with no incoming and no work.

Some also complained they did not have food and no savings to care for their families.