PM defends refinery talks with Jindal

THE Prime Minister has defended discussions he held with Indian businessman Naveen Jindal about Jindal Steel and Power Ltd having a potential interest in the now defunct Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre.

Dr Rowley did so when he addressed the 51st annual PNM San Fernando West constituency conference at San Fernando City Hall Auditorium on July 13.

Jindal paid a courtesy call on Rowley at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on June 17.

A statement issued then by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said Jindal’s visit followed Rowley’s trip to India in May, during which he met with several business leaders and invited them to explore investment opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago.

The OPM said Jindal was interested in the potential of the Petrotrin refinery, and that formed part of the discussions at the meeting.

Jindal Steel and Power is one of India’s leading business houses, with a substantial presence in steel, mining, power and infrastructure.

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne, Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein; Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell; and Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport Richie Sookhai attended that meeting.

Rowley told PNM members that objections raised by the opposition to his talks with Jindal were more evidence that it was against any kind of positive development.

"The country's number one jammette...ra ra ra...ra...ra...ra...ra...scandal...scandal...scandal...Jindal scandal...Jindal scandal."

Rowley said, "That tells me, these are people who have absolutely no interest in a good out turn for the people of Trinidad and Tobago."

He added, "They are calling for me to be drawn and quartered and investigated and arrested because I talked to Jindal."

Rowley told PNM members, "Well in that case. I should have been locked up a long time ago."

He reminded his audience about conversations he had during the government's tenure with the major players of several multinational energy companies to continue their respective investments in TT.

Rowley asked whether it was improper for him to have conversations with those people.

"Why you didn't lock me up since then?"

Rowley recalled that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's reason for him not to speak to Jindal was because of corruption allegations against Jindal in India.

He told his audience that last week the US government charged Boeing for criminal conduct on a particular matter.

"Boeing pled guilty and is now in line to pay some serious fines as a result of that charge."

On July 8, the US Justice Department said Boeing had agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud the US for its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes.

Rowley asked Persad-Bissessar if she was advocating that because of this "CAL (Caribbean Airlines) will have nothing to do with Boeing and the nine Boeing planes we have, ground them, buy no parts from Boeing and the orders we have in there to buy Boeing planes, cancel them."

"I tell you this story so that you could understand stupid talk when you hear it."

On a possible bid for the refinery, Rowley told PNM members, "So far, no proposal has come forward to us that is reasonable or useful."

He added that some people did not understand the responsibility that came with operating a refinery.

"Some people want the refinery because they feel it's a chemistry set that you could practice things with. A refinery is a serious piece of equipment. It requires serious money to acquire. to operate and to sustain."

He recalled speaking to many business people in India during his recent visit there about potential investment opportunities in TT.

While an Indian business delegation subsequently came to TT to meet with him, Rowley said Jindal was not part of that group.

He told PNM members he subsequently learnt that Jindal was in Venezuela on business.

Jindal, Rowley continued, had wanted to be part of the group coming to see him but was unable to travel with the group to TT.

Rowley said he saw no problem with Jindal coming from Venezuela to see him.

He added that people such as Jindal represent companies that could provide valuable foreign direct investment in TT.