Rowley commissions Gran Chemin fishing centre

THE Prime Minister has highlighted what he said was his government's ongoing efforts to diversify the economy, stressing the importance of food security and future opportunities in food production.

Dr Rowley advised against relying on programmes like CEPEP and URP, as he said was suggested in a video that started circulating by naysayers which he did not identified by name.

"What you need is a vision to go be an entrepreneur," he said.

“Together we are stronger, together we are better.”

Rowley delivered the feature address at the official commissioning of the Gran Chemin Fishing Centre at La Lune Road in Moruga on January 31. Rowley repeatedly emphasised government’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and agricultural production in the region.

“If we want to diversify and relieve ourselves of being consumers of others' efforts, what we need to do is take advantage of the incentives,” he said.

He spoke of the possibility of exporting locally caught fish to global markets, citing international compliance efforts that now allow Trinidad and Tobago to tap into worldwide fish markets.

“Many young men and women in this area can do extremely well if they attach their interest to what's in the sea outside, because the sea is yours. The resources out there, they are yours, "he said.

"And if you spend your time investing out there, working out there, and bringing in fish, once the fish comes to land, this facility is there to make sure that you get the great benefit of feeding the nation, ensuring our food security, and looking for export outside of the nation. Because one thing about fish is a tremendous market for fish across the world.”

The facility marks the completion of the first phase of the project.

Herbert George, chairman of the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO), said the first phase of the project cost $66 million.

Rohan Sinanan, the Minister of Works and Transport, also addressed the gathering emphasising that the future of the constituency would depend on how residents vote. He highlighted the history of the project, noting that it had been conceptualised under the late Patrick Manning but was shelved in 2010. Sinanan said the second phase had already been approved by Cabinet.