Energy Chamber welcomes new ministers

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago has congratulated Dr Roodal Moonilal on his appointment as Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Ernesto Kesar as the junior minister.

A publication on its website on May 3 said the chamber looks forward to collaborating closely with the incoming ministers on behalf of its 400-member companies as it seeks to build a resilient energy sector.

It said there are many areas within the energy sector where urgent policy action is required, particularly to increase the rate at which new gas fields are developed.

"Without investment in new gas developments, the future of Trinidad’s energy sector is uncertain, with serious implications for government revenue, foreign exchange availability, business opportunities for small and medium service providers and employment."

In her address after the swearing-in of her Cabinet ministers, senators and parliamentary secretaries at President's House in Port of Spain, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said one of her administration's first actions will be to find new oil fields.

She said all other of her 23 ministers, four junior ministers and six parliamentary secretaries will receive further instructions on how to work for the country. If they fail, she said: "They will all get bouff."

The Dragon Field gas deal with Venezuela was touted by the previous administration as critical for the country's survival. However, the deal fell through after the United States pulled its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licences to develop it along with the Cocuina-Manakin gas field in early April.

Persad-Bissessar and her MPs heavily criticised the move to make such a deal with Venezuela from the onset.