Ministers to hit ground running – Government eyes Grenada gas

IN one of her government’s first major acts, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced on May 3 that she intends to send the new Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr Roodal Moonilal to neighbouring Grenada to explore fresh oil and gas possibilities for Trinidad and Tobago, which was bigger than the Dragon Gas Field.

She also gave notice of a weighty legislative agenda, which new Attorney General John Jeremie, who served in two PNM administrations, will lead as the government moves to open the new parliamentary term.

High on its agenda, Persad-Bissessar said, will be the repeal of the contentious Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Act, the introduction of stand your ground laws, home invasion laws and the regulations to make it easier to grant gun licences to law-abiding citizens.

While there are many other pieces of legislation forthcoming, she regarded these as “low hanging fruit that will not require too much money.

“But we really want to bring these things into place.”

Persad-Bissessar was addressing guests after the swearing-in ceremony for her 34-member government at President’s House, St Ann’s, on May 3.

It includes 22 Cabinet ministers, six parliamentary secretaries and four junior ministers. The oaths of office were administered by President Christine Kangaloo The Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism will be announced in the coming week as that person was out of the country.

The ceremony began at 5 pm, an hour later than the scheduled start, as two accidents and inclement weather delayed the Persad-Bissessar's entourage from South Trinidad.

Guests, ministers and diplomats at the event were informed by the President's aide-de-camp about the reasons for the late start.

Notable appointments include former senior superintendent Roger Alexander as Minister of Homeland Security, Wayne Sturge as Minister of Defence, Devesh Maharaj as Minister of Justice, Dr Roodal Moonilal as Minister of Energy, David Lee as Minister of Housing, Jearlean John as Minister of Works and Infrastructure and Dr Michael Dowlath as Minister of Education.

Dominic Smith has been brought into the Cabinet as a senator and Minister of the newly-created Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence while former Public Services Association president Leroy Baptise was appointed Minister of Labour, Small and Enterprise Development.

The UNC-led coalition of interests swept the April 28 general election, winning 26 of the 41 seats. The PNM got 13 seats and the Farley Augustine-led Tobago People’s Party won the Tobago East and West seats, which the PNM had held since 2015.

Persad-Bissessar, who was sworn in as TT’s ninth Prime Minister on May 1, began her brief, off-the-cuff address by acknowledging that the country now has a government in place.

She said there would be no grace period for her ministers.

“The first order of business is boots on the ground and get to work. We have a lot of work to do,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar, the Siparia MP, then thanked all those “for the good fight that we fought” to win the general election.

She said her administration, comprising six women, will be focusing on the priorities, policies and programmes which were outlined during the campaign.

In doing so, she said, “We have to reform a lot of our pieces of legislation.”

On energy, Persad-Bissessar acknowledged that oil and gas have always been the country’s mainstay.

But she said TT must capitalise on its status of having one of the largest oil industries in the world.

“So we have that competitive advantage which we can use to market to our Caricom neighbours right here and, of course, further afield.”

To this end, Persad-Bissessar said Moonilal has been “mandated from day one” to explore the offer being made by Guyana to bring gas to Trinidad and Tobago.

“Let us explore as well, Suriname is also energy producing. Again, we can partner with them. But I have a surprise for you, I intend to send my Minister of Energy to Grenada because I am being told that Grenada, off shore, has more gas and oil than the Dragon Field. So shall we explore that?”

Persad-Bissessar also said that new Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo has been mandated to review the state of the Treasury “before we could run off…you do not just talk the talk, you must walk the walk.”

She expects that Tancoo and Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Kennedy Swaratsingh, a former PNM minister, “will put their heads together and let us see what we can do in terms of what is there.”

Only then, Persad-Bissessar said, can the Ministry of Trade and all other ministries be able to work towards getting revenue streams into the country.

“We have to find money. We have to make money and together, work hard.”

She said Tobago will not be forgotten.

“Tobago has tremendous resources...So we will be looking at a model together that we could truly reflect what we sing in our anthem, side by side we stand.”

Persad-Bissessar said other newly-appointed ministers also will get their instructions “and some of them will tell you they will get ‘bouff.’

“Of course, there is much more. So I look forward to working with all of you. I look forward to us working together because, in everything that we do, there is you. That is why we are UNC. God bless you.”

After her swearing-in ceremony on May 1, Persad-Bissessar urged her ministers to treat all citizens fairly, particularly the disadvantaged and those living in at-risk and marginalised communities.

She warned that retribution for non-performing members of her team would be swift.

On the composition of her government, Persad-Bissessar said, “I tried to get the best talent that we could, persons that are qualified in various fields. For the moment I am confident that we can govern with the Cabinet of this size. Should it become necessary, we can increase. There is always room for change so we will go forward as we are for this time.”

Regarding the promises she made on the hustings, Persad-Bissessar opted not to suggest time frames.

She said she intends to take things one day at a time.

“I have a one-day plan. I take it one day at a time and do the best that I can. I really think all of us are committed to keeping track of all of what we promised. It is not just about promises. It is about really taking care of people.

“My entire Cabinet carries forward with that thinking, We will just do the best that we can one day at a time. There are some low-hanging fruit, as I said, that we can do without too much money but I am really on a track now to find revenue streams.

“We need to diversify the economy, which will take a little longer and that is why I talk about what we have a competitive advantage in, which is the energy sector. We will be exploring that as of tomorrow morning (May 4).’

Persad-Bissessar said agriculture is also among the government’s priorities.

“We need food security. We have the best climate, we have the sunshine, we have everything that it takes and we definitely need to get more into it. Our food import bill is nearly US$6 billion. So let’s get food security locally as much as we can.”

She believes culture is another area the government can tap into to diversify the economy “rather than putting all our eggs in the energy market.”

Persad-Bissessar expressed confidence that Alexander and Sturge will be able to put a significant dent in crime.

“I placed my confidence in them. I believe we can do it.”

She recalled the former People’s Partnership administration, which she led from 2010-2015, had brought crime down “to the lowest in 31 years” at that time.

Persad-Bissessar said the technology then was not as sophisticated as it is today.