PM: Government to explore gas deals in Grenada, Guyana, Suriname

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the first order of business for her newly sworn-in administration is to get boots on the ground and start working.

Addressing invitees at the President's House in Port of Spain after the ceremony on May 3, Persad-Bissessar said they have a lot of work to do.

She said first on her agenda was to fulfil her campaign promises such as repealing the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Act, implementing stand-your-ground laws, home invasion laws and the necessary regulations to grant firearms to law-abiding citizens.

"Those are very low-hanging fruits and will not require too much money but it's the will and the fact that we really want to bring these things into place."

Additionally, she said she has mandated her Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr Roodal Moonilal to seek out new sources of oil and gas for the country.

"We have one of the oldest oil industries in the world so we have that competitive advantage which we can use that to our advantage to market to our Caricom neighbours right here and, of course, further field, but my Minister of Energy has been mandated from day one (to) let us explore the offer being made by Guyana to bring gas to TT. Let us explore as well what we can do (with) Suriname (which is) also energy producing. Again, we can partner with them."

She added: "But I have a surprise for you, I intend to send my Minister of Energy to Grenada because I'm being told Grenada offshore has more gas and oil than the Dragon Field. So shall we explore that? Let us explore that so we can live and work together here in the Caricom."

She later said the Dragon Field gas deal with Venezuela was dead.

She said Minister of Finance Dave Tancoo has been mandated to assess the status of the Treasury.

She said her Minister of Trade, who was not sworn in, and other Cabinet members will work on their plan to generate revenue for the country. She said Tobago would not be left out of these plans.

"We will be looking at a model together (with the Tobago House of Assembly) where we can truly reflect what we sing in our anthem:' Side by side we stand.'