Tag: Pointe-a-Pierre refinery

Petrotrin must be upgraded

THE EDITOR: When the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery was fully operational, Petrotrin supplied TT, and much of the Caribbean, with a complete suite of refined petroleum products: LPG, unleaded gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen, sulphur, and base lubricants. We were self-sufficient. We were exporters. We were a regional powerhouse.

All of that ended with the 2018 shutdown.

But as the global energy landscape shifts, it is now glaringly obvious: a modernised refinery is not optional, it is a strategic necessity.

First, we have the scientific and industrial base to produce high-value derivatives from our own Pitch Lake. Lake Asphalt was already producing refined pitch and sealants for export. This is a niche, high-margin market that small countries would die to have. We have it, and we under-utilise it.

Second, any reopening of the refinery must be future-proof. That means ensuring the plant can process Guyana’s light sweet crude, now one of the hottest commodities in the hemisphere. If TT cannot refine Guyana’s crude, someone else will and profit from it.

Third, the refinery must be capable of refining Venezuelan heavy crude. Venezuelan oil is notoriously sludgy, but we sit right next door. The freight savings alone, the turnaround time for shipments, and the ability to blend or refine that crude for regional distribution would put TT back in a dominant logistical position in the Caribbean energy chain.

Instead of watching other countries seize the opportunity, we should be positioning the refinery as the Caribbean’s premier toll refiner, blending hub, and supplier of finished products.

We once supplied the entire region. We can do it again, but only if the refinery is upgraded for modern feedstock and aligned with the realities of hemispheric geopolitics.

TT has never lacked the talent, the resources, or the strategic location, only the political will.

GORDON LAUGHLIN

via e-mail

SFBA welcomes refinery restart as government reviews reactivation plan

THE San Fernando Business Association (SFBA) has hailed the government’s move to restart operations at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, describing the decision as an economic lifeline for South Trinidad and a long-awaited boost for national development.

SFBA president Daphne Bartlett, in a news release on December 7, said the association is “extremely happy” that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has decided to greenlight the refinery’s reopening, a central campaign pledge of the new administration. She said the refinery’s closure in 2018 disrupted foreign exchange earnings, crippled downstream industries, and drained already scarce resources.

“When the refinery was closed, it was very profitable. We sold fuel to airlines and other countries and earned vital forex. For domestic use, we paid with TT dollars, and the by-product, bitumen, kept our road network maintained,” Bartlett said. “Since the shutdown, we’ve had to import these products with scarce foreign exchange, and that’s one reason our roads are in such disrepair.”

Bartlett added that restarting the refinery will breathe new life into communities along the industrial belt – the so-called “fenceline communities” – where many residents once depended on Petrotrin and its supporting industries for employment. “When you earn, you spend. Businesses in and around San Fernando will begin to thrive again. Downstream operations will also come alive. It’s a win-win situation for the whole country,” she said.

She dismissed concerns about crude supply, noting that the refinery has always relied on imported oil to supplement local production. With Guyana and Suriname emerging as significant producers and the possibility of securing supply from Venezuela, she believes the refinery will be well-positioned for continuous operations. “Our future looks very bright with the reopening. We thank the Prime Minister for that Christmas gift,” Bartlett said.

The business community’s endorsement comes as the government continues to outline its next steps. According to an update issued by Persad-Bissessar on December 5, she met with the refinery reactivation committee – led by former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine – at the Diplomatic Centre to review the latest progress. She reaffirmed her commitment to a transparent process and assured the public that the plan would prioritise national benefit.

Photos released from the December 4 meeting showed Persad-Bissessar, Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and other committee members reviewing an interim report on the way forward. Moonilal earlier indicated that the technical team’s feasibility assessment was expected by early December and would guide decisions on timelines, costs, and capital requirements.

Preliminary projections suggest that partial production could resume within 12–18 months, with the refinery fully operational in about three years. “We anticipate that the report will be comprehensive and provide a clear map of how we move forward,” Moonilal said, noting that financial outlays and capital expenditure remain key variables.

The refinery, once a major pillar of the national economy, was shuttered in November 2018 during Petrotrin’s restructuring into Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd. Its revival marks one of the most significant industrial undertakings of the new administration and is being closely watched by energy stakeholders, labour groups and regional partners.

As the committee continues its work, the Prime Minister has pledged that further updates will be shared with the public – a message aligned with the SFBA’s call for confidence-building and economic renewal in the South.

Rowley warns government: Leave Paria out refinery sale

FORMER prime minister Dr Keith Rowley has warned the government’s plan to reopen the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery could expose taxpayers to new financial losses and potentially lead to private interests gaining control of Paria Fuel Trading Company.

Speaking during a Facebook Live broadcast on November 17, Rowley dismissed claims the refinery was shuttered for political reasons under the former PNM administration. He insisted the closure stemmed solely from the refinery’s untenable financial position.

“We shut down the refinery because our local oil production was too low. We were buying 100,000 barrels of oil per day to refine, and on many instances had to be paid for from the Treasury.”

Rowley said the State is still servicing more than US$400 million in debt tied to oil purchases for the refinery, stressing that Petrotrin had been “bleeding billions of dollars.”

He argued unless the government can demonstrate a credible and sustainable oil supply to make the refinery commercially viable, any arrangement that links its reopening to Paria could be a precursor to private or quasi-private control of the country’s fuel supply.

“Paria is a business that makes over a hundred, even two hundred million dollars. If Paria falls into private hands, the owners of the supply will determine the price you pay for fuel,” he warned.

Rowley accused the government of “actively preparing” such an outcome and urged citizens to remain vigilant.

“I want the population to understand you are giving these people the option to do that. We know what they’re doing, and we are asking them to turn the game somewhere else.”

He also criticised what he described as the government’s “silence” on key details surrounding the refinery proposal.

Turning to First Citizens bank, Rowley said the government is ignoring both the institution’s origins and current risks.

He said First Citizens was established under a PNM administration “on a morning when NCB and Workers’ Bank failed and the government had to intervene” and has since become “one of the outstanding successes in the public sector.”

He claimed the only clear signal from the current administration on First Citizens has been the appointment of chairman Shankar Bidaisee who also chairs Udecott. He noted an article in another newspaper where Bidaisee said First Citizens and Udecott would help drive the government’s development agenda.

Rowley discussed a principle from geology – uniformitarianism – to warn that past errors could reoccur. Referencing what he described as a controversy surrounding the UNC-led government’s first sale of First Citizens shares via Initial Public Offering, Rowley said the bank’s share price has dropped from $42 to $31. He said the downward trend should command the government’s attention, given the State remains the bank’s majority shareholder and has previously indicated interest in further divestment.

“Who is driving down the shares of First Citizens when the bank’s performance does not warrant that?” he asked. He questioned whether the government would consider selling shares at a diminished value and said the government must restore investor confidence.

“The investing population would want their shares to return and to improve. If First Citizens and Udecott are to play this conflicted role, shareholders are concerned.”

Rowley warned local banks are already heavily leveraged in financing government operations and argued political interference is putting pressure on institutions that had been performing strongly.

Rowley defended his own stewardship of state entities, noting he retained former National Alliance for Reconstruction attorney general Anthony Smart as First Citizens chairman throughout his term, under whose leadership the bank continued to grow.

He said his administration also appointed a former UNC MP to serve as NP chairman, who completed his tenure without controversy.

He closed by reaffirming his intention to remain engaged in national debates.

“I am a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. I have not retired from being a citizen, and I have not retired from public discourse.”

Oando on Pointe-a-Pierre refinery talks: No updates yet

OANDO PLC, the Nigerian company chosen as the preferred bidder for the lease of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, says it has no updates on its discussions with Trinidad and Tobago to share publicly at this time.

The company was responding to an e-mail from the Newsday.

Oando was announced as the preferred bidder in February by the previous administration.

Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young also said Oando assured it would not hire foreign workers to work in the refinery and that former Petrotrin workers would be rehired.

The UNC heavily criticised the decision back then, citing Oando’s financial woes.

Newsday e-mailed Oando on May 13 asking if the new government contacted the company and whether negotiations will continue.

No response was provided then.

Newsday posed the same questions to Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal on May 16, who said, “The entire process has been put on hold pending a review of that matter.”

Oando replied to Newsday’s e-mail on May 30 saying, “At present, we do not have any updates to share. We will be sure to contact you if there are any developments.”

Recently, the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) partnered with other unions and the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers to “see what is necessary for…restarting operations at the refinery.”

Speaking at a press conference on May 29, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said, “We are beginning to assess the reopening of the Petrotrin refinery.”

Energy Minister: Negotiations with Oando on hold, being reviewed

ENERGY Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal says Trinidad and Tobago’s negotiations with Nigerian energy company Oando PLC for the lease of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery have been put on hold.

He was responding to Newsday’s request for an update on May 16.

In February, the former government announced that Oando was chosen as the preferred bidder for the lease of the refinery as it planned to restart operations.

Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young said the company assured him it would not bring in foreign workers to work in the refinery and that former Petrotrin workers would be rehired.

The government, when it was the opposition, had questioned the choice, citing financial woes endured by the company.

Asked if negotiations will be continued and if the government has communicated with Oando, Moonilal said, “The entire process has been put on hold pending a review of that matter.”

After being sworn in, Moonilal had said, “The first thing is to review that matter with the refinery, whether a deal has been made and what is the nature of that deal and we will look to have an independent assessment on the state of the refinery and work with the OWTU, with the workers and other stakeholders, to look at the feasibility of quickly restarting the refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre.”

TPHL chairman quits

CHAIRMAN of Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd Michael A Quamina has resigned.

He announced his resignation in an internal letter on May 1.

“I want to express my sincere admiration, appreciation and gratitude to each of you,” he said.

“This journey has been exciting and fulfilling and you all have been amazing travel companions through the ups and downs, highs and lows, the good times and even the challenging ones.

“Do not ever forget that you are a part of a strong and important organisation that, in whatever form it may take, plays a pivotal role in shaping our nation’s future.”

In 2018, Petrotrin was shut down, which included the mothballing of the Guaracara refinery.

The Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd was established that same year to manage TT’s oil and gas assets following the dissolution of Petrotrin.

It has four subsidiaries – Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd, Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd, Guaracara Refinery Ltd and Petroleum Company of TT (Petrotrin).

The previous People’s National Movement (PNM) signalled its intention to sell the refinery and announced Nigerian company Oando PLC as the preferred bidder for the refinery.

The refinery was a major topic of political discussion in the lead up to the April 28 general election.

The incoming United National Congress (UNC) administration, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has said it will re-open Petrotrin and restart the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.

Young promises land, plans for houses

PRIME Minister Stuart Young touched down at the Point Fortin Secondary School on April 8, armed with a bag full of commitments ranging from 3,000 houses for first-time owners, opportunities for youth employment, and a request for a mandate to deliver on those promises after April 28.

Young arrived to a rousing welcome, greeted by fist bumps, hugs, high fives, waves, selfies and smiles from all genders, races and ages of the PNM.

In an hour-long speech, he explored the possibilities of resuscitating the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina cross-border gas fields with Venezuela, reforming the education system to better meet the needs of a modern world, and housing initiatives that could see young people becoming first time homeowners.

He also assured senior citizens their pensions were safe.

Taking the stage shortly before 10 pm, Young started on a somewhat sombre note engaging the audience in ‘serious’ discussions.

“I recognise that our young people are crying out. I recognise that our young people across TT are looking for direction. They are looking for leadership. They are looking for a sense of purpose. They are looking for people to believe in them.

“Young people of TT, our young citizens I stand here tonight and give you my commitment that I will work with tireless energy, and I would fight who I need to fight with to ensure that our young people of TT have a future ahead of them.

“Only a PNM government would do that,” he said.

The tone of his meeting, he shared with the audience, stemmed from a conversation he had with a CAL attendant on a flight back from Tobago, where he met with key stakeholders on a second chance for Sandals to establish roots in the sister isle.

He said the conversation centered on the perils the attendant faced in getting a job after being educated, and the difficulty of securing a home after he became employed. He said the young man’s experience mirrored that of young people across the country who were asking about government’s plan for people with that dilemma.

Saying he was particularly concerned about the youths, Young called on them not to lose hope as there were people like himself, fighting for them.

Young shared with the audience – which was also addressed by candidates for Moruga/Tableland, Lisa Atwater, Point Fortin Kennedy Richards Jr, and La Brea Randall Mitchell – that reform of the education system, with more emphasis on technical vocational skills was priority.

“We recognise education system is outdated,” he said, adding he had already engaged Barbados prime minister and Caricom chair Mia Mottley, from whom there was consensus, in reviewing the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) syllabus.

“I stand here tonight as your Prime Minister asking for your mandate. We will focus and prioritise our spend, your spend, your tax money, on ensuring schools have the resources for the technical vocation. Every citizen at some point needs a plumber, a mason, a joiner, some tech-voc skills.

“Government cannot provide jobs for everyone and neither do I want our young people to say they want a government job.”

More resources, he said will be provided to the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service to train young people to become entrepreneurs. The establishment of a job data bank where individuals can register and be matched with jobs according to their qualifications.

Asserting there is no easy solution to housing, “and who say otherwise is leading y ou down a garden path of no return,” Young rolled out the housing initiatives.

“As the next government you vote in on April 28, I give the commitment as PM, we are going to start a programme across Trinidad, where on state lands across TT, we are going to develop, starting with 3,000 lots.

“We will provide electricity connection, water connection and the house plan for young people as first-time owners to purchase and build your own houses according to those house plans.”

He said they would be tapping into the data base of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to select persons who are on the waiting list and are qualified for a mortgage of between $1 to $1.5 million for a two- or three-bedroom starter home.

Promising that the PNM’s Manifesto 2025 was coming soon, Young said the plans rolled out would be done responsibly.

“No PNM minister will stand on a platform and promise $20 billion worth of goodies they are unable to deliver.”

On the issue of the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) revocation of licences between TT and Venezuela for the development of both the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina fields, Young said it was just another hurdle on the road.

“We have crossed many hurdles getting as far as we have and I stand here tonight and give you my commitment and you give me and the PNM the mandate, I will continue to fight for our children and for you, TT. We will fight, we will fight for what is right. If you give me the mandate on April 28, I will continue to lead on April 29 and will bring home what is best for TT.”

Denying that all their energy eggs were placed in the Dragon basket, Young assured, “there are plenty, plenty, plenty projects going on out there.”

Included is the Manatee field, which should be coming on stream by 2027. He said he recently met with the BP global head of gas, to discuss plans for Manatee.

“Do not give up hope. You would have given up hope in 2019 when sanctions were imposed, you would have given up hope when we got the first OFAC licence.

“To those who say Maduro (Venezuelan President) vex, I could tell you on my way down here (to Point Fortin) I got in touch with the government of Venezuela and there is commitment. I also had conversations with some of the decision makers we need to speak to.

“Give us the mandate and I will bring it home in some form or fashion for us.”

He called on the people to reject the UNC and OWTU President Ancel Roget promise to reopen the refinery, reminding the audience of Roget’s ‘take your rig and go’ statement which severely affected the sector and opportunities for the country.

He said did does not possess the finances or the crude to restart the refinery.

Given the mandate, Young said, Nigerian energy company Oando PLC, the government’s preferred bidder for the lease of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, had committed to employ local workers and to provide crude oil to refine products.

Days after being selected for general elections – UNC’s Dowlath vows to revamp San Fernando

FROM overhauling the market to alleviating traffic congestion, Michael Dowlath, United National Congress (UNC) candidate for San Fernando West, has promised to deliver results if elected in the next general election.

Dowlath, an educator and former principal of Naparima College for over 15 years, spoke at the UNC’s Cottage Meeting at Las Lomas Government Primary in the constituency of Tabaquite/Talparo, his first podium appearance since he was selected by the party on November 29 to contest the elections.

He stressed his dedication to revitalising the constituency and addressing the community’s challenges.

He also thanked the party for selecting him.

“This opportunity is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I am committed to working tirelessly to serve the people of this great constituency and our beloved nation.”

Dowlath outlined an ambitious vision for San Fernando West, focusing on practical solutions for long-standing issues in the community, vowing to take it back to its “glory days”.

He pledged to prioritise traffic management, reduce potholes, and improve public health concerns, such as vagrancy and the conditions of displaced animals.

He said one of his immediate goals is to address the state of the San Fernando market.

“Have you visited the market recently?” Dowlath asked. “Those deplorable conditions cannot continue.”

He proposed adjusting the start and dismissal times the city’s schools as a straightforward solution to ease peak-hour traffic flow.

Dowlath also highlighted the economic struggles faced by the community following the closure of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery in 2018. He complained that the closure affected approximately 50,000 individuals and their families and was a significant blow to small businesses in the area.

“Small businesses – run by decent, law-abiding citizens – were forced to close, and their standard of living plummeted,” he said. “San Fernando was once a thriving centre of commercial activity, but the refinery closure economically shocked the area.”

As an educational consultant and principal for a combined 20 years, Dowlath said he was passionate about improving education.

He said there was a need to integrate technology into classrooms, prioritise infrastructure development and reduce the administrative burden on teachers.

“Our party plans to integrate computer science and software development into the national curriculum,” he said. “But more importantly, we must train our teachers in modern teaching techniques, especially with the use of technology and artificial intelligence.”

He called for the community police system to be revamped and support schools. He suggested medical doctors be assigned to schools to help identify and address special needs among students at an early stage.

“These steps will allow us to make meaningful differences in the lives of students and their families,” he said.

Dowlath urged constituents to join him in upgrading San Fernando West.

“This campaign is not about me – it’s about us, our shared aspirations, and our collective resolve to make San Fernando West a beacon of progress and hope.

“Together, we will build a secure future of fairness, opportunity, and prosperity for all, especially our children and grandchildren.”

Wade Mark questions three bids on refinery

OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark alleged Indian steel tycoon Naveen Jindal was indirectly linked to one of the three firms short-listed to bid on the oil refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre, speaking on the first day of the budget debate in the Senate on October 21.

He raised question over all three firms, suggesting one may be subject to a US embargo and that another was not properly registered.

“We are calling on the government to scrap that entire process!” he stormed of the ongoing refinery tender.

“When we checked the registry to get information on these three companies we realised that CRO Consortium is made up of three locally-incorporated companies, one called Ocala, the other is DR Commodities and Chemie-Tech.

“What we found interesting is when we did a search for ‘CRO Consortium’, it yielded no results.”

Mark said the result meant CRO Consortium was allegedly not legally-incorporated under the laws of TT.

“If this company is not legally-incorporated under the laws of TT, how come this company was short-listed by the Cabinet.”

Mark alleged all three bidders were suspicious.

“You know DR Commodities was former DR Logistics. But when we searched (for) DR Commodities, it is the parent company of this local company but it is based in India. And when we searched the Indian company we realised (that) on the board of directors were two associates and family members of Jindal. That is what we are seeing.” Mark said the current tender should be scrapped.

“What is even more important is a Venezuelan company engaged in oil and gas. It is a holdings company that is sanctioned by the United States.

“How come this government is short-listing a company that is sanctioned by the US to take over our Pointe-a-Pierre refinery?”

Mark then spoke cryptically, “Mr President you know what has happened? Jindal went through the front door and came thought the back door.”

“So we want the government to scrap that entire project. It is too corrupt and the government must answer. In fact we need a forensic investigation into this entire transaction. Mark also used the opportunity to ask if the government would sell the Port Authority, First Citizens Bank (FCB), NP and TSTT.

Mark earlier challenged Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s claims that TT had healthy economic indicators. He said under the Government had presided over a decade of despair, death, decay and decimation. He said in terms of real GDP, that is adjusted for inflation, TT’s GDP had contracted by 19 per cent from 2015 to 2024.

Mark alleged scarce foreign exchange, runaway food prices and spiking crime. He lamented “the working poor” including some public servants now surviving on 2013 wages in the year 2024.

“Unemployment among youths is rising.” The cost of basic food items has become significantly higher, Mark said.

He contrasted Imbert just saying TT was now in “a very difficult place” to the minister also recently telling the House of Representatives, “The rain has stopped.”

Shut down Magdalena

THE EDITOR: The Pointe-a-Pierre refinery was unprofitable. It was shut down.

Caroni Ltd was unprofitable. It was shut down.

The steel plant was unprofitable. It was shut down.

The Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort is unprofitable. It should be shut down.

$56.6 million for repairs could be used to increase the pension of retired public servants.

IQUBAL HYDAL

Felicity

Refinery headache continues

THIS MONTH marks six years since the Prime Minister announced the shuttering of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, once one of the most important in global history.

Since then, instead of things coming to a definitive end, there has been a long, painful goodbye.

The refinery is a headache. It is likely to remain so unless and until it is sold or leased, as per the original rationale behind its 2018 closure.

Dr Rowley’s war of words with the Opposition, over an apparent change of heart by Indian businessman Naveen Jindal in relation to a US$700 million investment into the mothballed facility, is but the latest symptom of far deeper uncertainties facing the economy amid a fast-changing and dynamic global environment.

It is also a sign the State’s options are growing narrower. It may have backed itself into a corner through excessive delay.

When an initial process to dispose of the refinery was undertaken in 2019, there were 77 expressions of interest. Since then, enthusiasm has seemingly waned.

Energy Minister Stuart Young on August 6 said “just above ten” bids were being considered.

In April, a parliamentary committee heard there were eight.

In March, Dr Rowley said two parties had emerged: “One looks very promising, one looks very interested.”

While the UNC and others have aired valid questions about procurement processes, these paltry figures add a different tone to the Prime Minister’s courting of Mr Jindal.

There’s a sense, meanwhile, of other officials wanting badly to get rid of this asset.

Since its closure, it has cost the State about $36 million to preserve the refinery. The longer the closure, the greater the degree of breakdown; the more expensive it will be to upgrade and reopen.

“There is no greater driving force in trying to get somebody to take it off our hands,” said Michael Quamina, SC, who heads the refinery company’s parent entity, earlier this year.

Ironically, the Opposition may have helped Dr Rowley dodge a bullet, if it is true he was unaware of the issues facing Mr Jindal. Given the standard rigours of due diligence, it is better for such issues to have arisen sooner rather than later.

The UNC appears sympathetic to trade union desires to take hold of the refinery, a move that would at once please workers, end the labour problems that dogged its operations for decades, and absolve the State of fiscal and political responsibility.

But the move would also open a new set of risks relating to management style and this country’s place in the region.

There has been the suggestion that whoever runs the refinery could do so in co-operation with Guyana, given the reserves there.

However, all parties have been silent over the implications of the global transition away from fossil fuels, the closure of refineries around the region and the Venezuelan crisis.

Parties have also been slow to outline what the facility means to us, ideologically, as a country.

Is it a source of revenue? Employment? A geo-political bargaining chip?

Until answers are found, it will remain a headache with a precarious future, no matter who owns it.

OWTU ‘burns’ PM, Young and Jindal outside refinery

The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union president general Ancel Roget burned photos of the Prime Minister, Energy Minister Stuart Young and Indian businessman Naveen Jindal outside the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery on Friday as it sought to reaffirm its belief that the bidding process to buy the plant was flawed and riddled with government bias.

Singing and dancing to his calypso The Truth, Roget, with other members of the OWTU, lit a fire in a barrel after a press conference at the roundabout outside the refinery and burned the photos. Onlooking members of the union urged: “Burn them!” In a WhatsApp response to Newsday, Young said: “That type of behaviour is unfortunately a reflection on the individual carrying it out. Whilst I am an advocate for freedom of expression it should always be reasonable, responsible and ideally respectful. I am never deterred from carrying out my duties to the citizens of TT by those who have self-serving agendas and narrow narratives.”

At the press conference, Roget again slammed Dr Keith Rowley’s June meeting with the Jindal Steel and Power Ltd chairman. The company is one of nine currently bidding for the former Petrotrin refinery, along with the union’s Patriotic Energies and Technologies Ltd. Roget accused the government of showing that Jindal is its preferred bidding partner, and will be given control over the refinery despite the ongoing process. “This is a Petrotringate, a ‘refinerygate’ that is going down before us now and so they are attempting to set aside all of those who are engaged in a…bidding process right now, say to the country they did not qualify and then engage their preferred partner.” Roget also slammed Dr Rowley and the government’s entertaining Jindal, given the billionaire’s ongoing legal battles in India over allegations of corruption dubbed “Coalgate.””These charges have not been cleared.”We don’t mind where they come from, you know. Whether these people come from Ghana or Uganda or whether they come from Nigeria…or India – if you are before the court for criminal charges and criminal conspiracy and bribery and all of those things which have already been made public, you have no right being in the Diplomatic Centre of our country.” Trying to strengthen Patriotic’s bid for the refinery, Roget said the company is the most suited to run it. He said the union and workers, once employed by Petrotrin, could have certain plants within the refinery restarted and begin producing fuel for the local market within nine months. “We were the preferred bidders against some 76 other international contenders in 2019, and that did not happen by guess. We again satisfied all of the requirements. We are the ones with the workers who know best how to, in the most safest and reliable way, start that refinery and produce for TT.”This would be Patriotic’s third attempt at acquiring the refinery, having failed to do so in 2019 and 2021, as the government rejected its offers.Speaking at the PNM’s sports day on June 23, Rowley said a committee had been set up to evaluate bids for the refinery and hopes to give an answer to the public by the end of August.Insisting that the refinery should not have been closed to begin with, Roget challenged Rowley to a public debate. “You bring your team, we bring our team. Let the public listen.

“It’s our estimation that you’d end up just like (Joe) Biden inside that debate.”

Doubts have been raised about US president Joe Biden’s fitness to govern after he lost his train of thought and made errors in a June 27 debate with his Republican rival for the presidency Donald Trump.

Roget said the OWTU and other like-minded trade unions have begun discussions with the opposition United National Congress to form a united front against the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in the general election, which is due before the end of 2025. Although he kept the nature of these discussions close to his chest for the moment, Roget described them as “going well.”

PM hits back at OWTU’s accusation of extreme bias in refinery bid process

THE Prime Minister has hit back at accusations of “extreme bias” from the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), for having met with an Indian businessman on the proposed purchase of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, after the date for submission of bids was closed on May 10.

“Mr Roget is braying when what he should be doing is barking up the right tree,” Dr Rowley said in a WhatsApp response to the Newsday on June 25 to statements made by OWTU’s president general Ancel Roget at a news briefing at Paramount Building on the same day.

The OWTU through its fully owned subsidiary Patriotic Energies and Technologies Co Ltd (Patriotic) is one of eight entities which have submitted proposals for the restart of the refinery which has been mothballed since November 2018.

Government originally declared Patriotic the preferred bidder for the operation of the refinery, but Rowley said it failed on every occasion to satisfy the evaluators.

“We gave the OWTU numerous opportunities to step into the situation, including an initial period of exclusivity when only they alone were allowed to bid or propose a pathway. On every occasion they failed to satisfy the evaluators,” the Prime Minister said.

At Tuesday’s news briefing Roget said every single requirement requested, they would have provided. He said the OWTU had the knowledge to make the refinery profitable and the financial support.

Roget questioned if they had failed to satisfy the requirements, why were they in the process.

“Just for mamaguy? We are under no illusions,” he said

Pointing out that the selection process was being conducted by an independent entity, namely Scotia Bank International, and then passed on to the Cabinet for a decision which was set for June, Roget questioned Rowley’s shifting of that timeline from June to August. He questioned who benefits from this extension.

A June 17 release from the Office of the Prime Minister, said Rowley met with Jindal, chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd at the Diplomatic Centre and stated his interest in the potential of the Petrotrin refinery. The release said this subject formed part of the discussions at the meeting.

At the news conference, Roget also raised issues of Jindal’s legal challenges, questioning what due diligence was done, given that the PM said he was unaware of the allegations and charges of corruption against him in the Indian court.

“Extreme bias has been shown in that process, when the head of the cabinet could step outside of the process and engage a contender.

“Did we not pass procurement legislation last year? What part of that legislation allows our PM to meet with an interested party in purchasing an asset of the State before anything else happens?” Roget asked.

“Scotia has been given the responsibility as an independent body to go through the process, select the bidder and put that before cabinet.”

In the circumstance, the trade unionist said, the meeting of Jindal and the prime minister, “can never be correct or right. That could never be ethically correct, morally correct, spiritually correct and, definitely not lawfully correct and right.”

“This is a scandal in the making, when the PM could change the rules of the game, engage a businessman at the Diplomatic Centre, to talk about the process and the refinery, when none of the other bidders were invited and announce an extension. We will not sit idly by and do nothing,” Roget pledged.

Rowley clarified that he was not responsible for evaluation or recommendation.

“Even as the government owns the refinery and proposals are frequently invited, that aspect of evaluating offers and recommendation to cabinet has been and is being done not by the prime minister but by a team of professional people identified and appointed by the Cabinet.

“The whole process is in the hands of Petrotrin and its subsidiaries under the authority of the minister who reports to a prime minister who reports to and leads the cabinet.”

Rowley said government is extremely buoyed by the expressions of interest in the refinery and the potential opportunities, should it ever become a viable entity again.

“This process is and has been one where the government has accepted the role of talking about the availability of the refinery and the desire of the Government to interest potential persons, agencies or companies to look at the prospect and see if we can find a good taker so that the refinery can be put back into operations, if successful.”

He said the main ingredient which is required is a sustainable supply of crude oil and secondly, a strong financial foundation to support and sustain such operations.

“As I said recently, after our constant work , at home and abroad, we are very happy that there are persons now expressing serious interest in the refinery.

The cabinet will establish a qualified evaluation team which will do their work, once the company opens the various proposals at the end of July.

“Those of us who have done the work will be very happy if at the end of the day we are able to have done positive movement towards a refining business, this time based on proper support of imported crude without being a threat or burden to the national treasury.

“The other simple fact is that job and business opportunities will be created regardless of who owns and operates the refinery, if it ever is reopened.”

Reopen sugar manufacturing operation with new mandate

THE EDITOR: Now that the Government has signalled its intention to sell the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery with the aim of getting it operating, the same initiative should apply to reopening a sugar manufacturing operation with a new mandate: conversion of sugarcane to chemicals.

At one time in this country there were seven sugar factories owned by five major private companies. Caroni Ltd had two factories at Brechin Castle and Usine Ste Madeleine. Gordon Grant & Company had two at Esperanza and Reform. Forres Park operated one at Claxton Bay. HE Robinson operated the Woodford Lodge Sugar Factory and Trinidad Sugar Estates Ltd operated one at Orange Grove.

Apart from sugar, molasses and rum, there is ethylene that can be derived from sugar cane. From this ethylene can be derived 13 primary organics and 21 secondary agents, together with synthetic rubber, synthetic fibres, resins (paints and adhesives), plastics (film for X-ray, folded articles), plasticiser, solvent absorbent agents, and synthetic detergent raw materials.

All of this was presented as a feasibility study to the Government by Badger Pan American Corporation – a Raytheon company – just four years after Caroni Ltd was acquired by government from Tate & Lyle. That was in 1979 – 43 years ago.

Given the tremendous developments in technology and in particular in the bio-sciences over the past two decades, this is an idea ahead of its time.

RONALD BHOLA

via e-mail

Persad-Bissessar: Closure of refinery led to hike in gas prices

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said the closure of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery is what led to the government’s announcement of higher gas prices to come.

Last Tuesday the Prime Minister warned the nation to brace for an increase in gas prices, saying the population cannot be insulated from the effects of changes in the price of oil.

Rowley said the cost to maintain the fuel subsidy has become prohibitive and the current high prices of oil on the world market would not insulate Trinidad and Tobago, as the country has been importing crude oil to refine it for export.

He said with the subsidy removed, premium gasoline would go from $5.75 per litre to $7.58, super from $4.97 to $7.46 per litre, and diesel from $3.71 to $6.58 per litre.

During the UNCs Virtual Report on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar said, “Given the scandalous closure of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery by this government, I warned you on Monday that (you) should expect higher prices at the pump.

“The next day, last Tuesday, the Prime Minister proved me right. This is when he stated that despite TT being an oil-producing nation, because we have to import all our fuel due to his closure of Petrotrin, fuel prices will rise.”

She said the price rise will affect every one, no matter what kind of car they drive.

“A diesel van that spent $200 will now spend $375. If you are filling your tank every week you will increase your spending from $800 per month up to $1,500 per month.

“Where will these drivers find this money? Many people bought these vehicles because the diesel prices were seen as a more affordable alternative.”

She said the increases will have a severe effect on the quality of life.

“We can recall when the Minister of Finance (Colm Imbert) laughed at the population, stating he raised the price of gas three times and ‘They have not rioted yet.’ Now he is coming to raise the price once more.”

She said the increase will also affect the cost of goods and services.

“Other countries are staggering the way in which they do it. So, Prime Minister, you cannot, should not, must not remove the fuel subsidy in one go…The country will suffer too much.”

Persad-Bissessar also questioned if the government was implementing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendations – including cuts to the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the TT Electricity Commission (T&TEC) and the Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT) and the public service – without notifying the public.

“Come clean and tell the country if these harsh financial measures are really the recommendations from the IMF.”

In November, Imbert said the government was prepared to heed the IMF’s recommendations to revitalise the economy and outlined the government’s efforts to sustain the country during the covid19 pandemic, saying it now has a very positive outlook for economic recovery this year.

Patriotic submission to go to Cabinet next week

THE Prime Minister said the financing proposal submitted by Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company on February 5 will be brought to Cabinet next week for a decision. Speaking in Parliament in response to a question from Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee, Dr Rowley said the financing proposal for the purchase of the assets of the Guaracara refinery and Paria Fuel was currently under review and would be submitted to the Cabinet next week for a decision.

This was the second extension granted to Patriotic Energies to prove its ability to purchase the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. On February 5, Patriotic’s parent company, the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), said it is confident its submission will find favour with government to acquire the ageing refinery and restart the company.

In January government announced that it had withdrawn the offer to Patriotic because of its inability to secure the US$500 million financial commitment needed to buy the refinery. Patriotic denied the claim and appealed to the Prime Minister to reconsider its proposal.

On January 20, the finance minister, in his capacity as corporation sole, said government had granted Patriotic a 15-day extension, until February 5, to secure financing.