By Sue-Ann Wayow
TRINIDAD and Tobago remains an ally with Venezuela even though the Dragon gas deal licence has been revoked.
Former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley took to the political platform on Friday night at the San Juan Croisee , defending the energy transactions made by his administration from which he said, citizens especially public sector workers were benefitting from.
He also said that Trinidad and Tobago under a PNM government will not allow its citizens to fall prey to foreign policies that could do more harm than good.
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Dr Rowley had harsh words for the United National Congress (UNC) and its political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar who, he said, gloried in the PNM’s setbacks.
He was the keynote speaker at a public meeting and spoke after Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Stuart Young.
Dr Rowley said, “All of a sudden, when they (the opposition) think that the Dragon project is dead, they supporting it. When it was alive, they trying to kill it.”
He said, “We have no problem with the people of Venezuela. There is no issue. Every now and then we is have a little fishing dispute with a fishing boat being held in this water that water and so on. But even so, the people and government of Trinidad and Tobago are on friendly terms with the people and government with Venezuela.
“So when a Trinidad and Tobago government says, we are running out of gas in Trinidad and Tobago and we should look to our friendly neighbour to obtain gas from them, that is a logical, sensible, responsible decision.”
Rowley continued, “The fact that people in Washington have problem with who is government in Venezuela should not prevent the people of Trinidad and Tobago from seeking to do business and trade with Venezuela.”
He also said the opposition was “inviting” the US Government, led by President Donald Trump to put American sanction on Trinidad and Tobago, him and Young simply for inviting Venezuelan Vice-President Delci Rodriguez to Trinidad and Tobago.
Dr Rowley said his government broke barriers by consulting with the Venezuelan government entering into a government-to-government contract with this country to get the licence to operate in a Venezuelan gas field “that is near to our platform.”
He told supporters, “The UNC, you think that they would be happy with that? No! They believe it is all about politics! And if this comes to
pass and the people of this country see the benefit of that, they will somehow not be able to win the next election.”
From day one, the Opposition opposed all discussions with foreign diplomats, Dr Rowley said. He said the PNM government recognised
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the gas owner while the Opposition recognised Juan Guaidó with Persad-Bissessar making “disparaging comments” about Maduro.
“Worse, going to the Parliament in our country and committing our country to following the policy of the government in Washinton. I didn’t know Trinidad and Tobago was an American colony. So that what they do in Washington is our policy and our dictation,” Dr Rowley said.
He stated, “Our interest is not the gas in Washington or who is in office in Washington, our real interest is commercial access to gas in a Venezuelan gas field.”
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Dr Rowley also said Trinidad and Tobago was in no position to stop the Trump administration.
“The only thing we can do is to keep hammering home to all those who we meet who we talk to who we do business with is that the interests of Trinidad and Tobago will only be served if our sovereignty is respected and our opportunity to participate in world trade is allowed.”
Opposition offered incentives to profitable companies
Dr Rowley said his way of dealing with energy matter was very different from the previous administration.
He said the previous administration offered “improved incentives” to foreign energy companies who were already making profits in Trinidad and Tobago.
Calling out Persad-Bissessar and former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine, Dr Rowley spoke about incentives offered to BP.
He said just after he was appointed became prime minister in 2015, BP requested to have a meeting with him. The meeting was held at which BP made a presentation to him.
Dr Rowley said, “You know what they were telling me. They were telling me, as a result of the incentives given by the UNC to them, they will now be able to write off in any one year, any expense that they incur in their operation. And as a result of that going forward from 2015, we are not to expect any significant taxes from BP until 2025.”
He continued, “So for the next ten years, BP was not going to be paying any significant tax in this country. That was the gift of the UNC to BP called incentive. That was Kevin Ramnarine, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the UNC trying to inject interests. At the same time, BP is reporting increased profits in its operations in Trinidad and Tobago yet these clowns in the government believe that they have to give them incentives to do the business for their increased profits.”
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To date BP remains the largest producer of gas in Trinidad and Tobago.
Dr Rowley said, “As a result of the actions that were taken by my government to be able to pay public servants without any seam being broken without any job being lost, as a result of the action we took, we got an extra $38 billion that we would have not got before.”
