Is their enough room at Lot 12 Camp Street?

quote:

Originally posted by Rahmah bin Jabr:
Is their enough room at Lot 12 Camp Street?

There is enough for you! Stupid.

quote:

Originally posted by Jalil:
Lets hope it is peaceful, free and fair.....and the Guyanese will and decision is respected by the loosers.

There is rumours on the ground that we might see some arson to Govt Buildings, we understand the same thugs who previously worked for the PNC are ready to set fire to some Govt Buildings and Ministries to avoid and Cover up any investigation if there is a change in Govt.

Many questioned the alliance formed with Lamumba, Kwame, McClean, Hamilton, Nascimento, Green, Bynoe, Taps and other known thugs and killers.

It seems Jagdeo and Ramotar believe these Thugs were their Ace in the hold....they can use them as trump when the time is ripe.

I know many officials will be heading for Camp Street soon.

Jagdeo and Ramotar tried to tell us Moses Nagamootoo does not have any support.....Boy they are now trying to see how they can stop Investigations if there is a change in govt.

My prediction is PPP will be out of office on Tuesday....and this was caused by two great men who were underestimated by Jagdeo and Ramotar, these men who are turning things around are....
Moses Nagamootoo & Dr Rupert Roopnarine.....two giants in guyana.

These AFC/PNC goons are suppressing their minds by trying to suppress the votes.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Matrix:

These AFC/PNC goons are suppressing their minds by trying to suppress the votes.

Dave...you caught up in your own Matrix cobweb. The AFC not suppressing votes, we siphoning it away.

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:

quote:

Originally posted by Rahmah bin Jabr:
Is their enough room at Lot 12 Camp Street?

There is enough for you! Stupid.

Rama, quit drinking before noon.

Sugar workers tell Jagdeo ‘Too late too late shall be the cry’
November 27, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News



Sugar workers of the Berbice estates on Friday told Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo, that it is too late now to make more promises. They said this to him when he met with them in an emergency session at the Albion Community Centre.
The President had flown to the Ancient County to meet with the workers who had in the past supported the ruling party. Of late these sugar workers have been showing dissent and have been openly rejecting the party.
On Thursday some of the workers staged a protest in front of the PPP/C’s New Amsterdam headquarters, to highlight their dissatisfaction over the way they have been treated by the government they once trusted.
The latest protest had stemmed from the workers’ outrage over the tax deductions made on their recently received three per cent increase in salary.
Bharrat Jagdeo in his address to the not so enthused workers told them that recently he was told that they were not happy and he knows that they were disappointed with the government and with how things are going.
This, he said, has led many people to wonder about the future of the sugar industry, but things will change, he assured them.
He said that over the years the industry has been taking a beating due to various reasons. He told them that the government likes the sugar workers and is interested in them. That is why the government invested over US$200M in the Skeldon factory.
However, the factory which was built by a Chinese company has not functioned properly since its commissioning in August 2009.
Jagdeo told the workers that the intention is to take production up to over 400,000 tonnes (the sugar industry has been struggling to make over 200,000).
The President admitted that the Skeldon factory is not performing as it should and told the workers that they should not give up, that “we have to fix it”. The workers were told that plans are being made to contract out certain jobs in the industry. The Enmore Packaging Plant in which a worker recently lost his life due to it malfunctioning was also mentioned.
He said that the Guyana Sugar Corporation has been running at a loss and has so far wracked up a massive debt of over $5B and the Government has been bailing out the industry with close to $6B in subsidy so far.
President Jagdeo pleaded with the workers to give the government some more time, at least another two years and things will happen.
Jagdeo said the government will be giving Guysuco another $450M to cover for the three percent increase.
The workers had a barrage of questions on the One Laptop per Family (OLPF) National Insurance Scheme and old age pensions, access to treated water, and street lights.
A group said that it saw the President’s visit as a last minute pitch to buy their votes. One worker said. “Boat gone ah falls, it cyan turn back”. Another shouted, “too late too late shall be the cry”. Each worker was paid for the day and given meals.

Roopnarine is a misfit in APNU. He is in consort with those who got rid of Rodney and he seems happy with it. So does Hinds.

T’dad media uncovers shady deals involving Marriott contractor
November 26, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News


Following the revelations in recent days that Shanghai Construction Group out of Trinidad and Tobago has been awarded the contract for building the proposed Guyana Marriott Hotel even more information is now pouring out that the company has a sketchy past and is under investigation in relation to billions of dollars in fraud in that CARICOM sister country.


According to reports coming out of Trinidad and Tobago the investigations there have revealed a string of questionable dealings involving Michael Zhang, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.


It was found that while his company was at work on billion-dollar Udecott projects, Michael Zhang, managing director of Chinese firm SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago), received a private cut out of the work at the Ministry of Legal Affairs project in Port-of-Spain from Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited, the controversial Malaysian company now under police probe for alleged links to former Udecott chairman Calder Hart.


The controversial CEO Michael Zhang while he was speaking at the Marriot Sod Turning Ceremony in Guyana recently


SCG was also reportedly hand-picked by Udecott to work on the $244M Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre as well as the $900M National Academies for the Performing Arts in north and south Trinidad.


The company was also found to be awarded the contract for the $460M Ministry of Education Tower project on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain.


SCG has also been given a $150M contract for the upgrade of the South Terminal of the Piarco International Airport project and other contracts.


Combined with the $180M contract for the police stations and the $44M Chaguanas administrative complex, companies connected with Zhang alone have been tied to an estimated total of TT$2B in Udecott work.


Zhang, was also reportedly quietly awarded a private sub-contract on the Legal Affairs project by Sunway through his own company, Times Construction Company Limited, to do work on the $368M skyscraper project in downtown Port-of-Spain, according to documents unearthed by media investigations in Trinidad.


The disclosure is just one in a series of findings unearthed by Trinidad media investigation into Zhang’s links with Udecott.
That investigation has revealed that while SCG and Zhang worked on and bid for Udecott projects,

* SCG received work off of the controversial $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower contract awarded to Sunway, a company with alleged family ties to Hart;

* helped SCG when the company received a $180 million contract for the construction of five police stations just 12 days shy of the 2010 General Elections and after Udecott staff came under some pressure from the Ministry of National Security to get the contracts out;

* shared some responsibility, through his company, Times Construction Company Limited, for failing to give Chinese worker Xia Deyun, safety training which could have prevented Deyun’s worksite death at the site of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower on January 29, 2008;

* is tied to companies that have received more than $2 billion in Udecott projects.
The findings, gathered over months from confidential State documents, interviews, Freedom of Information Act applications lodged by the Joint Consultative Council (JCC), companies searches and other public documents, come amidst reports of a police investigation into SCG’s Udecott projects and amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the construction, and now looting, of the controversial church at the Heights of Guanapo, a project to which Zhang’s SCG has been tied.


The police had also raided the SCG offices at Keate Street, Port-of-Spain and had seized SCG documents from Udecott.


The Trinidadian and Tobago Ministry of Finance had also launched a special tax audit into revenues earned by Zhang’s SCG International in relation to an estimated $2B in Udecott projects which the firm was linked to over a period of four years.


The Trinidadian Board of Inland Revenue, (BIR) known as the Petroleum and Large Tax-Payers Business (PLTB) Unit, opened an audit into SCG for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.



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Gap1 19 hours ago

Nation, let's build Guyana, not hotels!
Flag Karen and 6 more liked this Like ReplyReply
csingh 16 hours ago in reply to Gap1

This ppp govt deliberately seeks out shady organizations to conduct state business with. It is the only way these unscrupulous deals and cloak and dagger operations can go down.
Flag godsent21 and 4 more liked this Like ReplyReply
FBIProber 18 hours ago

eh! eh! it never ends, look what allyuh god is doing, from gutter rat to vulture. cannibalized on everything sending the country broke.. allyuh look it!
Flag TUTELAGE and 5 more liked this Like ReplyReply
YANA_de_BANA 18 hours ago


SEEMINGLY EVERYTHING THIS REGIME DOES IS MIRED IN CORRUPTION !!
Flag TUTELAGE and 4 more liked this Like ReplyReply
RaAmen 21 hours ago

And these are the people pres jagdeo want to build the marriot in guyana, talk about bird of a feathers.
Flag 5 people liked this. Like ReplyReply
Fireman649 16 hours ago

Why would it surprise anyone that the current undisclosed investors in the Marriott who are planning to use money from the Guyana Taxpayers to build this hotel would choose such a company for the project
(Edited by a moderator)

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Ravi Sankar 20 hours ago

It is difficult to understand how so many chinese workers end up in Guyana working at Barama. ( Perhaps something to hide on the operations side) Corruption in China is a norm which would explain the shady deals in Guyana for the hydro, Mariott and Airport extension. No independent estimates no public involvement and no EIS.
Flag 3 people liked this. Like ReplyReply
reeaa 22 hours ago

Not surprising .........Guyana is now known for shady dealings and inevitably mass corruption . No wonder this Marriot project is given the green light so quickly .. i wonder what would happen to this project if the PPP see themselves in the opposition come Monday.
Flag 2 people liked this. Like ReplyReply
Emile_Mervin 16 hours ago

I wrote a letter about the true motive for the Chinese spreading of their economic wings, but KN refused to publish it. Why? The Chinese are dictatorial and corrupt just like the Jagdeo regime. Go figure why there has been a rash of Chinese-financed projects. It is akin to government by mafiadom.
Flag 1 person liked this. Like ReplyReply
godzilla123 17 hours ago

All the Chinese need is a foothold in a country and they start spreading out-buying up properties,opening businesses etc that sounds great for the economy, but all the profits go to their own communities.The deal of building a Merriot Hotel is great for the economy, but one has to screen the contractors carefully before committing to a contract.They are a crafty lot and not trustworthy.
Flag 1 person liked this. Like ReplyReply
Politricks_4U 20 hours ago

Talk about cab horse........
Flag 1 person liked this. Like ReplyReply
GuyaneseStarfish 21 hours ago

Whoever be the next president I don’t care. Parliament is my main concern, you cant have one party resides in parliament look at the U.S. of A the republicans running the country and Obama getting all the blame for not doing too much. When young mr. Jagdeo, mr. ramotar and maybe another ppp/c president retired $ 3,000,000 might not be the issue, we may have to find $ 9,000,000 per month for the three presidents’ pension.
Flag 1 person liked this. Like ReplyReply
Rajkumar Singh 12 hours ago

It could very well be, but it will not make a difference, when you dealing with goverments.
Flag Like ReplyReply

quote:

Originally posted by Alexander:
Roopnarine is a misfit in APNU.
Why ??? Because he is an Indian??? .....Racist PNC Lie..... ]



He is in consort with those who got rid of Rodney and he seems happy with it.
[Another PNC Racist lie]

So does Hinds.
Why ??? Because he is not an Indian??? .....Racist PNC Lie..... ] [look how dem PNC Bhai exposing themself now.]

When Sam Hinds visit New York them got him parading at de Mandirs.....how come now he is a Misfit????....
If he is a Rawan.....why dem hang Mala pun ee neck in de Mandir????

Because the WPA said that it would NEVER join up with the PNC. But then a certain Moses said that he would NEVER leave the PPP.The credibility in politics has gone out the window.

http://www.coha.org/trinidad-a...n-a-difficult-block/



June 3, 2010
• Corruption is key factor in ouster of Trinidad and Tobago’s former Prime Minister.

• Landslide victory by UNC’s Kamla Persad Bissessar, as island swears in first female Prime Minister.

• Nation must expunge the deeply ingrained habit of corruption as well as a propensity for homicide.



Located at the southern tip of the Caribbean basin, the oil and gas-rich twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (hereafter “T&T”) often referred to as the rainbow country, is known for its flamboyant mixtures of cultures and succulent culinary dishes. T&T possesses one of the highest per capita growth rates in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Caribbean region. T&T’s Gross National Product (GNP) has seen the increase of double-digit growth rates between 2004 – 2008, with an average per capita GNP growth rate of 16.4 percent during that period. The emergence of T&T in the regional vanguard of prime economic performers also has brought with it a number of distinct challenges and problems to be placed on the Caribbean area’s agenda, and especially regarding the case of T&T residents.

But T&T also has turned in a performance hugely scarred by corruption, drugs, gang warfare and indifference to the plight of its neighbors. This is why Kamla Persad Bissesar walked away with a brilliant election victory on May 24th in which her five-party coalition defeated the ruling People’s National Movement party (PNM) by seizing twenty-nine of the forty-one seats contested in the lower house. In this race, there was no question that the corruption spread by Patrick Manning’s shabby leadership was a key factor in his defeat and resignation. In addition, there is no certainty that the new PM’s rule under the People’s Partnership will improve the status of burning social issues affecting T&T.

Local hegemon or Caribbean Integrator? – The fractious evolution of the West Indies Federation into the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)

Eric Williams, acclaimed by most of the island’s citizens as the “Father of the Nation,” is considered one of the most noteworthy leaders in T&T’s political evolution. Williams, a highly regarded intellectual, had led T&T into a joint Caribbean alliance aimed at creating the West Indian Federation in 1958. This federal structure was meant to assist self-governance through offering a peaceful and orderly constitutional path away from British colonial rule to independence. However, due to the deterioration of the federal structure and ongoing internal conflicts among the islands’ political leaders, Jamaica removed itself from the Federation, expressing its opposition to the proposition to strong federal government embracing all of the area’s English-speaking islands. Jamaica was also reluctant to bear financial responsibility for the smaller and less affluent Caribbean islands.

T&T followed suit in spite of continued efforts by Barbados Prime Minister Sir Grantley Adams to keep T&T within the Federation. Williams then pressed for his country’s complete independence after communicating to the Federation that “One from ten leaves zero,” symbolizing that we are not a Caribbean region without a comprehensive integration of all the Caribbean islands.

After the demise of the West Indian Federation in 1962, the leaders of T&T, Jamaica, Barbados, and Guyana convened in 1963, at the inaugural Heads of Government Conference in Chaguaramas, Trinidad. The islands wanted to explore the possibility of a relationship with Europe, Latin America and Africa. This eventually led to the creation of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), which eventually was comprised of 15 full members, 5 associate members, and 7 observers. The leaders also formed the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME), designed to create a single economic and trade strategy, providing for the free movement of goods, services, labor, and capital among member states. CARICOM’s goals point toward strengthening regional integration, creating sustainable development in the industrial, agricultural, forestry, fishing, and tourism sectors of market members. However from the start, the organization suffered from a lack of availability of sufficient resources and the relatively slow pace of foreign investment.

Critics of the status quo maintain that T&T is by far the greatest beneficiary of CARICOM. T&T’s dominance is sustained by the country’s own rich resources in the petroleum and natural gas sectors as opposed to the majority of CARICOM member states that lack extensive resources and heavily rely on the “sun, sand and sea” mixture of economic viability. The first half of the 2009 fiscal year saw T&T’s trade earnings deriving from the rest of CARICOM members grow to 39.2 percent as a result of its increasing petroleum exports. T&T’s dominance in the Caribbean’s economy is not a recent matter, but it is one that has long been on CARICOM’s agenda.

The smaller islands of the Caribbean belt, whose population figures barely surpass 500,000 residents, chronically face the lack of sustainable infrastructure along with a continual brain drain of emigrating skilled nationals. Most of these islands also depend upon single commodity economies, a state of affairs that may profoundly mar their respected economic prospects. One way for the islands to expand their single market economies is to request loans and credit lines from international lending agencies such as the World Bank (IBRD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In efforts to avoid having further contract debt with these institutions and to aid the sale of bonds, these smaller islands have looked to Europe, the U.S., Canada, and to the larger and more affluent Caribbean neighbors to bail them out.

Caribbean Airlines-The Trinidadian Airline of the Caribbean

The financial pinch currently affecting the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean islands also has opened doors to Trinidadian investment. In a deal brokered this month, the T&T government-owned Caribbean Airlines Ltd. (CAL) took over the operations of Air Jamaica, which has accumulated losses of over US$1 billion in its 40-year history, including an estimated debt of US$330 million within the last three years. CAL will be in charge of supervising and flying Air Jamaica’s routes to North America and the Cayman Islands, as well as Bahamian destinations via the airline’s Montego Bay and Kingston hubs. The deal will allow the Jamaican government to acquire at least a 16 percent share in Caribbean Airlines.

According to a May 4, 2010 press release appearing in the Trinidad Guardian, then Prime Minister Patrick Manning told reporters:

We have been quite clear, there has been a take over of the profitable routes of Air Jamaica by CAL with the government of Jamaica having a 16 percent stake in the airline. We have always had that as an objective in mind. We started CAL with the objective for having it as a regional carrier. It is Air Jamaica and then after, Liat. This is standard practice.

This business model will not only strengthen the T&T’s control of the local skies but is also likely to end up increasing its hegemony over the entire Caribbean region. T&T’s measures of integral control fueled by its petroleum and natural gas industries will have the effect of drastically stifling the air traffic requirements of the rest of the region. Moreover, these actions by the T&T government do not necessarily demonstrate an effort to identify and provide leadership along with other English-speaking Caribbean islands. However, the creation of a cohesive regional Caribbean airline requires extensive funding from all Caribbean nations and not solely by the T&T government, with this issue now under review.

Foreign policy

Through its transition from an oil-based economy to one promoting liquefied natural gas (LNG), T&T has become extensively involved in a wide span of trade agreements with other governments. As a result, the island has become the fifth-largest exporter of LNG in the world and the single largest supplier of LNG to the United States. T&T provides two-thirds of all LNG imported into the U.S. since 2002, with that market receiving 33.2 percent (129.1 billion cubic feet) of LNG during the first seven months of the 2008/2009 fiscal year. Despite the island’s profound dependence on the U.S. market for its petroleum and natural gas exports, Port-of Spain has not been reluctant to establish strong economic and trade ties with Cuba.

The two countries signed a Cooperation Protocol trade agreement, which allows for the interchange of Cuban and T&T scholars to pursue tertiary and pre-professional programs at the University of Havana and at academic institutions located in the twin-island state. The agreement also makes way for increased relations in the field of medicine, through which Cuban doctors, nurses, and medical technicians assist in T&T’s health care workforce in return for the export of Trinidadian oil and other energy products to Cuba. Trinidad also has received guidance and assistance from Havana in the agricultural sector through the construction of the Tucker Valley Mega Farm Project that has created two large-scale commercial farms structured on utilizing innovative cropping techniques and sustainable methods in the Tucker Valley area near Chaguaramas.

In spite of past tensions regarding maritime boundaries and fishing disputes, T&T officials have established a close relationship with its 10-mile distant neighbor, Venezuela. On March 21, 2007, the leaders of the two governments convened in Caracas, where Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and former Prime Minister Manning signed a Framework Energy Agreement providing for the intersection of the countries’ adjoining hydrocarbon energy blocks. This agreement by no means managed to entirely eliminate nor resolve Manning’s continuing reluctance to unite the T&T petroleum market with Petrocaribe, an oil partnership with Venezuela and English-speaking Caribbean nations. The majority of these Caribbean islands, with the notable exception of Barbados, acquire oil, oil by-products, and infrastructural and developmental support from Venezuela, hence creating a singular challenge for the largest oil producer in the Caribbean, T&T.

A Failing Government

In the 2009/2010 budget presentation to the House of Representatives by PM Manning, who before his defeat also held the post of Finance Minister, laid out the future goals for T&T under the theme “Vision 2020:Strengthening Efficiency, Addressing the Challenges.” According to Manning, these positive steps would maximize the country’s use of its resources, strengthen its capacity, harness its potential and prioritize projects while improving the quality of service delivery to T&T citizens. However, Vision 2020 is already losing its clarity.

In an April 1, 2010 article, the Trinidad Newsday revealed the data gathered from a recent MORI Caribbean opinion poll, in which the former ruling PNM government “received unfavourable ratings for its management of the provision of basic public services. Eighty-two percent thought that the T&T government had done a poor job handling the issue of drainage, as well as wages (79 percent), roads (77 percent), food security (75 percent), health (74 percent), national security (72 percent), pollution (69 percent), electricity (68 percent), and the financial sector (67 percent)”. Then PM Manning was strongly criticized by the public for the government’s mismanagement of funds after it spent more than $1 billion during the global financial crisis to host the Fifth Summit of the Americas in April 2009 and the twenty-first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2009. Lavish public spending continued in the same year with the TT$148.1 million construction of the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Center and the possible purchase of a private state-owned luxury jet. Apart from Manning, the former Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Gary Hunt also came under heavy fire for the construction of a TT$2 million giant national flag for the Hasley Crawford Stadium, meant to be a symbol of national pride.

The allocation of government expenditures came to the forefront of public attention at the same time citizens were waiting countless hours in public hospitals due to a lack of bed space, inadequate staff and dilapidated medical equipment. In addition to the rising cost of food, the public was outraged by a transportation system that poorly served the riding public, especially Trinidad, where the infrastructure already was in dire need of repair.

On April 8, 2010, Manning advised President Maxwell Richards to dissolve Parliament only halfway through the two-year period of authorized existence by the ruling PNM. This came following an imminent submission of a Motion of No Confidence by the then opposition leader of the UNC and now Prime Minsiter Kamla Persad Bissessar, against the PNM. Aside from the May 24th general election, in which Manning’s forces were crushed, Trinidad and Tobago has experienced four elections within the last ten years: in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007. This election period significantly differed from the usual buildup of electioneering tension and the issuance of manifestos because last month’s election was predicted to have an extremely close outcome. However, the surge of voters to the polls, proved the analysts wrong. The PNM contested the elections against the People’s Partnership, a five-coalition party comprising of the UNC, the recently formed Congress of the People (COP), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP), as well as the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) and the Movement for Social Justice. In spite of the ensuing political fracas between the PNM and the People’s Partnership, the newly formed government must address issues of crime, corruption, mismanagement of public funds and spiraling healthcare costs.

From the land of Carnival and Masquerade to the Murder Capital of the Caribbean

The government’s purchase of offshore patrol vessels, six fast patrol crafts, four helicopters, as well as upgrades to the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT), the Police Service, the Defense Force and the Prison Service, have not been able to appreciably lower the murder rate. Despite the increase in technology and weaponry, murders are estimated to surpass 2009’s figure of 509.

According to a May 14th article in the daily Trinidad Guardian, the United Kingdom government warned its officials and the traveling public that while in T&T: “You should be aware that there are high levels of violent crime, especially shooting and kidnappings.” A U.S. travel advisory on T&T expanded upon this: “Violent crimes, including assault, kidnapping for ransom, sexual assault, and murder have involved foreign residents and tourists, as well as incidents of armed robbers trailing arriving passengers from the airport and accosting them in remote areas.” Escalating crime has not only affected the tourism sector but it also has spurred the flight of a number of local business owners and their assets to North American and European markets.

Corruption

During the last few administrations, the media described T&T politicians as greedy and failed political leaders with a vaulting thirst for power and little else. In last year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), compiled by Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization committed to fighting global corruption, T&T came in at number 79 out of 180 corrupt countries. This placed T&T as one of the most corrupt of the Caribbean islands surveyed. Corruption is not a new seed that has embedded itself in Trinidadian soil; rather it is longstanding, widespread and rampant. For example, the 2002 scandal stemming from the construction of a new terminal at the Piarco International Airport resulted in several businessmen, as well as several key members of the UNC government to be charged with allegations of corruption in the construction of the US$262 million facility. In addition, then-PM and UNC party leader, Basdeo Panday, was charged with failing to declare a London Bank account to the island’s Integrity Commission.
Over the last few weeks, former PM Manning had been in hot water for the appointment and subsequent spirited defense of Calder Hart, the former executive chairman of The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDECOTT), who was involved in the construction of numerous governmental projects.

The Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector is currently investigating the discovery of a Malaysian connection between Calder Hart and his wife’s family to Sunway Construction Caribbean Ltd, the same Malaysian entity which was awarded the construction contract for the new Ministry of Legal Affairs tower in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

The airport scandal was a tumultuous cudgel in the 2002 reelection of the UNC; and as made official by the May 24 loss, it seems that the PNM now has suffered the same fate.


To a certain extent, T&T at times has asserted itself as a leading creative force in the Caribbean basin, fueled by the precious natural resources with which it is endowed. These frequently have lead to Port-of-Spain’s mounting hegemony among its Caribbean neighbors.

Nonetheless, in spite of T&T’s external triumphalism in the arena of trade and economic relations, the last few decades has seen T&T frozen from its natural resources. At some point, this will lead to the T&T government bursting out in acts of arrogance that will be too egregious for society to countenance.

There is no room for doubt that T&T’s civic society has been traumatized by the spasm of corruption that it has gone through in the recent years. There is no reason to automatically have faith that social conditions under Persad Bissessar will improve.
However, given the island’s recent history, it is some consolation that it cannot get much worse.




xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Four held in Airport fraud

Posted By: News
Date: 18, May 04, at 12:40 p.m.

By Newsday Reporters

The investigations into corruption at the billion-dollar tax-payer-funded Piarco Airport led to the arrest yesterday of a number of prominent persons associated with the UNC Government. At least 12 persons and six companies are to be arrested for conspiracy under Section 34 of the Larceny Act. Yesterday at least two former officials involved in the Airport contract were arrested at the airport while attempting to board two different aircrafts. One former official was seated with his wife in the BWIA first class lounge awaiting the boarding of BW900 to London when the OCNU (Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit) officials arrived.

Another former official who had left the country some time ago and had obtained citizenship in a Latin American country had slipped back into TT on May 13. He was due to leave last night when he was picked up, also at Piarco Airport, shortly after checking in. His bag tags had to be cancelled as he was whisked away by OCNU officials. A former Minister was also reportedly arrested. No official source would confirm the arrests but there was a lot of activity outside the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain, with heavily tinted cars driving into the compound. At least three lawyers, Russel Martineau SC, Gillian Lucky, UNC Member of Parliament for Pointe-a-Pierre and Ian Brooks entered the building and went upstairs to speak with clients. Justices of the Peace Akbar Khan and Hamid Mohammed were seen entering the building but no bail was granted, sources said. All the persons arrested were expected to spend the night at the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Port-of-Spain. Other persons are due to be arrested.

The charges state that the 12 persons and four companies between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2001 "...did conspire unlawfully" together with five other persons (one deceased) and two companies and "other persons unknown" to "obtain contracts and finance or settlements thereunder of a total face value of $1.6 billion...with intent to defraud the Airport Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, NIPDEC, the Govern-ment of Trinidad and Tobago and the public by falsely pretending that the process involved in the obtaining of the said contracts and payments thereunder was open, honest and competitive." In what investigators des-cribed as a "$1.6 billion conspiracy," money was traced to accounts in the Cayman Islands, Miami, Bahamas and local banks. The investigations which were conducted by Canadian forensic accountant, Bob Lindquist began under former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and were accelerated under the PNM administration from 2002.



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Lindquist Report on the Piarco Airport - Pt 2

Posted By: Newsday
Date: 30, November 01, at 11:04 a.m.

In Response To: Exclusive Newsday Story: Lindquist report on Piarco Airport: FRAUD! (Newsday)

The bid process that resulted in an award of a contract worth $183 million to a company named Calmaquip for the supply of specialty equipment for Piarco Airport development project was described as "flawed" by the Robert Lindquist investigations, the interim report of which is in the hands of the Government.

Lindquist recommended further investigation of the matter and raised questions about a deposit account held by the Airports Authority of TT in the Cayman Islands.

The $183 million, the report said was almost 100 percent higher than the budget.

The report further stated that the procurement plan for CP-13 which was awarded to Calmaquip, dated September 1999, stated that the "successful proponent will be responsible for the procurement, manufacturing and installation of the equipment, and will finance the equipment.
Although the financial proposal of Calmaquip was scored 20 out of 20 by the Ministry of Finance, the CP-13 was financed not by Calmaquip, but instead by the Dresdner Bank Lateinamerika AG, Miami whose client is the Airports Authority of TT.

Their loan was backed by guarantees from both the EXIM Bank and the Republic of TT. The report quoted a Cabinet note of January 24, 2000, which stated that "the original cost of the project was TT$740,878,700 while the total final cost was estimated at TT$919,664,130 which sum includes all proposed construction, the accelerated programme, all Birk Hillman fees and NIPDEC's fees".

Lindquist remarked: "In the course of our review we found a complete lack of control over the disbursement of funds from the AATT to Calmaquip.

''Neither AATT nor BHC accept responsibility for ensuring the quality of the delivery of specialty equipment. The Manager Finance at AATT claimed not to be in possession of any bank statements of the loan, but has copies of individual debit notes pertaining to equipment deliveries.
''On the other hand he did provide bank statements for a deposit account of AATT that is located in the Grand Cayman. No Explanation was offered as to why this account was in Grand Cayman.''

The Lindquist Report found the Airport project was a fraud on the public of TT and an abuse of public funds.

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Security services find secret training camp in Cumuto forest
The Newsday newspaper reported Saturday that Trinidad & Tobago's security forces have found a secret training camp in East Trinidad where ex-soldiers, rogue police officers and members of an organised group prepared themselves to carry out a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and other key cabinet members.

Newsday said the security personnel found some incriminating evidence at the camp, including a quantity of spent shells and paper targets.

The paper said it appears that the plotters were nearing the end of their training to carry out the assassination, which security personnel believe was planned for last Thursday, following the regular cabinet meeting.

It added that investigators believe that some soldiers, police officers, trade union members, and even persons aligned to a political party are involved in the assassination plot.

Newsday also said it learned from Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Kenrick Maharaj that maritime security has been strengthened in addition to the high alert across the country.

Security has been increased for all members of cabinet, the paper reported. In addition there will be added security at all venues where Government ministers are scheduled to visit.

So far they have been arrested 13 people in connection with the plot. Among them are two former soldiers and an ex-Coast Guardsman, who were all dishonourably discharged from the Defence Force. Two police sergeants and three businessmen have also been arrested.


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EXPERTS LED PLOT TO KILL KAMLA
By NALINEE SEELAL Sunday, November 27 2011

click on pic to zoom in« prev photo next photo »The hunt is on for high-powered sniper rifles which were to be used in the assassination attempt of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and two members of her Cabinet.

The rifles were part of a cache of arms secretly brought into this country, and which were reportedly used in the target training practise at a secret camp in east Trinidad by three rogue ex-soldiers, who are now in custody assisting in the probe into the assassination attempt.

The three ex-soldiers, two of whom worked in the Defence Force and the other, a Coast Guardsman, were dishonourably discharged from the army and Coast Guard after they were found to be in possession of illegal arms, ammunition and drugs.

The three, who had over 15 years service, are all trained marksmen, and according to intelligence sources, were the actual trainers for the persons who were supposed to carry out the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister and two other Cabinet ministers.

One of the ex-soldiers detained has a farm in east Trinidad, and police believe that he was using it as a cover for the illegal trading of arms and ammunition. His farm is close to where a secret camp was found by law enforcement officers recently, and where several spent shells as well as paper targets were found.

That ex-soldier was up until yesterday in a cell at the Central Police Station in Port-of-Spain, where he is being heavily guarded. The ex-soldier has denied any involvement in an assassination plot.

Police have also detained a Trinidadian man, 30 years old, from the El Socorro, San Juan area who worked as a soldier in the US Army. That man was detained on Thursday and was up until yesterday being questioned in connection with the assassination plot.

Yesterday, Chief of Defence Staff, Brig Kenrick Maharaj, told Sunday Newsday that every effort is being made to verify if any law enforcement officer still on active duty is linked to this assassination attempt. He said intelligence officers are at this time trying to verify this.

“At this point in time we are engaged in a comprehensive investigation in both the police and Defence Force with respect to any other persons who may be involved in this assassination plot, or any other criminal activities,” Maharaj said in a telephone interview.

He commended officers who have been working round the clock to bring closure to this probe, and maintained that the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and other arms of the military remain committed to preserving law and order.

Thirteen persons have so far been detained in connection with the assassination plot and police hope to lay charges against some of the detained shortly. Apart from the men with local military backgrounds, four businessmen, an ex-soldier with the US Army, two police sergeants and three others have also been detained.

A secret camp which police believe was used to train persons involved in the assassination plot was discovered last week, and the country remained on high alert yesterday.

The assassination attempt was supposed to take place on Thursday following the Cabinet meeting, and the persons targeted were Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, and Minister of Housing and Environment Roodal Moonilal.

The plot was discovered two weeks ago by Special Branch officers, and the first person to be detained in connection with the plot was a central businessman last Monday.

Sunday Newsday was reliably informed yesterday that more persons allegedly involved in the assassination plot are to be detained under an authorisation order.

Yesterday, Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson told Sunday Newsday that the investigation into the assassination plot is well underway, and officers are working round the clock to bring closure to the investigation. He pointed out that police officers will be carrying out searches, roadblocks and exercises as part of the attempt to flush out criminal elements, not only linked to the assassination plot, but those involved in other criminal activities.

A security blanket has been placed over the residence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and new security arrangements made for her and other Cabinet colleagues in wake of the assassination plot.


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Speaking Notes of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar during the Budget Debate 2011/2012, House of Representatives
18 October, 2011 05:44:00
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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarI am pleased to announce that the Board of Udecott has, by Resolution dated Friday October 14th, 2011 authorized the commencement of legal action against former Chairman Calder Hart for fraud, negligence and breach of statutory duty. Substantial damages and equitable compensation are being claimed as a result of losses suffered by the company. This, of course, is as a result of the probe undertaken by the Honourable Attorney General.

October 17, 2011

Contents
2.0 OUR VISION AND MISSION 4
3.0 WOUNDED TREASURY INHERITED 7
4.0 HOW WE GOT HERE 8
5.0 NEW TEMPLATE FOR DEVELOPMENT 9
6.0 WHAT THEY WANT US TO FORGET 10
7.0 NO NEW TAXATION TO CAUSE HARDSHIP TO OUR PEOPLE 13
8.0 MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION: THE BUDGET 14
9.0 STIMULATING THE ECONOMY 15
10.0 EXPANDING OUR GEOGRAPHICAL AND CREATIVE REACH 18
11.0 REFORM OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR 19
12.0 IMPROVING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL AND HUMAN BASE 20
13.0 BACK TO BASICS: INFRASTRUCTURE BANK 21
14.0 CREATING COMMUNITIES OF PRIDE: PALMISTE PARK 22
15.0 MEDICAL COMPLEX 23
16.0 RACIAL AND POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE PNM 24
16.1 Constitutional Framework 24
16.2 Equal Opportunities Commission Act 25
16.3 Discriminating in the Exercise of Public Power 26
16.4 Empty Cry of Discrimination 26
16.5 EOC Report July 2011: Scholarships or Skullarship 27
17.0 CORRUPTION 39
17.1 The PNM and its Historical Alliance with Corruption 40
17.2 The Relentless Fight to Uncover Corruption 41
17.3 The AG’s PROBES -The Pursuit of Civil Remedies 43
17.3.1 Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower and Calder Hart 45
17.3.2 Calder Hart and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy 47
17.3.3 Gas to Liquids 48
17.3.4 Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel 50
17.3.5 Agreement with Bamboo Networks Limited for Establishment of an IT Industry in Trinidad &Tobago 50
17.4 The DPP and Corruption 51
17.4.1 The Radio Scandal 51
18.0 ABUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND WASTAGE 53
18.1 Austal Ships : National Security: Corruption and wastage 53
18.2 Smelter 57
19. ROWLEY AND THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE PNM 59
20.0 CONCLUSION 61

1.0 CHARTING A NEW COURSE

Mr. Speaker:
“ A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

Sixteen months ago, when this Government came into office it was on the wings of a national dream caressed by the winds of hope and change.

• A dream for a better way of life
• A dream for a safe and secure country
• A dream for a stable and viable economy
• A dream for the protection of our environment
• A dream for equality of treatment and a more just society
• A dream for accountability and transparency in Government
• A dream for better opportunities to develop and grow
• A dream for a better future for our children

These dreams were shared by everyone. We were welded together by a common desire and fighting spirit that has made us the envy of the world. Just look at the success of our cricket team on the international stage. Look at how our tiny nation is boldly seeking a place in the next football world cup finals in Brazil in 2014.

Mr. Speaker, 27 member states of the EU vote to confer the Annual Tourism 2012 Award to Trinidad and Tobago. It is prudent to know that this decision was made during the State of Emergency and was voted on October 9 2011. Those who said people have lost confidence in Trinidad and Tobago I say, the 27 member states of the European Union have not.

2.0 OUR VISION AND MISSION

As the Chief Executive of this government, I am responsible for translating the dreams and aspirations of our people into the vision and mission of this administration and charting a course for us to get there.

Our Medium-Term Policy Framework (MTPF) 2011–2014, embracing the theme ‘Innovation for Lasting Prosperity’ as prepared by the Ministry of Planning and Economy outlines this Government’s perspective and intent on the socio-economic transformation that needs to take place in order to achieve our commitment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago – the commitment of ‘Prosperity for All’.

Mr. Speaker, Our government’s Vision is that “through creativity, innovation and collaboration, we shall prosper together”.

Our mission is “to achieve economic inclusiveness in an innovation-driven growth economy with greater equity, more meaningful participation and a rising tide of prosperity for all in Trinidad and Tobago.

In order to achieve this vision and mission we have identified Seven Interconnected Pillars for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

Pillar 1 focuses on ‘People-Centred Development’ – In order to achieve our mission of “Prosperity for All” We Need Everyone and All Can Contribute to the achievement of that mission.

Pillar 2: Poverty Eradication and Social Justice. We cannot move forward as a nation unless we bring everyone with us to the Promised Land.
Therefore we need to give Preference for Poor and Disadvantaged

Pillar 3: National and Personal Security. Human Security is essential for Peace and Prosperity. We have made this as our number one priority this year, given the crime situation that was plaguing the country.

Pillar 4: Information and Communication Technologies. We are living in a technological world. We need to Connect T&T and Build the technology-based Economy

Pillar 5: A More Diversified, Knowledge Intensive Economy. We have to Build on the Native Genius of Our People, everywhere.

Pillar 6: Good Governance is key to sustainable prosperity for all. We have seen time and time again how corruption has eaten away our patrimony in the past. People Participation in good governance will be a corner stone of our administration.

Pillar 7: Foreign Policy that will Secure Our Place in the World.

These are the seven pillars that we have articulated in our Medium Term Policy Framework which guides our budgeting process for 2011-2014.

One of the priority items for this government has been the recalibration of what is acceptable in the proper governance of our nation’s resources. In far too many instances people have been short-changed and I know many of you would be frustrated with the extent of corruption that we have unearthed in this one year in office. But unless we eradicate the bogey of corruption in our society we cannot achieve our vision of “Prosperity for All”. We will remain stagnated in the old ways of Prosperity for Some.
Therefore, before we embark on the journey to reaching our vision, we are forced to take stock of where we are. And in this exercise I need to share with the nation a few reality checks so that they know where we are coming from.

3.0 WOUNDED TREASURY INHERITED

Mr Speaker, what we inherited was a wounded treasury and an economy that was hurting. There was internal bleeding and we had to act quickly to stop the hemorrhaging. We had to plug several leaks in order to stabilize the ship lest it sank amidst the choppy economic waters.

I am proud to be able to say that this budget will go a long way in stabilizing the economy. The theme is most appropriate “From Steady Foundation to Economic Transformation” and I wish to commend the Hon Minister of Finance for this visionary budget.

Long gone are the days when budget day would be greeted by long lines at the groceries and petrol station as anxious and uneasy citizens tried to stock up amidst suspected or anticipated increases. Long gone are the days when the government would take with the left hand so that it could appear to be giving with the right hand.

Despite the woeful mess in which the former Government had left the Nation, the People’s Partnership has delivered on the dream. My Government has been able in our 16 months in office to provide goods and services to every corner of this country regardless of race, class, geographic location, political affiliation or any other distinguishing characteristic.

In the last 16 months we have delivered. And we will continue to deliver!


4.0 HOW WE GOT HERE

Before I commence my detailed presentation on the budget, I need to take a few moments to reflect on what lay behind the tidal wave that swept the PNM aside on May 24, 2010. I am aware that there are some who believe that we should have kept every Manifesto promise within the first fiscal year of office.

But we all know, that is impossible.

I can understand their anxiety though. Having been denied access to government services for so long, having been forgotten by the former administration, they have finally begun to taste the fruits of good governance. And as we deliver on our promises, we heighten their expectations and skyrocket their anxieties.

What I found amazing is the shamelessness of Opposition MPs who have come to this Chamber and complain that roads in their constituency have not been fixed in years! And this is despite the fact that THEY were Ministers in Government for most of those years. They are so fixated on opposing and opposing only. Imagine iconic marathon veteran, “Granny" Luces, was made to suffer for decades without a road until we paved the trace leading to her home a few months ago. The nation was so happy for her! Thank you, Jack!

5.0 NEW TEMPLATE FOR DEVELOPMENT

We had to change the socio-economic template upon which our society was constructed by the last regime. It was characterized by the inequitable distribution of resources and mega projects that catered for one man’s delusions of grandeur whilst it ignored the plight of the man in the street. Our objective was and is to ensure that we reformatted the approach to economic growth and development to ensure that the gains will no longer be enjoyed by a favored few, but by the deserving masses.

When I was Leader of the Opposition, Mr Speaker, I stressed the importance of people centered development. I spoke of the need for people centered budgeting, a process whereby the needs and aspirations of the people are placed at the forefront.

Those opposite are anxious to have the People forget how we got here. I have heard PNM MPs and PNM talk show hosts say that the Peoples Partnership Government needs to realize that they have been in Government for the past 16 months and need to stop blaming the PNM for the problems of the country.

6.0 WHAT THEY WANT US TO FORGET

They want you to forget the gross mismanagement, the wastage of funds and corruption they presided over which denied citizens the improvement of their quality of life which we should have seen from the $302 billion spent during the energy boom under the PNM.

They want you to forget that they were responsible for constructing buildings but allowing them to deteriorate by neither outfitting them for occupation nor putting a maintenance programme in place.

They want you to forget that there was no quality control and little project management, massive cost overruns, and the vast majority of the mega construction jobs went to foreign contractors.

They want you to forget the abuse they hurled on domestic contractors, the blatant disregard for the will of the people in their haste for big projects.

They want you to forget that they left this country owing contractors hundreds of millions of dollars and having not settled ANY union negotiations for negotiation periods gone by.

They want you to forget that while money flowed like water as the energy boom revenues flooded the treasury, the social fabric of this country was abandoned, and nothing was done to create permanent well paying jobs.

They want you to forget their multiple promises to deal with crime and their absolute failure to do so.

They want you to forget the attempts to buy a private plane with taxpayers money.

They want you to forget that they recognized but refused to deal with the bed shortage in our nation’s hospitals.

They want you to forget the corruption the Auditor General discovered in CEPEP.

They want you to forget the wall of shame they built so that their high profile guests passing by the Beetham would not see the conditions they had people living in there.

They want you to forget the victimization of an entire region when they shut down the sugar industry, putting tens of thousands on the breadline with promises of land that never materialized, even when the court instructed them to do so.

They want you to forget the victimization of generations of children of Biche and environs caused by their blatant refusal and fabricated rationale for not opening the completed school.

They want you to forget the stone street deal undertaken by the former PNM treasurer, and the CLICO nightmare which happened under their watch.

They want you to forget the rapid rail and the transportation plan which taxpayers paid millions towards despite the concerns of the same taxpayers.

They want you to forget the corruption in UDeCOTT and the PNM’s blue eyed boy, Calder Hart. And I can go on and on.

But I beg this Nation never to forget. We are where we are as a country because of the actions of the PNM. They continued to borrow locally and internationally building the National Debt even when they had vastly higher revenues than budgeted for, rather than paying off accumulated debt.

Virtually every problem that has confronted this Government has its genesis in PNM wastage, corruption and discrimination – from the crime wave to the flooding.
Do not forget Mr Speaker. And do not let them forget.

7.0 NO NEW TAXATION TO CAUSE HARDSHIP TO OUR PEOPLE

Turning now to the heart of this Government's fiscal policy and pledge to serve the people and not a select few, the Government I lead has adopted a policy approach that seeks to protect the fiscally vulnerable and that is why today I rise in support of the Minister of Finance and in support of Budget of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

You see if you did not know it before, the directions and intent of those on Opposition became clearer from their words. Amazingly, I heard them complain that we took the easy way out:
• that we did not raise taxes,
• that we did not reduce the fuel subsidy and therefore increase the cost of fuel and everything else,
• that we did not impose the land and building tax or the property tax.

And I want the population to pay attention to that! Because if you had put God out of your thoughts and put THEM in government, today you would have had a higher fuel price, and tax after tax after tax!

And that may have been the EASY way for the government, but the hard way for the citizens of our nation.


8.0 MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION: THE BUDGET

The primary concerns raised regarding the budget include the sufficiency of funds dedicated to specific ministries, the billion dollar deficit, and whether the implementation of the various mentioned programmes and projects will be in the best interest of the people.

Financially, this government is attempting to make the most of a bad situation. The UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report (2011) warns, and I quote, that ‘fiscal tightening only addresses the symptoms of the problem, leaving the causes unchanged. Public debt is a consequence of the crisis, not a cause.” It also states that a reduction in growth-promoting fiscal expenditure may lead to a decline in future government revenues that will be larger than the fiscal savings made with retrenchment. (Caribbean Business Journal, 2011)

Consequently, this year’s budget outlines a wise strategy to tackle the causes of our bad situation, instead of attempting a quick fix using curtailed funds.

As it is the largest budget in T&T’s history, it is also the largest investment in our country and in our people and it has come at an extremely opportune time.


9.0 STIMULATING THE ECONOMY

Minister Dookeran’s budget signaled a seismic shift in the political ideology of governance from the PNM’s paternalistic concepts to a vision that invites citizens to become individual share-owners government business entities. The proposed financial plan will serve the double purpose of stimulating the economy, as well as improving the standard of living of our people.

Permit me to mention a few of the bold initiatives we have taken:
• the 21st Century Policing Project
• the Health Information Management System
• alternative transit systems
• the Tourism Action Plan
• the Land for the Landless Program
• the LIFE-Sport program are preventative

And the list goes on and on

I know there is a concerted attempt by the leader of the opposition to claim that investor confidence in the country is low. What he fails to tell you is that investor confidence all around the world is low right now due to the economic crises many countries in Europe are embroiled in and the US itself facing a double dip recession.

But let us look at what is happening in Trinidad and Tobago. We are fortunate, Mr. Speaker, that despite what is happening abroad we have not only been able to weather the storm, but our economy has shown signs of recovery.

Take for example the country’s stock exchange, a leading indicator of economic activity:
One year ago the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange Composite Index stood at 817.98. On Friday last, it closed at 992.91. This is more than 17 percent increase over a period of one year. 16 of the 39 stocks in the composite index increased in value over the past one year – the increase in value ranging from 13.26% to 92%. The average increase of these 16 stocks is around 35 percent. The market capitalization, that is the total value of the stock market, increased from around $70 billion to more than $90 billion in the past one year.

Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that this performance of our stock market is of particular significance given the fact that most other major markets are posting negative returns.

I would dare say that the government’s prudent economic strategy of keeping interest rates low, removing the uncertainty in the environment one by one, and stimulating growth is working.

We do acknowledge that more needs to be done to stimulate the economy and bring growth to the non-energy sector. And the proposal by the Minister of Finance to provide a significant tax break to small and medium size companies to list on the stock exchange is precisely one such measure that will stimulate entrepreneurs to seek listing on the exchange and raise cheaper capital from the market.

More direct economic diversification initiatives mentioned included proposed investment in Alternative and Renewable Energy, the Maritime Economy, and Creative Industries, among others.

These areas specifically are most practical for swift implementation and returns, as T&T is in a strong position to make these areas vastly profitable. Our one hundred plus years of experience as well as our human resource pool in the energy industry makes it that much more feasible to explore our renewable energy options to help stimulate the economy and position us in a competitive global position with future energy trends. (Caribbean Business Journal, 2011)

10.0 EXPANDING OUR GEOGRAPHICAL AND CREATIVE REACH

Our strategic position between Latin America, the Caribbean and North America also puts us in a strong position to tap into the regional maritime transportation and trade industry much more aggressively. Our very strong creative culture, reflected in the number of established and up and coming entrepreneurs in the art, music and fashion industries will also facilitate a smooth transition to a robust creative sector, the potential benefits of which will be multiple, and include employment, trade and revenue, and increased cultural tourism.

11.0 REFORM OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Other issues raised by the budget had to do with the performance of our public sector and monitoring of relevant private sector activities. We hope to improve the efficiency of government services and therefore our economy via the proposed structural reforms within the public sector, particularly the Human Resource Management reform in the Civil Service, and the reform of the PSIP (Public Sector Investment Program) to improve accountability and transparency of public expenditure.

12.0 IMPROVING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL AND HUMAN BASE

Several proposals in this year’s budget suggest the review of and improvement on existing policies, strategies, programs and initiatives. However, several new proposals were raised, and the benefit of these will only be realized if the material and human infrastructure is provided. This will include technological upgrades in several sectors, particularly within government ministries, which is necessary not only for integration and communication to enable our local undertakings, but to enable us to better compete in international markets by engaging global technologies and their benefits. Technology provides opportunities to facilitate other aims including monitoring and evaluation and disaster preparedness. Implementation of the proposals will also require extensive tertiary and technical training, which is reflected by the budgetary allocation to education and training. This government continues to recognize the importance of our education system in achieving our aims individually and nationally.

It is clear from our budget plan that we believe that investing in our most important resource, our people, will help us to grow and develop as a nation, and help us develop our own strategy out of the global financial crisis. Investment in our citizens, particularly the young and displaced, will also safeguard us against the local social ills that we are now facing, which in turn are affecting our business sector and our economy.


13.0 BACK TO BASICS: INFRASTRUCTURE BANK

Mr. Speaker, one of the initiatives of this Government is the proposed establishment of an Infrastructure Bank which will engage in the raising of funds via private investment to be used to finance medium and long term infrastructure and related projects, without directly adding to the sovereign debt.

Listening to the Opposition one would get the impression that the concept of an infrastructure bank is a novel one. Far from it. Indeed the United States is currently seeking to create a national I-Bank patterned along the lines of the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank which has been in operation since 1999. The bank was started with US $161 million in that year but over its twelve year life it has financed US32 billion in public works.

Earlier this year in Connecticut USA, the states legislature approved the formation of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority along the same lines.

Mr. Speaker the intent is the encouragement of further private public relations, the stimulation of additional investment activity in the domestic economy, increased jobs and the enhanced provision of public works throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The purpose of this initiative is as straightforward as having communities being able to access additional funding to meet immediate needs for infrastructure.

14.0 CREATING COMMUNITIES OF PRIDE: PALMISTE PARK

Mr Speaker Palmiste Park is familiar to all southerners. It is the “Queens Park Savannah” of the South! We intend to transform this into a modern open air theathre and family-oriented recreation park.

It is a green oasis abuzz with activity on a daily basis. It has long been my vision that there should be walking and cycling tracks, proper picnic and bar-b-q grills for family recreation and an amphitheatre to facilitate the proper hosting of concerts and plays. The area is already used to house crusades, Ramleela, Christmas plays, Carnival events and concerns. The ponds should be rehabilitated and restocked with aqua life, and there should be designated parking and areas designated for micro commercial activity.

A concept design has already been done and it is envisaged that work on this project will commence in fiscal 2012.

15.0 MEDICAL COMPLEX

Mr. Speaker the Hon Minister of Finance on Monday last spotlighted the development of a Medical Complex in our Southern city. This would be built around the current San Fernando General Hospital and its associated support structures at present and the Chancery Lane Building. It is proposed that there will be training and teaching facilities as well as surgical, medical and administrative divisions as part of the wider National plan for the development of our Nation’s healthcare system.

The conversion of the Chancery Lane Building as part of the hospital is testament to the government’s vision and priorities. In addition to serving as a theatre, Naparima Bowl will also be used as a lecture hall for medical students and doctors to ensure there is continuous training of our medical personnel.


16.0 RACIAL AND POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE PNM

16.1 Constitutional Framework

Mr Speaker, a Government wields formidable power, not just in terms of financial expenditure and fiscal measures but in terms of the overarching power it holds over the daily lives and activities of the citizens.


Mr Speaker the preamble of the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago states:

“Whereas the people of Trinidad and Tobago…respect the principles of social justice and therefore believe that the operation of the economic system should result in the material resources of the community being so distributed as to subserve the common good……and THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT ON THE BASIS OF MERIT, ABILITY AND INTEGRITY”

Moreover the Constitution is even clearer in its intent in Clause 4 wherein it states:
“It is hereby recognised and declared that in Trinidad and Tobago there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, origin, colour, religion or sex, the following fundamental human rights and freedoms, namely:-
b. the right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law;


d. the right of the individual to equality of treatment from any public authority in the exercise of any functions;…………….”

The right to equality of treatment assumes greater significance in a society such as ours. Our political evolution and history has been characterized by cries of unequal treatment by the State. Apart from the courts, parliament has created specialist legal Commissions and tribunals to focus on certain areas that warrant special treatment. The need to guard against discrimination was one such area hence the enactment of the Equal Opportunities Act.

16.2 Equal Opportunities Commission Act

Mr Speaker, I am proud to have been involved in supporting the formation of the Equal Opportunity Commission by Act of Parliament in 2000.

You will recall however that for seven years the PNM Government refused to implement the Act. In fact, it was a group of disabled persons who successfully challenged the then government and took the matter all the way to the Privy Council which ordered the PNM Government to implement the Legislation.

Even in the face of the court order, the PNM Government continued to deny citizens access to protection from discrimination for a further 7 months before the Commission was appointed under the Chairmanship of Dr. John La Guerre, and even then the organization remained underfunded and underequipped for its purpose.

It was almost as if the PNM when it was in Government was deadly afraid of allowing citizens the security of protection from discrimination by the Government.

And we all know why.

16.3 Discriminating in the Exercise of Public Power

The cases of discrimination against that Government are a very sad legacy of governmental abuse, and are well known to the National Community. Cases involving the Maha Sabha radio licence, Feroza Ramjohn, Ganga-Persad Kissoon, Devant Maharaj, Marlene Coudray and others constitute shameful indictments against the PNM Government. Indeed, several of the PNM MPs sitting and pontificating today sat quietly and acquiesced while citizens were denied their constitutional rights and their rights to appeal the denial of these constitutional guarantees.

I ask the Leader of the Opposition: where was your voice when the cabinet voted to give Louis Lee Sing’s Citadel Limited a radio licence and bypassed the Maha Sabha’s longstanding application which had been processed and recommended for years? Is that why you appointed Mr Lee Sing Mayor (although he acts as if he is the sherriff!!) of Port –of-Spain?

16.4 Empty Cry of Discrimination

Mr Speaker, recently, the PNM has taken up a mantra to cry discrimination at every issue, in a failed attempt to cover up its own discriminatory practices. But they are fooling no one.

The nation clearly sees that for what it is: political mischief born of desperation and fear as the delivery of this Government continues to win the hearts and minds of citizens.

Mr Speaker, let me clear up the misconception that seems to have taken root in the minds of those opposite. We are not the PNM so stop judging us by your standards. There are those who see smoke and mirrors at every turn because that is how the PNM in Government operated. You can run, but you cannot hide from your past! The discrimination ghost continues to haunt the PNM. Let me give you the most recent stunning example of this.

16.5 EOC Report July 2011: Scholarships or Skullarship

In 2009 Mr Speaker, this country was rocked with the scandal that erupted when it was discovered that over $45 million dollars was spent in secret scholarships by the PNM.

The PNM Minister who had presided over the debacle had already hidden in a foreign post far from prying eyes of the media and investigators. Her replacement and current MP for Port of Spain South rushed to this Chamber, denied every wrong doing and promised a full investigation. That investigation never happened, she demitted Ministerial office and the PNM breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Mr Speaker I have in my hands a report dated July 2011 which was recently issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission. It deals with an investigation into allegation of discrimination against the Ministry of Community Development during the period 2002 - 2009.


This Notification of the Decision of the Commission’s findings was signed by the Chairman of the EOC and was procured by the Complainant, Mr Devant Maharaj via the Freedom of Information Act.

And I put it to you Mr Speaker that is it investigations like this that had and has the PNM petrified of the EOC and the FOI Act.

The complainant in this case was Mr Devant Maharaj, an ordinary citizen in 2009. The investigation by the EOC did in fact reveal that there was shameless, rampant discrimination in the award of secret scholarships by the former government. It also revealed the underbelly of the PNM. The institutionalized discrimination that they practiced.

Listen to some of the findings:

Ministry Breaches
1. “No Record of Selection Committee meetings: the EOC was informed that there are no copies of minutes of ANY meeting of the Selection Committee or ANY information regarding what would have taken place during the evaluation of applications.” (Page 18) So just how were these scholarships awarded? Keep listening. Indeed in its conclusion, the Equal Opportunity Commission cast doubt that there even WAS a Scholarship Selection Committee where it said at Page 39 “In fact even the existence or operation of the Scholarship Selection Committee is uncertain”.


2. “Review of Application Forms. Based on a review of the applications of persons requesting grants for the years 2002 – 2007, several claims of financial need and subsequent awards of financial assistance were identified as suspicious.” by the EOC. (Page 19)

3. The investigators found that there was no completed application forms for almost half of the persons (47%) who received scholarships under this secret scheme. Of those that filled out the form, 36 had no address and were therefore incomplete. (Page 17)

4. The Equal Opportunity Commission found that more than half of those who had filled out the form came from the following constituencies:
San Fernando
Port of Spain North/ St. Anns West
Diego Martin West
Arima
Laventille East/Morvant (Page 18)

5. Criteria for award of financial assistance not adhered to: The Ministry of Community Development provided to the EOC upon request with a brochure entitled Guidelines for the Award of Financial Assistance (Studies) Programme which they claim was used in deciding on assistance to persons. The guidelines specified that awards will be approved: To a maximum of twenty five thousand dollars (TT25,000) per annum for local programmes to a maximum of 2500 pounds for programmes in England and US 5,000 for programmes in other countries.


“Awards above those specified may be considered, but only in EXCEPTIONAL Cases” (Pages 16 and 19)

But what really happened?

The EOC discovered that more than half the awards for local study exceeded the $25,000 limit allegedly set by the Ministry.

And some 94 percent of the awards for the foreign programmes exceeded the foreign limit. In other words there was absolutely no attempt to control the value of awards given.

According to the EOC Report, “the figures therefore raise the question of what constituted the “exceptional” circumstances referred to in the Guidelines that would have influenced the Ministry to award sums over the maximum amounts quoted.” (Page 19)

6. Terms - although the Ministry’s guidelines stated that beneficiaries MAY be required to enter into an agreement with Government to serve within their respective communities for a period of time, in fact this was never done. Instead the Ministry claimed that : “Given the low level of financial assistance the matter of an agreement was not pursued between 2003 and 2007”

Why indeed?


7. Investigators inspecting the Vote books observed that the allocated fund was used “to pay every imaginable expense from the scholarships grants to the following: community wardens, salaries, catering services, gardening services, rental of retained properties, rental of sound equipment, rental of stages, printing fees, publication fees and communication fees (TSTT etc.)” This Mr Speaker was plain and simple, a PNM slush fund.

8. “No Agreement Signed – The Ministry’s assertion that the manner of an agreement between the Ministry and successful applicants was not pursued because of the “low level of financial assistance” provided is MISLEADING AT BEST.

An analysis of the list of recipients of financial assistance provided by the Ministry shows that OVER 400 persons received more than $31,000TT dollars.

There were also HUNDREDS of persons receiving funding amounting to more than $100,000 TT Dollars or more. In most cases the entire tuition fee of the applicant was awarded and was in either British pounds or United States dollars.

In Comparison, in relation to the GATE Programme, even for the smallest sums, a person is required to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.” (Page 20)

9. Local vs Foreign Programmes – Additionally the Ministry indicated that preference would be given to local study programmes rather than foreign. However more than 68 percent were granted awards for foreign studies with less than a third of the awards for local study.

10. “No method to monitor successful applicants - there were no methods of monitoring applicants to ensure that they successfully completed their listed programme of study or that on completion of their programme they returned to benefit their community. The commission requested information relating to the policies and procedures in place to monitor completion of the course of study. To date the Commission has not received a response.” (Pge 20) The PNM Government simply gave away 45.3 million taxpayers dollars without a shred of follow-up or justification.

11. “NO connection to NGOs or CBOs. The guidelines state that applications must be accompanied by inter alia a written recommendation or assessment from an NGO or CBO.”
Another section of the Guidelines requires that “An indication of the area/s in which the applicant has made a contribution in the community must be specified. An NGO or CBO MUST confirm the applicant’s involvement. However, none of the copies of the applications reviewed by the Commission contain any such recommendations. Furthermore, there was no evidence to suggest that any NGOs or CBOs were involved in any aspect of the CSDP.” (Page 20-21)

In other words none of the applicants would have or should have qualified if they did not have a recommendation from a CBO or NGO, and no evidence was seen of any.

12. “No Advertisement of Financial Assistance Studies Programme. No evidence was provided to substantiate the Ministry’s assertion that the awards were sufficiently advertised and made available to all nationals during the period in question.

For instance, the Ministry maintained that it sent Guidelines to eight Community Development Administrative District Offices but has been unable to locate any correspondence that would have been sent to provide information to those at the District Offices responsible for distributing said brochures.” (Page 22)

In other words - while they say they did, they could not prove that any form of advertisement was done: not in any newspaper, not in any magazine, not in any internal memo, not in any television ads, not in any radio ads, not in any public statements. These scholarships, 45.3 million dollars worth, were a private affair.

13. Perhaps the explanation for why there was no much inconsistency, inaccurate data, misdirection, secrecy and deliberate and absolute financial and fiduciary breaches in the award of these scholarships come from the following.

Under the heading “Awards based on Financial Need” the EOC Investigators revealed:
“The criteria as set out by the Ministry stated that applicants must provide evidence of financial need. However, the information obtained showed that there were instances where applicants were awarded grants not based on financial needs but based on the recommendations from then Ministers of Government and even from the Prime Minister himself……. Examples included:

a. In 2004 Adanna Joseph received $25,600 to pursue a BA in Public Relations Cooperative Education Route Progrtamme at Mount Saint Vincent University. She is the daughter of Brigadier Peter Joseph A note attached to the Interview sheet of the Ministry stated the following: “does not qualify under needy. However some assistance is recommended.” Additionally, attached to this application form was a note from the then Prime Minister Patrick Manning on the Prime Minister’s official stationary with the words “Hon. Joan Yuille Williams. Please assist.” The note also included what purports to be Mr. Manning’s signature and the date 04.10.24

b. Kariym McHoney was awarded $50,400 in 2005 and $63,200 in 2006. The remarks/Recommendation column of the Interview sheet stated the following “Family is not really financially stressed; Father is Commissioner of Prisons, Mother – teacher. Does NOT qualify under needy. However some assistance is recommended.”

Now we see why the PNM Government did not want the EOC in operation and fought so hard against it!

They maintained their own private slush fund for years and in this case well over 45 million tax dollars was used to provide secret funding for friends and family of the PNM who did not qualify for any such based on the criteria that the PNM set themselves! EXCEPT that they were recommended by PNM Ministers.

This is a prima facie breach of the Integrity in Public Life Act and shall be referred to the Integrity Commission, the Commissioner of Police and the DPP for appropriate action.

The Equal Opportunity Commission on page 35 of its report revealed that
“The commission on reviewing application forms obtained from the Ministry found that most of the persons who applied for the scholarships did so with the recommendation of a Government Minister or other politician or known supporter of the Government at that time.

An inference can therefore be made that persons who obtained scholarships did so on the basis of their affiliations and or relations with the governing party at the time. (Page 35) Mr. Speaker for clarification the EOC was referring to the PNM.

Some 11 percent of applicants came from Diego Martin West!

I wonder if anyone recommended them? Since they did not qualify how did they manage to get “picked”?

But this travesty of Justice did not end there Mr Speaker.

What the Equal Opportunity Commission investigation uncovered was that under the PNM, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs operated in such a manner to discriminate against the applicant and the vast majority of Trinidad and Tobago.

The EOC conclusion was that:
“the complainant in this matter did provide enough evidence for an inference of discrimination to be made out against the Ministry of community Development”,(Gender and Youth Affairs).

Specifically, the Report also revealed that the award of scholarships by the Ministry under the PNM was politically biased heavily in favor of the PNM and persons recommended by PNM Ministers and party officials, the report also highlighted a the presence of what appears to be racial discrimination as well.

Under the heading Distribution of Financial Assistance by Ethnicity, the EOC’s report stated that:
“7 percent of persons receiving funding were of East Indian decent whilst 93 percent were of non –Indo Trinidadian origin.”

Mr Speaker that this kind of discrimination took place in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs is particularly vexing as that is the Ministry which should have been promoting the development of multiculturalism.

One wonders where else under the PNM was this level of discrimination allowed to fester. And what saddens me most is that it is clear from the rush to place a plaster over this sore by the Member for Port of Spain South and the PNM hierarchy, that those opposite KNEW fully of the existence of this ethnic and political discrimination and by all indications supported it. (Recommendations came from PNM Ministers).

There are 10 MPs sitting on the Opposition benches today who were in Government during the period when this sordid practice took place. I challenge any and all of you to deny that under the PNM Government, taxpayers dollars were used to provide financial support to people who did qualify for it, to the deliberate exclusion of others based on their ethnicity, political persuasion, and geographic location.

I challenge you to arise and disprove to this country the EOC findings that the PNM Government engaged in blatant discrimination in the use of state resources.

But Mr Speaker I want to take this even further. You see there are thousands of students in Trinidad and Tobago who access GATE. They too were denied access to the PNM secret slush funds for friends.

Over the period every student who had to pay to study any course were denied access by the PNM. So this discrimination includes discrimination against every race, gender, ethnic background.

Even PNM Members were ostracized unless you were close to a PNM highroller!

Through you Mr Speaker I call on students and public servants throughout Trinidad and Tobago, to write to the Leader of the Opposition on Charles Street Port of Spain and tell him how you feel at having been denied the opportunity to further your educational dreams and aspirations because the PNM Minister decided to only give their friends and family YOUR tax dollars!

That is the clear difference between the PNM and the Partnership. We have advertised all scholarships and bursaries offered by the Government on the print and electronic media. Even PNM people can apply because we award them based on merit. There is a properly constituted Scholarships Committee on every occasion, which does not include political figures, and a clear application and award criteria.

The PNM mode is to deceive – they never had any criteria or committee. This was a clear case corruption and discrimination. I am advised by Mr Devant Maharaj that this matter was also reported to the Integrity Commission over a year ago.

We await, with bated breath, the findings and report of the Integrity Commission and pause to note that the DPP is already in possession of two reports from the Integrity Commission that could lead to criminal charges against senior PNM cabinet ministers—the Maha Sabha Radio Licence and the Karen Nunez Tesheria reports.

17.0 CORRUPTION

The detrimental misuse of public funds resulting in the UDECOTT and CLICO scandals during the previous administration are mistakes which our country is still paying for, and are mistakes which we have learnt tremendously from.

Government bodies will therefore be called upon to report on the various projects and programmes that have been proposed.

Furthermore, these bodies will be evaluated and given feedback on their progress and have a forum for discussion on or investigation into the first sign of any apparent discrepancies with the use funds.

Government Ministers and other high level public servants will also be evaluated to ensure high performance and clear accountability.

Accountability will also extend to those in receipt of public funds via services, as reflected in the proposed ‘pay for performance rules’ in the GATE program…

17.1 The PNM and its Historical Alliance with Corruption

Do not forget the statements by the now Leader of the Opposition when he spoke openly to the corruption which was occurring in the Government of which he was a high profile Minister.

On October 19st 2009, the Hansard recorded that famous outburst by a PNM Government highroller, and former PNM Minister when he said
“Right now, I am saying to my colleagues that what this Commission of Inquiry is looking at, is ten times worse than what happened in Piarco Airport. It’s even more brazen. I cannot believe they could have been so bold”.

He further said :
“Mr Speaker, why should people be sacrificed to allow others, wrongdoers, to prosper? That is what we are being called upon to do, colleagues. Those of you who think I am being obstructionist, what we are being called on to do, by a small clique of people in the country, is to support wrongdoing...pretend that we know nothing and see if we can ride it out.

Mr Speaker ten of the twelve MPs sitting in Opposition today were part of that corrupt Government. Were they the corrupt ones he was referring to?

Were they aware and involved in the corruption he referred to? Suffice it to say that not one of them spoke in his defense – maybe they were not involved directly and just preferred to support the wrongdoing.

Mr. Speaker there can be no doubt that that it is the PNM Government that made institutionalized corruption, abuse of office, misuse of public funds and discrimination in this country!

17.2 The Relentless Fight to Uncover Corruption

But we must bear in mind these comments when we hear the Leader of the Opposition dismiss poor workmanship and absence of quality in the construction of Houses which took place under his watch and that of the Honorable MP for Port of Spain/ St Anns West.

We have all seen, for ourselves the extent of the corruption in the Ministry of Housing under the last regime. The cracks in the houses are there for everyone to see. The substandard work has become an eyesore as tiles pop have popped up from the floor and retaining walls have collapsed. In some cases, the work was so poorly done that they may very well have done nothing.

Ask yourself WHY, in the face of all this physical evidence, were the contractors paid off? The cost and scope of the massive remedial programme undertaken by this government underscores the mismanagement and corruption which took place as contractors have been paid off handsomely while the public has to suffer. But whilst they built broken houses, we are building proper homes for families.

They have much to hide. And that is why the Honourable Leader of the Opposition is annoyed about the amount of money being spent by the Attorney General of this country.

He knows the PNM is vulnerable when it comes to corruption. It’s in their DNA! From Johnny O’ Halloran to Calder Hart, the tradition continued.

Another PPP victory will see continuing development in Guyana.

http://www.news.gov.tt/index.php?news=9682

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarI am pleased to announce that the Board of Udecott has, by Resolution dated Friday October 14th, 2011 authorized the commencement of legal action against former Chairman Calder Hart for fraud, negligence and breach of statutory duty. Substantial damages and equitable compensation are being claimed as a result of losses suffered by the company. This, of course, is as a result of the probe undertaken by the Honourable Attorney General.

[QUOTE]Ramakant_p:
Another PPP victory will see continuing development in Guyana.[/mOriginally posted by QUOTE]
Jagdeo & Ramotar Heading to Camp Street.

Cool. Great mind. Guyana needs a sample like you.

quote:

Originally posted by Jalil:
[QUOTE]Ramakant_p:
Another PPP victory will see continuing development in Guyana.[/mOriginally posted by QUOTE]
Jagdeo & Ramotar Heading to Camp Street.

quote:

Originally posted by Jalil:
[QUOTE]Ramakant_p:
Another PPP victory will see continuing development in Guyana.[/mOriginally posted by QUOTE]
Jagdeo & Ramotar Heading to Camp Street.

So when is Calder Hart and Mr Manning will be arrested and charged by the Pee Pee gov't ?


I heard they can ONLY press some sort of "perjury" allegations against him and NOTHING else.