UNC slams Rowley-led administration for TT sidelined in energy conference in Guyana

Trinidad & Tobago: The opposition political party of the nation, the United National Congress (UNC), has raised questions about the country’s participation in the international energy conference and Georgetown Expo.

The opposition has blamed the Keith Rowley led administration for this sideline. It mentioned that Trinidad and Tobago’s absence at the four-day international energy conference and expo in Georgetown depicts the irrelevance of the country in energy matters under the administration of Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

The conference meet witnessed the speeches of some local, regional and international energy experts. The opposition further asked Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Energy Minister Stuart Young and CARICOM and Foreign Affair Minister Amery Browne to explain the insignificance of the island country in the major conference in Guyana.

The opposition further raised concern that why TT and its PM Dr Keith Rowley were missing while Barbados PM Mia Mottley was at the centre stage on day 1.

The opposition leader questioned the government, “Why have we not engaged Guyana, with 340,000 barrels per day and set to increase to 800,000 by 2025, frontally to help revive our comatose refining industry?”

“Why have we not offered scholarships to Guyanese in petroleum engineering at UWI?”

“Why have we not used our drilling school in Ste Madeleine to train Guyanese nationals, much as we did for Nigerians when Fazal Karim was Minister? It is noted that Barbados is training 6,000 Guyanese in hotel management and hospitality. Where is our brainpower in these matters?” the opposition asked.

The opposition further recalled that in 2018 CEO of Ventrin Petroleum Company (a state-owned oil company in Suriname) urged the Keith Rowley-led government and Energy Ministry to make “T&T’s intent to collaborate more concrete”.

The opposition further expressed grief on the weak international relationship of the country. It said that “Trinidad and Tobago’s insignificant involvement in tomorrow’s energy conference is the latest manifestation of our deteriorating relations with our CARICOM neighbours and at the international level.”

The opposition further slammed the $250 million budgeted for the underperforming Foreign & CARICOM Affairs Ministry after the international outrage because of the Coast Guard shooting a Venezuelan baby, EU blacklisting and growing reputation as a haven for human trafficking and murders, and our foreign policy.

The opposition member further exclaimed that “Oh how the mighty TT has fallen under Keith Christopher Rowley.”