T&T Sidelined in major energy conference in Guyana
TT’s lack of an energy representative at tomorrow’s four day international energy conference and expo in Georgetown shows our growing, global irrelevance even in energy matters under a Keith Rowley led administration.
The four day conference will be the premier annual meeting of local, regional and international energy experts. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, Energy Minister Stuart Young and more so Foreign & CARICOM Affairs Minister Amery Browne must explain why TT is once again insignificantly involved in a major energy conference in Guyana.
Whilst PM Mia Mottley stands center stage on day 1 of the conference, missing is TT and Dr Rowley. While FCB is listed as a sponsor, our energy representation at the conference is negligible.
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 comatosed 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 brain power in these matters?
In 2018 the CEO of Ventrin Petroleum Company, a state owned Oil Company in Suriname, pleaded with our Minister of Energy to make “T&T’s intent to collaborate more concrete”.
Meanwhile, Guyana has downgraded its Mission in Port of Spain to a mere Consulate.
TT’s insignificant involvement in tomorrow’s energy conference is the latest manifestation of our deteriorating relations internationally and more so with our CARICOM neighbours.
Local, state owned company energy officials are pointedly not on tomorrow’s agenda.
With international outrage at the Coast Guard shooting of a Venezuelan baby, our EU blacklisting and our growing reputation as a haven for human trafficking and murders; our foreign policy, or lack thereof, is a complete waste of the $250 million budgeted for the underperforming Foreign & CARICOM Affairs Ministry.
What is Young’s plan to advance Guyana’s and TT’s energy relations to the mutual benefit of both nations?
Will we surrender our regional energy leadership as we have done with refining at Petrotrin and downstream industries at Point Lisas?
Once a regional energy giant and a growing hemispheric financial centre, TT, under visionless, clueless and inept Rowley, has been relegated to being a midget of no consequence, with no acknowledged CARICOM leadership in the areas of finance, economics, tourism, energy or diplomacy.
Oh how the mighty TT has fallen under Keith Christopher Rowley.
Rodney Charles
MP for Naparima