The Police Manpower Audit Committee, headed by criminologist and former chairman of the Police Service Commission Prof Ramesh Deosaran, will present a 700-page report to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at his St Clair office, Tuesday, 1 pm.

The Guardian understands, the report contains over 100 recommendations and a bulk of data with tables and graphs to improve the T&T Police Service and the country’s overall public safety.

This report provides a data-driven platform for initiating and coordinating anti-crime programmes and improving police performance. The report is titled “Now Is The Time: No Sacred Cows.”

Appointed by Dr Rowley in January this year, the audit committee completed its final report last month, nine months after its appointment.

Among the objectives of the manpower audit, it was said, were to examine the manpower strength of the service, its development policies, recruitment, training, conduct, performance, its resource base and the extent of public confidence in the service.

The committee was also responsible for making a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the extent to which the expected levels of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability have been achieved.

Specific recommendations, the Guardian was told, should come from Dr Rowley and his Cabinet.

The eight-member committee comprises: Prof Deosaran (chairman), Jacqueline Wilson (retired permanent secretary), Allan Miguel (attorney, Police Complaints Authority), Harold Phillip (Acting Deputy Commissioner), Dr Levis Guy-Obiakor (security consultant), Erla Christopher (Acting Deputy Commissioner), Anand Ramesar (Asst Supt of Police, acting), Dr Zameer Mohammed (Asst vice-president,UTT).

Members of a Trinidadian family who recently surrendered to Iraqi authorities along with Islamic State (Isis) fighters have spoken of “intense circumstances “including suffering repeated air strikes, fleeing under fire, and seeing many dead bodies.

The family related the stressful experience last month when they were interviewed by Bill Van Esveld, children’s rights researcher with the international Human Rights Watch group.

“These experiences they had may have had a psychological impact,” Van Esveld told the Guardian.

Van Esveld interviewed the group on September 10 with other foreign women at a detention site in Mosul, Iraq.

HRW report stated Trinidadians were among 12 other nationalities found at the facility where Iraqi authorities were holding more than 1,400 foreign women and their children. This was after they surrendered with Isis fighters in late August.

UNC MP Rodney Charles alluded to HRW’s report during last Tuesday’s Budget debate.

Van Esveld said the Trinidadians comprised a family of two sisters, their children, plus their mother. One sister had one child. The other had three and was pregnant.

They told Van Esveld their 53-year-old father was with them when they all surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga forces north of Tal Afar in late August. But the father—plus other men and boys who surrendered—were separated from them by Iraqi authorities.

The HRW report was the first public insight concerning T&T families involved in Middle East conflict zones, since Isis’ ranks began disintegrating to military strikes in the last year.

In February, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said 130 T&T nationals—70 fighters plus families—joined terrorist activities overseas. In Parliament on Wednesday, Minister in the Attorney General’s office, Fitzgerald Hinds, said there were 180 recorded. The AG’s office houses the Counter-Terrorism Unit. Guardian has seen information on 105 men, women and children leaving for Syria over 2013-2015.

Van Esveld further said the T&T family in Iraq was reluctant to talk about their homeland.

“They said there were so few people from Trinidad and Tobago who had joined ‘al-Dawla’ (as they referred to Isis) that they would be identifiable.

“They said they lived in Mosul for almost two years before fleeing to Tal Afar on February 28. Their husbands were with them then but the husbands returned to Mosul on March 4. They hadn’t hear anything from them in two months.

“I got a sense from them, their husbands fought with Isis. They didn’t talk about what their husbands did. But the only explanation for the fact that they left Mosul at the end of February—about a month after eastern Mosul was retaken and the battle had moved to western Mosul where the men returned to, in early March—is that the men were Isis fighters.”

He said the women described months of “very intense circumstances,”...including “repeated nearby airstrikes, fleeing under fire from multiple locations, lack of water, and seeing many dead bodies”.

“They were afraid of indefinite detention. But one said ‘I think our country doesn’t want us back.’ My sense is, they were fearful they wouldn’t be allowed to return home but would have been grateful for any route leading out of indefinite detention in Iraq. “

Asked if the women had proof they were from T&T, he said, “They said they had no documentation, which was also the case for almost all the other women and children at the facility.”

There was no confirmation whether Isis had taken their documents or they had destroyed them, which Van Esveld said happened in other cases.

“Physically they and their children had no wounds and didn’t seem malnourished. Their greatest concern in discussions with me was to know what happened to their father, who was separated from them and what would happen to them now.”

Law for returning FTFs after Budget debate—AG

Amendments to anti-terrorism law which will cover returning T&T foreign terrorist fighters and their families will be presented in Parliament almost immediately after 2018 Budget procedures are completed, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said.

“The return of foreign terrorist fighters is evolving as a recent phenomenon. These amendments will cover those families abroad, “ Al-Rawi added. He said T&T and its international partners were tracking families of T&T foreign terrorist fighters.

In April, Government presented amendments to the anti-terrorism law which were discussed with some groups including Muslims, some of whom sought changes. Some of the amendments ahead treat with deficiencies on offences and also deal with operationalisation of the proposals concerning declared zones such as conflict zones. Initial proposals were that T&T nationals going there had to report to the State when and where they were going and report on return.

The vice president of Bridgemans Services group Andrew Purdey says they have heard “zero” from the Port Authority on the evaluation of tenders for a passenger ferry for the inter-island sea bridge.

Bridgemans tendered the Ocean Flower 2 in the bid which closed on September 20.

Curiously, on that same day, the vessel docked in Chaguaramas for what was described as a “planned dry dock”.

Asked whether the dry dock had been completed Purdey said “Dry docking will be completed in the coming weeks and ongoing preventative maintenance until we secure a contract.”

Purdey said the Ocean Flower2 will “be docked alongside the Chaguaramas Port for the next few weeks” and that the vessel will depart that location “when we secure a contract or reposition”.

The Guardian understands that it was only last week the chairman of the board of the Port Authority Allison Lewis wrote to the Tobago Chamber asking for a representative to sit on the Evaluation Committee.

At a meeting on Thursday, the Chamber did not select a representative, but members instead agreed to write to Lewis requesting more details of their role on the committee.

Lewis could not be reached for comment.

Purdey claimed that Bridgemans had tendered the Ocean Flower 2 elsewhere but refused to say where for reasons of “confidentiality”.

Purdey said Bridgemans had been “supporting the port and the people of the country with an extra sailing of the Cabo Star to support the breakdown of the Express”.

BACKGROUND ON OCEAN FLOWER 2

The Ocean Flower 2 was first granted a contract by the Allison lewis-led board of the Port Authority in June.

The contract valued at US$26,500 per day was cancelled on August 8 after the vessel failed to meet three delivery dates — July 17, 26 and August 1.

When the vessel arrived in Panama and was inspected by the CEO of TTIT Leon Grant and chief engineer Brendon Plower they raised numerous concerns. Grant was suspended shortly after and remains on suspension.

The procurement of the Ocean Flower 2 and the Cabo Star is now the subject of an inquiry by the Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

Only last week Acting CEO/GM of the port Charmaine Lewis was dismissed after the board said they had lost trust and confidence in her.

No one is above the law—not even ruling party members. The ruling Peoples' National Movement yesterday suspended longstanding PNMite Harry Ragoonanan from the party following police probe of a Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) bus tender issue. Police are probing alleged manipulation concerning award of a PTSC contract.

PNM chairman Franklin Khan announced the disciplinary move following yesterday's General Council meeting at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain. Members discussed and approved the suspension of Ragoonanan, the PNM's Oropouche constituency chairman of 17 years.

"As has been said by the party leadership, no one is above corruption and no one stands above the law," said Stuart Young (Office of the Prime Minister) and PNM public relations officer.

Ragoonanan, a General Council member, was not present yesterday, nor was Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

Young said the party only found out about the police probe yesterday. The Council acted immediately.

Young said the police probe began in the last few months, regarding a tender for certain buses in 2016.

He added, "Our understanding is the probe was launched and what came to the party today was evidence of an audio recording on three separate occasions with Harry Ragoonanan—a voice identified as his—talking to a Chinese businessman about the alleged manipulation of certain tender processes at (PTSC).

"You'd have heard the party leader saying the PNM will not hide or protect anyone who engages in corruption. What came to Council was evidence of three recorded phone conversations between someone whose voice appears to be that of Harry Ragoonanan, saying he can manipulate a bid at a state enterprise and the outcome of that bid with his relationship with the chairman of a state enterprise."

The alleged conversations were in June, July and September 2016. The special PTSC tender involved was aborted, Young added.

"This party takes those types of allegations very, very seriously. Therefore, a General Council member addressed the gathering on the matter, moved a motion for it to be investigated within the party and that was unanimously accepted.

"Anyone attempting to use any position or their membership in a PNM Government for corruption will not be tolerated. Today is a momentous one for the PNM (that) our party can take a strong position against corruption, whoever the member is."

Harry has to explain

Khan said it involves possible criminal conduct. If the party was involved in a police probe of such a matter, "...from a PNM standpoint we had to take certain actions".

Consequently, he added, the Council agreed to refer the matter to its Disciplinary Team for consideration.

It will be sent to that team's Investigation Committee which will report to the Council. If the report is accepted, it will be referred to the Disciplinary Team for handling. "The process has started," Khan added.

"Due to the seriousness and gravity of the matter, the party invoked Article 26 of PNM's Constitution which states that members under investigation could be suspended during that period."

Khan said the party will write Ragoonanan informing him of suspension, and will inform him that he will be brought before the investigating team.

"He'll be asked in due course to come and give his position." Khan added that this would be in the shortest time

Young said, "We're not passing any finality on this. We made a decision, it was sent to the investigating team. We await the outcome. But it's normal in these situations that our Constitution provides for members under probe to be suspended."

Khan denied the situation was a backlash from any issues Ragoonanan had with the Port Authority's ferry service. He said the police probe concerned a 2016 PTSC bus matter and the Port matter was only months old.

"It's not any backlash—it's a front lash," Khan added.

Young said the Port's second tender for a ferry will be dealt with this week and if there are corruption allegations against any agent bidding, that would have to be examined extremely carefully by any state entity.

On search warrant concerning Moonilal

On the search warrant concerning UNC MP Roodal Moonilal, which was read in Parliament last week, Young said police matters were outside the Government's remit. "But very shortly next week, the public will be made aware of certain work Government's been doing."

Harry: It must hurt

Harry Ragoonanan, who has followed the PNM since 1956, said word of yesterday's suspension was "Total news to me and it does hurt."

He said, "It must hurt. From age 13 nobody has been more PNM than me in T&T."

Ragoonanan, a long-standing businessman in varied fields, including Briko Air Services, is still chairman of PNM's Oropouche constituency after 17 years.

He was also on San Fernando East's executive and on PNM's Central Executive. He is a General Council member.

"No one from the party has officially informed me of suspension, just some members called to tell me what happened.

"The police haven't contacted me. This (PTSC claim) is a fabrication. I have no contact with PTSC. The last time was 15 years ago when I was the Volvo representative. I'm eagerly awaiting to be interviewed by PNM's investigating team to clear my name. I have no cocoa in the sun."

He added, "However, I've been concerned about corruption in the party and I voiced my opinion recently concerning the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 ferry issues. I'd spoken of the breakdowns and what could happen, I saw the problems arising."

In 2008 Ragoonanan denied being associated with, or that he was the Bombardier agent in the failed executive jet deal for a $400m Global XRS under the Patrick Manning administration.

He said he wanted to retire from Oropouche constituency chairmanship this year, but "My people wanted me to go back." He noted the PNM's constituency elections are underway.

Renewed efforts by the Ministry of Tourism to showcase T&T as an ideal travel destination is already reaping success as the 2017/2018 cruise season promises to be a bumper one with 71 calls scheduled to put into port.

Officially declaring the season open yesterday as she welcomed the early-morning arrival of 3,756 passengers aboard the Caribbean Princess in Port-of-Spain, Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe said despite the recent destruction wrought by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, all was not lost.

She declared, "Cruise tourism is still alive and kicking in the Caribbean, all is not lost and we are open for business."

Cudjoe added, "Not just a handful of islands in the Caribbean, but 70 per cent of our territories are still open for business."

With rebuilding efforts underway in islands such as Dominica, Turks and Caicos, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis, Cudjoe reinforced that tourism was the backbone of many Caribbean nations as she quoted recent sentiments by chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Hugh Riley who said, "If you want to help the Caribbean, you should travel to the Caribbean."

Cudjoe described the cruise industry as the fastest growing segment of worldwide leisure travel, having experienced an average passenger growth rate of seven per cent per annum since 1980.

She said for the period January to June 2017, Caribbean cruise arrivals stood at 15.3 million, which was a four per cent increase for the corresponding period in 2016.

Admitting the recent natural disasters had, "Put a damper on this year's cruise season," Cudjoe said it had also managed to bring the region closer as governments and people worked together to rebuild and promote the viability of the Caribbean brand.

She said T&T had originally been scheduled to receive 47 calls - 23 in Trinidad and 24 in Tobago - but negotiations by local shipping stakeholders had resulted in an additional 24 calls being added to the books, with 23 in Tobago and one in Trinidad.

The 71 calls from vessels operating Seabourne Cruise Lines, Carnival UK, TUI Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruises, Thomson Cruises and Princess Cruises among others, is expected to generate passenger arrivals of approximately 60,958 in Trinidad and 75,451 in Tobago.

Providing a taste of T&T's local culture and culinary delights for visitors yesterday, Cudjoe promised, "We want to wow our guests from the moment they arrive so that they return again and again."

Passengers were able to sample treats from The Lopinot Chocolate Co, doubles and coconut water as they danced to the steelpan music of the Caribbean Airlines Invaders.

Cudjoe expressed delight after speaking with one of the visitors who said it was his 85th cruise to the Caribbean and 39th to T&T, but the welcome, "Had been the best he ever received."

The minister said over 20 visitor guides were trained and would be strategically stationed around the capital as vessels put into port over the next few weeks.

She said efforts were also being made to secure translators as persons from as far away as Germany and Italy were expected.

Fishermen may resort to buying cheap diesel from Venezuela to sustain their businesses. That is the view pf Robert Sagramsingh, who recently joined a group of fishermen from Sea Lot to protest the increse in the price of diesel.

In his 2018 budget presentation, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced an increase in the price of diesel increased from $2.30 a litre to $3.41 a itre, while gasoline went from $3.58 a litre to $3.97 a litre. Diesel in Venezuela costs just under half a US cent.

Sagramsingh said that he is tempted to go to Venezuela to purchase fuel at a cheaper rate because even before the price hike, for the past 18 months he have seen a significant decline in his fishing business.

“If I do that what will I be doing with the economy of T&T? We are the ones who generate the economy. In one month I generated US$100,000 and that monies going back into the economy because it spending here, I have workers to pay and more,” he said.

Sagramsingh said with the price increase his fuel bill has increased by $40,000.

“My business shut down. I have big vessels, from 72-foot and up. My vessels go further and it burns more fuel. With the price increase how can I sustain my business? How could smaller fishermen sustain their businesses?” he asked

A Sea Lots fisherman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he knows some fishermen who are already buying cheaper fuel from Venezuela.

“Fishermen have to cut costs by any means now and to survive would mean to go out there in the black market to purchase cheaper diesel,” he said.

Sagramsingh said he has several proposals to improve foreign exchange and the standard of living in the country and is willing to sit and discuss these further with Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat.

The Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA), the State-owned company responsible for managing and developing the north-western peninsula, is saddled with a $118 million debt incurred under the People’s Partnership government.

However a 12-page draft report dated August 2016 to September 2017 shows that its Chaguaramas golf course recorded a 105 per cent increase in revenue from $292,397 to $598,529 over the two-year period ending September 2017.

The report shows that CDA’s financing and accounting department had original reflected a debt of $80 million but after an organizational audit during which all departments were mandated to conduct searches of records and submit outstanding invoices, the debt was calculated at approximately $118 million.

As result, the CDA priorities for the next three years include reduction of operating costs, increasing revenue, achieving financial self sufficiency, completing rent reviews and improving collection of rent.

A reviewed of the finances of the CDA for 2015-2016 showed that expenditure exceeded revenue. In light of this, the board agreed in March to conduct a manpower audit to help reduce operational costs. In addition, the legal department together with external counsel has been reviewing leases and rents as well variation of leases which may be in contravention of the CDA’s 1974 development plan and a team of employees has start an intensive collection drive to recover debts from private tenants.

“Since this collective drive the CDA was successfully able to recover $6.5 million from its arrears as at September 2017. Some tenants were also issued legal letters and we are currently negotiating payment plans to settle outstanding balances. Daily follow ups are done with tenants to ensure that rents are paid in a timely basis, failing which the CDA would have no alternative but to consider termination of the leases for this breach,” the report stated.

The CDA recovered $6.3 million of debt between November 2015 and September and its collection rate increased from 31 per cent to 76 per cent since the collection drive was introduced. It has also been able to reduce its debts with some of its main suppliers, some of whom were owed as much as $150,000.

“It would appear that the previous administrative was incurring expenses monthly and not paying for same and as such the CDA was left with an enormous debt. The CDA is in receipt of numerous filed court matters and pre-action protocols for breach of contract having failed to pay contractors and suppliers.

“The acting general manager and the legal department are working continuously to amiably resolve these matters without incurring further legal cost,” the report stated.

The report also revealed that the CDA rented vehicles from Massy Stores in August 2015 for three years at an annual rent of $1,460,868.

“The CDA was having difficulty in paying the rent of the vehicles and after examining the contract agreement it was determined that the vehicles should be purchased outright which proved to be more economical. In September 2016 the vehicles were purchased from Massy Stores for the sum of $2,090,000 which was duly paid. In total the CDA would have paid $4,382, 604 to rent these vehicles for those three years. In purchasing the vehicle the CDA instead paid $3,382,595.”

Naparima MP Rodney Charles claims former diplomats who served during the People’s Partnership have not been paid terminal benefits owed to them since they left office after the last General Election.

In a statement yesterday, the Opposition MP said the former diplomats had served in Geneva, the United States, Jamaica, Uganda, Nigeria and other places.

He said some of them have decades of experience in the diplomatic service and have been pleading for more than two years for outstanding gratuity payments, relocation allowances, payments for leave not taken, and where applicable hardship allowances.

“Many of these ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls General have commitments including children’s tertiary education, medical expenses, house repairs, and all the stresses experienced by senior citizens in this “Imbertian” world of daily struggles to survive,” Charles said.

“One former diplomat had to get down on her knees and literally beg for a loan from a bank to support her child studying abroad while this government refuses to honour its obligations.”

He said some of the diplomats have taken, or are contemplating taking, legal action but would prefer that the Rowley led administration do what is honourable and right.

SHALIZA↔HASSANALI

Prominent south businessman Harry Ragoonanan says he plans to challenge to his suspension from the People’s National Movement (PNM). He is insisting that the ruling party removed the wrong man and is linking the action against him to information he dug up related to the collapse of the seabridge service.

On Saturday, the PNM suspended Ragoonanan, a long standing member of the party, for allegedly attempting to manipulate a tendering process at the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) last year. The party said the matter is being investigated by the police.

However, Ragoonanan claims he never tendered at the PTSC and intends to challenge the suspension through his attorneys. He claims action is being taken against him for exposing questionable deals in the acquisition of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 ferries.

Ragoonanan said when he heard that the Port Authority was having difficulty acquiring two vessels for the inter-island ferry service he approached Works Minister Rohan Sinanan, who he described as “friend and family”, and offered to help.

“I called up my people. They send me about five or six boats. I chose the best one called Tera Jet which could have sailed to Tobago in 150 minutes,” he said

When information on the vessel was passed on to the port, Ragoonanan claimed, Port Authority officials “immediately fell in love with the boat stating this is the boat they going with, so I began to negotiate with the owners to bring the boat here and to work out a price.”

However, while they were getting an inspection done on the vessel, the owner received information from the Port Authority that the vessel was no longer being considered.

Ragoonanan further claimed that a top Government official called the Port Authority to say he is a scamp.

“Nobody calls me a scamp. I went to town looking at this whole deal with the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 and I unearthed all the corruption involved in it. I am very proud of that. That is what they want to kill me for. They were looking for something to pin on me because they know I was behind the boat issue and I am not stopping,” he said.

Ragoonanan said as far as he is aware he is not the subject of a police investigation.

“So far my attorneys called (the police) and there is no investigation,” he said.

Asked if he would remain committed to the party, Ragonanan said he would defend his unblemished name at all costs and maintained that he has not brought the party into disrepute.

“They cannot suspend me. This has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I expected this. But I am going to fight it,” he said.

Approached for comment, Sinanan said the PTSC issue with Ragoonanan dated back to “before I became a minister.”

“ So let Harry Ragoonanan sort out his problems. Please leave me out of it,” he said.

Concern has been expressed that action has not been taken quickly enough to contain an oil spill which has been spreading across Trinidad’s north-western coast since early yesterday.

“If this was in the water since morning, you mean to say they have not put out information by now warning people about it?”asked one beach goer as he looked at the thick black oily substance coating the water.

Up to late yesterday, there was no confirmation of whether the substance was actually oil, or information on where it originated from. The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) advised in a media release that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) and the Maritime Services Division (MSD) had all been notified.

A team despatched to investigate the spill with the assistance of the Air Guard confirmed that the black oily substance had been seen between Alcoa and Five Islands and was concentrated within Williams Bay and along the Boardwalk in Chaguaramas. Streaks of the oily sheen were reported near Harts Cut and the Five Islands, but nothing was observed further west of the Five Islands.

While investigations are continuing to identify the potential source of the oily substance, the EMA appealed for people with information to come forward.

The Maritime Services Division has advised all marine craft to be aware of the oily substance in the water and to report the extent of the spill and any information about who might be responsible. The public can provide information by calling 680-9588 or email via complaints@ema.co.tt.

Kamal Seepaul, of Trinclean, who visited Harts Cut Bay to view the damage, expressed shock as he surveyed the oil which had washed ashore. He said his company was willing to assist in the clean up.

Officials later confirmed that Kaizen Environmental Services had been appointed by the Energy Ministry to do an assessment today. They said in the absence of anyone coming forward to accept responsibility, tests will be done to determine the type and quality of the oil with a view to identify the supplier and locate the vessel transporting the substance.

Secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud said he got a call around 1.15 am yesterday about a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Paria and visited the area at around 6 am.

“Thick black oil spreading along the southern side of the entire north-western peninsula of Trinidad in the vicinity of Five Islands, Carrera Island, Constrat Island and Gaspree Island,” he said in a video sent to local media.

“The area covered in oil appears to be much larger than the city of Port of Spain.”

Aboud warned that the damage would be greater as rising tides would thin the the oily substance and spread it over a wider area. He called on Parliament to pass legislation that will command a full emergency investigative authority to inspect every single vessel, tanker, pipeline, oil terminal refinery, or tank farm suspected.

“Every year the Chaguaramas area suffers from massive oil spills and no one has ever been prosecuted or fined,” he said.

Up to late yesterday, police were calling on the public to identify the bodies of three men fished out of the Woodland river yesterday following a vehicular accident.

Police said at around 1.30 pm someone reported seeing a car submerged in the river along Rahamut Trace. San Fernando police and Mon Repos fire officers responded and found the black Peugeot car in the water with three men trapped inside.

Police believe the car crashed into the bridge and plunged into the river. However, an eyewitness said there is no bridge along the agricultural road. The man said he was walking in the area when he saw the car upside down in the river and called for help. He said it appeared that the men skidded on an oil puddle in the road.

Officers said the name Sunil is tattooed on one of the men. All three aew estimated to be in their early 20s.

Investigators were not sure how long the men were in the water and suspect they were not from the area. The bodies were taken to the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital.

A Canadian-firm is doing a diagnostic assessment of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to determine whether the cash strapped utilty should move ahead with a universal metering project. A few months ago the utility signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Commercial Corporation, an international contracting arm of the Canadian government, for the study.

This was confirmned yesterday by WASA chairman Romney Thomas as he responded to claims by Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh the arrangement with the Canadian firm was through the back door and was part of moves to privatise the company

“It has nothing to do with privatisation of WASA. As a board we have never considered that and I have gotten no directive in that regard,” Thomas said.

He said the assessment, which began a few weeks ago, will be completed before year’s end and is aimed at developing a baseline for WASA to determine the feasibility of moving ahead with the universal metering project.

“It can also be respectively tied in with any rate increase,” Thomas said.

He said before any metering system is introduced there will have to be a tendering process. He said the assessment, which is being done at no cost to WASA, will focus on key performance indicators, effective use of resources, improved customer service and availability of information.

“We are under no obligation to engage this company or any other company at the end of the assessment,” he said.

Thomas said WASA has also been looking at various ways of cutting costs.

In his 2018 budget presentation, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said WASA receives $2.5 billion in subsidies annually.

While Thomas agreed that WASA has to started generating its own revenue, he said when the Regulated Industries Commission concludes its rate review next year “we will get a rate increase that would be more commensurate with the cost of producing water.”

Thomas said WASA has also been on an aggressive collection drive.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has accused Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of “once again disrespecting the women of our nation,” with his recent comparison of golf courses to women.

In her address at Divali Nagar on Saturday night she said: “What we heard were more excuses and a continuation of the blame game, with no real and viable alternatives to fix our p roblems.

“What we heard also were more unsavoury statements with respect to women from the Prime Minister in his attempt to defend the indefensible and distract from his outrageous decision to have $3 million allocated to groom a golf course when babies and children have no milk to drink and food to eat and mothers are bawling as their sons and daughters are slaughtered by criminals.

“He now appears to have become the absentee prime groomer of golf courses instead of the Prime Minister of our country.”

Persad-Bissessar it was most unfortunate that the comments were made during a sitting of the House of Representatives and it was “unbecoming of a holder of high office to make such sordid remarks.”

“Such recurring unsavoury pronouncements by him can only serve to contribute to the disrespect being meted out to women and girls in our society. I call on the nation to reject any leadership that is so demeaning and so disrespectful,” she said.

The Opposition Leader, noting that the Prime Minister’s comments came just a day after observances of International Day of the Girl Child, urged citizens to “work in their communities, to fight for equality, equity and justice, and most importantly - to hold our leaders to account.”

Persad-Bissessar also accused the Rowley administration of being vision-less on managing the economy by not fully exploring the potential of culture as an avenue for tourism and taking advantage of the new industrial revolution created by the digital age.

“Digital transformation of our economy will bring efficiency, high productivity and prosperity, as well as job and revenue creation but there must be buy-in and investment by Government.

“The Digital Age is not only about data, or software. It involves creating a whole new economy that impacts on how we live and how we work, in all sectors and Industries, in manufacturing, services in research and development or hardware manufacturing.”

Persad-Bissessar said investment in existing cultural events and sites can contribute to diversification of the economy, job creation and foreign exchange earnings.

“This is more feasible than mega vanity projects that would not redound to the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.

There are plans to bring the abandoned Namdevco wholesale market at Woodford Lodge, Chaguanas, into operation, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Senator Clarence Rambharat announced over the weekend.

In his address at World Food Day celebrations at the ministry’s head office at Narsalayoo Ramaya Marg in Chaguanas, the minister responded to an appeal by Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan for the market to be opened to allow farmers access to a wholesale facility. Boodhan said the Woodford Lodge facility would assist in easing congestion on the Chaguanas Main Road and allow wholesalers to interact with people interested in purchasing in bulk. He said that area of Chaguanas has ample parking and easier access because of the road network.

Rambharat said the ministry will be expanding several wholesale markets. In January, 60,000 square feet of space will be added at the Debe Market to reduce congestion at that facility and the Norris Deonarine Wholesale Market at Macoya will be expanded. He added that the ministry’s head office will continue to operate a farmer’s market on weekends.

“I would ask Namdevco to talk to the borough to see how the commissioning of that facility at Woodford Lodge would help with Main Road, Chaguanas,” he said.

Rambharat said decisions will soon be made about wholesale facilities constructed during the People’s Partnership administration at Brechin Castle, Couva and at Brickfield, Rio Claro.

President of the Farmers’ Union of T&T Shiraz Khan wants Government to ban importation of unhealthy foods which contribute to life-threatening diseases. He said a negative list should be developed prohibiting importation of apples, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, all meats, fish and frozen fruits.

Speak ahead of World Food Day which is being observed today, Khan said: “We should not be importing foods that are not healthy. Some of these foods are treated with chemicals beyond our consideration, hence the reason why the Government has to inject billions of dollars into the health sector every year to treat with life threatening diseases.”

Shiraz complained that in the last two years the Ministry of Agriculture has done nothing to improve the sector.

“The ministry looks at every opportunity to contest and condemn anything new. We have a ministry operating in the 18th century and yet they want the farmers operate in the 21th century,” he said.

Khan said with food import bill exceeding $5 billion annually, it is time for Government to reduce it to a manageable level.

“We should come up with a quota system. You cannot have your farmers producing 50 per cent of what we are consuming, but you importing the same 100 per cent, which has been causing farmers to undersell their produce. In some cases, many farmers had to give up their business. Farmers need to have some sort of protection against greedy importers,” he said.

Mary and John have been married for 19 years and have two teenage daughters together. Mary, who says she still loves John, however, is now in the process of getting a divorce from him. She says she needs to do so in order to maintain her sanity.

“I love him but I had to love the girls and myself more. I couldn’t take it anymore, I was not sleeping at night, I was stressed and I was feeling like if I didn’t move on I would have gone mad,” Mary told the Sunday Guardian.

The reason Mary, 43, decided to leave John was because he did not want to get help for his gambling addiction.

“The thing is if someone is not willing to get help then there is nothing you can do for them, and sadly that was the case with him,” Mary said.

“So since I could not help him I had to help myself and my daughters.”

Mary said it was a hard decision but one she had to make.

Mary said she and John were “big limers” but that stopped when they had their daughters.

“He is a limer, so he would go to the casino and lime with friends, and when they went to the track and bet on horses he would go too, he would play a little Play Whe and Lotto every now and then but it was nothing serious,” Mary said.

But then a few years ago, the gambling which John said was relaxing started to become more serious.

“Now it has become a runaway horse,” she said.

Mary does not know what caused John to get heavily involved in gambling.

“I remember once he and some friends went to lime a Friday and he said he was playing some card game, I don’t know how much he betted but that night when he came home he woke me up and said he won around $6,500. He eventually spent that money to take me and the girls to Margarita (island) for a weekend a couple months later,” Mary said.

When the fun stopped

But as time rolled on, something happened and John no longer gambled just for fun.

He started to gamble more regularly and not only when he went out with friends, Mary said.

Mary said she still did not think much of it.

Then one day she realised that things were spiralling out of control.

“We each pay different bills and then one day he came to me and said he needed to borrow some money from me to pay the mortgage,” Mary said.

Mary said she had no problem forking out the money and did not really think too much of it.

Then the borrowing became more frequent.

Mary said John maxed out his credit card and borrowed from her as well as other family members and friends.

John never had money to do anything, she said.

When Mary asked John what was going on with his finances he got angry and resentful.

He told her he had everything under control.

Mary realised that this was the furthest thing from the truth.

“The thing really hit the fan for me when I saw a letter from the mortgage company in the mail and it was saying that we had arrears owing,” Mary said.

Mary confronted John and that conversation escalated into a big argument.

“I had to end up borrowing money from my father to pay off the mortgage, you know how shameful that was,” she said.

Digging a hole

Mary said she realised John was digging a hole he could not get himself out of.

“So I called around to find out what help I could get for him, I organised a meeting and he got angry with me for that saying he not going anywhere,” Mary said.

Mary said that hurt her.

John became more and more unpredictable and was moody at home.

“I started to become depressed, I felt hurt and angry with him and it was affecting everything in my life. I almost had a mental breakdown in work, once I had to just sit down in the ladies (washroom) and cry for a while,” Mary said.

Then one day, about a year ago, Mary took her daughters and went to stay at her parent’s home.

She eventually told John she was leaving him for good.

To his credit, Mary said John told her for the sake of the children she could move back in the family house and he would leave.

Mary now pays the mortgage for the house.

“I have all these extra expenses now, but my father has been helping me and I had to cut back on some stuff,” she said.

Within the time they have been separated John has changed apartments on at least three occasions.

Mary said she hopes one day he would find the strength to realise that he needs help.

*Mary opted not to have her real name used in this article to prevent any embarrassment to her husband and her daughters.
• Continuing next week

Chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh announced on Sunday that the sum of $500,000 has been approved to build a cultural centre at Siparia.

Ramadharsingh was speaking the corporation's Divali celebrations at Avocat Village.

Ramadharsingh said the facility would be constructed at the Daisy Voisin Hub.

He told the gathering in the hall on the compound of the Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Mandir that a tassa academy would be housed at the facility along with facilities for steelpan and calypso.

He said the facility would also include a platform to showcase the culture of T&T’s First Peoples.

“Its going to be a beautiful structure and its going to be overlooking the entire south west peninsula at the Daisy Voisin Hub. I want us to do something like a tassa academy where we will have trainers. he said.

One of the most recognisable landmarks in the city of Port-of-Spain has been restored and the light once more emits from the lantern room.

Beacon Insurance was recently granted approval to “adopt” the St. Vincent Jetty Lighthouse, and the national landmark a fresh look, inclusive of re-introducing light to the lantern room at the top of the structure, powered by newly installed solar panels to ensure its sustainability. The company said the lighthouse symbol in its logo conveys a similar strength and resilience evidenced by their regional presence for over 40 years and counting.

The lighthouse on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, was built in 1842 by the governor Colonel Sir Henry Mcleod to assist sea traffic for ships entering and leaving Port of Spain’s harbour. It was originally situated at the end of a 120’0” long jetty leading from the seafront, approximately where the south side of Independence Square is now. This was prior to the second and third phases of the reclamation of Port-of-Spain’s waterfront in 1845 and at the end of the 19th Century.

According to the National Trust, the lighthouse has been upgraded in the past but the structure remained the same. The structure leans slightly toward the west, but this has not interfered with its function or stability.

The decoration of the lighthouse from time to time has caused much criticism and controversy, the most recent being when it was wrapped in T&T's national colours to celebrate the success of the country’s football team.

The idea of building a bridge over the Caribbean Sea to connect Trinidad with Tobago is not a new one.

However, it may not be one that the current administration is troubling itself with at the moment.

As Opposition Leader in 2015, Dr Keith Rowley said no amount of money in the Western Hemisphere and no engineering known to man could pay for or build such a bridge which would have to at least be 30 kilometres long.

Two years later, the Chinese Government is mere months away from opening such an engineering marvel in the Eastern Hemisphere. It’s called the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The 55-kilometre roadway, reportedly the longest in the world, will connect three areas which were previously accessed by ferries, cutting down transportation time significantly.

In fact, according to Chinese officials, the journey between Zhuhai and Hong Kong will now be 30 minutes compared to the three hours it took by ferry. Construction started in 2009 over the Ling Ting Sea.

Guardian Media was given a tour of the yet to be opened causeway and officials were asked: “Can this be built over the Caribbean Sea?’”

While officials said they were unaware of the exact specifications of the water’s activity in that area they believe it can be done.

The officials also pointed out that the asphalt used to construct the roadway came from the Pitch Lake in Trinidad.

The project did come at a high price—around US$15 billion.

T&T could access some funding from the Chinese Government itself for a project of that magnitude. At a press conference in Guangdong Province, China’s strongest economic area, Deputy Director General of the Guangdong Department of Commerce, Wang Tao said one of the province’s proposals for strengthening ties with Latin America and the Caribbean would be to give more support from national funds for infrastructural development.

While he could not give an exact figure of how much funds are in that reserve he did say funding would be in the form of credit from China’s National Development Bank or its Import Export Bank.

A more precise figure was given by the Chinese President Xi Xinping, in 2013 when as part of his One Belt One Road Initiative, he announced that up to US$3 billion was available to Latin America and the Caribbean for projects like this.

The bridge will also be a toll road and those funds are expected to be used for maintenance.

There have been counter-arguments for such a project. Former Transport Minister John Humphrey told the T&T Guardian last month that a bridge would not be worthwhile because of the country’s small population while senior lecturer in transportation engineering in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of the West Indies’ St Augustine campus, Dr Trevor Townsend said it would require major capital investment and incur high recurring expenditure.

Both believed a ferry service was still the best option.

If T&T does decide to look into this option, it would be a costly venture that would require several years and immense manpower. However, given the inconsistencies with the existing ferry service on the seabridge, the answer in fixing the connection between two close land masses might lie in the Far East.

AKASH SAMAROO
IN CHINA

Former Public Transportation Services Corporation (PTSC) board chairman Terrence Beepath says he is the only person who can bring clarity in the case in which south businessman Harry Ragoonanan has been suspended from the People’s National Movement.

Beepath says it is “very strange” neither a police investigator nor any PNM official has approached him on the issue surrounding the allegations of bid-rigging for PTSC buses, especially since his name “pops up” throughout the alleged transcript conversation between Ragoonanan and a Chinese businessman which reportedly led to the suspension.

Ragoonanan’s suspension was announced on Saturday. It is alleged he attempted to manipulate a tendering process at PTSC last year.

Yesterday, Beepath said a lot of the claims and incidents surrounding the case occurred during his PTSC tenure, some involving him, so he was expecting a call long ago.

“I think I would be the first guy to be called in. I am really wondering as to what is really going on. What I found odd too is that Harry was suspended before the investigation (if there is really one) has concluded. I found things a bit suspect,” Beepath said.

Asked what the relationship between himself and Ragoonanan was and if they were related in any way, Beepath replied: “No. Harry has been in the PNM for long. I am much younger than he is and when I joined the PNM, Harry was there.”

Asked about the tender of 35 buses in question at the cost of $35 million, Beepath said when he joined the PTSC in June 2016 the process was already under way. He, however, admitted they (the Board) had raised a couple questions about it.

“We were told that they needed to spend the money by September, otherwise they would have lost the money, so we allowed everything to continue in the way it was. In order for the monies not to be lost, we allowed the process to go on,” Beepath said.

He noted that as the then chairman he stood clear of all tendering processes as there is a tenders committee for that.

“All that was done was a report was presented to the board and we looked at it to see if it was done properly. We never saw bids or prices,” Beepath said.

He said one tender was scrapped because of an error on the part of the bus company and said a report on that is currently before a Government minister.

Asked what role he thought Ragoonanan would have played, Beepath said he was not sure, as he knew back then that Ragoonanan represented Mercedes Benz and found it confusing as to why he would have been allegedly talking to his (Ragoonanan’s) competition, the Chinese.

“I have nothing to hide and I am the one to add clarity to this and I am willing to tell the truth. This has a lot more to do with something bigger. I think the way in which it was done is not the way the PNM operates, because something like this would have been called in and done privately, not in public like this,” Beepath said.