Scarborough—While the issue of the President's housing simmers in Trinidad, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has been working closely with President Anthony Carmona and his wife Reema on an upcoming upgrade of the President's House in Tobago. THA Secretary for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Gary Melville, revealed that yesterday. THA Chief Secretary Orville London, preparing for today's meeting with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Cabinet here in Tobago, confirmed the plan.
The President has been meeting THA staff on plans for the upgrade of the house at Government House Road. Melville said the planning and designs already have been discussed with the President and his wife and upgrades were intended for the kitchen, bedroom and working area, security and other parts of the house, to upgrade the structure to the level befitting such quarters. The start date is to be finalised pending the sourcing of funding, as well as the cost and a timeline for completion, Melville said. All parties are said to be happy with the way it has gone so far, the T&T Guardian learned.
Meanwhile, London, Melville and the rest of the Executive Council have been invited by the PM to meet with the Cabinet at a luncheon today after the Cabinet's weekly meeting, which is being held at the Magdalena Grand resort. Cabinet meets at 10 am. After the lunch, London said individual THA secretaries will meet with ministers on their respective portfolios.
PP in election retreat
London will also meet with Persad-Bissessar to continue the discussions on internal-self government and other issues which they started when London met with her three weeks ago. Back then, London raised concerns about alleged incursions that the Tobago Development Ministry was making into the THA's jurisdiction over projects. He said yesterday he had compiled a comprehensive report with legal consultants to give to the PM so it could be discussed today. Communications Minister Vasant Bharath also said the PM had requested a report from Tobago Development Minister Delmon Baker.
London has said he hoped the meeting advances the self-government agenda and that it would be a mutually accepted process that could resolve the longstanding issue as he hoped Tobago would achieve internal self-government in the not-too-distant future. The Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), which is committed to internal self-government for Tobago, has made it a prong of its general election campaign framework. After today's round of meetings, the Cabinet will hold a retreat at the Magdalena Grand Resort tomorrow to reassess positions and discuss election preparations. Bharath said: "It's being held to see where we are, what's working and what's not, and how we proceed for the next 12 months into May 2015." After the retreat, the PM will launch a CCTV security project in Scarborough.
