(Trinidad Guardian) They fought long and hard to get a conclusion to the negotiations for the acquisition of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery and port before the August 10 General Election.
But more than a month after the election, Patriotic Energies and Technologies Limited is yet to seal the deal with the Government.
Last month, Patriotic’s director and president-general of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union Ancel Roget had accused the Government of using the negotiation as a ruse to get votes in the election. Several press conferences were held giving the media frequent updates on the negotiations which Roget said were seeped in “deceit and subterfuge.”
Now, almost a year after it won the bid to acquire the refinery and port, Patriotic Energies directors have gone silent, along with Energy Minister Franklin Khan, all of whom did not respond to Guardian Media’s questions regarding the state of negotiations.
In a telephone interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Movement for Social Justice leader David Abdulah said he was not aware of what was going on with the negotiations, adding things may be happening behind the scenes.
Abdulah renewed his call for the Government to end negotiations and hand over the refinery to Patriotic Energies before Budget Day on October 5.
“In my opinion, it’s a good and important thing for the Minister of Finance to report to the country the conclusion of this long drawn out negotiation,” Abdulah said.
