From Fishermen and Friends of the Sea
While global giants like Mittal and Essar Steel are struggling to stay afloat, and while Alcoa is laying off tens of thousands of workers worldwide, our Government is taking another 2.5 Billion loan for a State Owned Aluminium Company, Alutrint. FFOS have many questions.
Is the public interest being served if there is no independent cost benefit analysis?
Did we not learn from the 1980's, that when Plipdeco flagship companies, like Ispat, were being announced by Eric Williams, US Steel Giants were folding and merging. By the end of the 1980's, these corrupt and failed state enterprises like ISPAT cost the Taxpayers 19 Billion TT Dollars, and were sold off at 1.1 Billion total, a loss of 18B dollars then. In 1980 the world market was slumped far less than it is now.
Every citizen suffered the unimaginable losses caused by a global depression, mis-management and unaccountability, tender manipulation and feeding frenzy of an "all ah we tief" Governance. Has anything changed?
With Petrotrin declared losses for the year ending 2008 of 2.2 Billion when the price of oil averaged 150USD per barrel, it is clear that even in times of world-wide boom, State Companies under the PNM lose Billions. Is it the will of the people to establish this massive loan for another "private" State Company with such frightful human consequences?
To date there is no private sector partner for Alutrint as was rationalised by Mr Manning recently. Is it not common sense that one does not invest when there is economic collapse of a global sector?
There are still unknown gas subsidies, with only 12 yrs of gas left and there has still been no credible independent cost benefit analysis. Should our Nation invest and subsidise mounting Billions into an ailing and seriously degrading industry, with our eyes closed, without analysis or information?
How many jobs, and how many sick, and at what cost?
Promises of "Thousands and thousands of jobs" by Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee Scoon, have fallen on the ears of 9000 villagers, who, according to Alutrint's own Medical Monitoring Plan, stipulates that the workers in the plant would have to be tested every year for cancer and that some 9000 people living in La Brea, Sobo, Vessigny, Vance River and Union Villages, including new born babies - would have to be tested every two years for cancer.
Respnsible officials should not politicise jobs knowing fully well that the facility planned for Trinidad employs 600 when it is complete, and even this was twice as many persons as a similar facility in South Africa. Will our treasury once again be able to afford to subsidise another overstaffed State Enterprise?
The ominous facility is to be managed by the son of a known PNM advisor and party activist, Mr Ken Julien. Is this a 2.4 Billion family gift to be squandered unaccountably as has happened with UTT?
The award of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance to Alutrint by the Environmental Management Authority has been challenged by three NGOs and is presently before the Judiciary. Is that of no concern to the PNM Cabinet? Would a democratic leader not wait until the judicial process unfolds? Are we being led as a Nation, to take the example of China, which does not have democracy, and which bulldozes and brutalises opposition?
No doubt China will benefit from a readily available supply of aluminium, especially at the market forecast for a depressed cycle for the next 15 years. But how will depressed prices benefit Trinidad and Tobago especially since we will have depleted gas reserves, increased medical costs and sick southerners, and an anchor on the neck of the treasury?
Inevitably it is the population that is at risk of being pauperised by economic mismanagement, and poor planning. In civilised countries matters of such grave public importance goes to a Referendum. In galloping dictatorships it is quite the opposite.
These are matters for the Truth Drummers who will play for change on May 23rd at the St James Amphitheatre.
While global giants like Mittal and Essar Steel are struggling to stay afloat, and while Alcoa is laying off tens of thousands of workers worldwide, our Government is taking another 2.5 Billion loan for a State Owned Aluminium Company, Alutrint. FFOS have many questions.
Is the public interest being served if there is no independent cost benefit analysis?
Did we not learn from the 1980's, that when Plipdeco flagship companies, like Ispat, were being announced by Eric Williams, US Steel Giants were folding and merging. By the end of the 1980's, these corrupt and failed state enterprises like ISPAT cost the Taxpayers 19 Billion TT Dollars, and were sold off at 1.1 Billion total, a loss of 18B dollars then. In 1980 the world market was slumped far less than it is now.
Every citizen suffered the unimaginable losses caused by a global depression, mis-management and unaccountability, tender manipulation and feeding frenzy of an "all ah we tief" Governance. Has anything changed?
With Petrotrin declared losses for the year ending 2008 of 2.2 Billion when the price of oil averaged 150USD per barrel, it is clear that even in times of world-wide boom, State Companies under the PNM lose Billions. Is it the will of the people to establish this massive loan for another "private" State Company with such frightful human consequences?
To date there is no private sector partner for Alutrint as was rationalised by Mr Manning recently. Is it not common sense that one does not invest when there is economic collapse of a global sector?
There are still unknown gas subsidies, with only 12 yrs of gas left and there has still been no credible independent cost benefit analysis. Should our Nation invest and subsidise mounting Billions into an ailing and seriously degrading industry, with our eyes closed, without analysis or information?
How many jobs, and how many sick, and at what cost?
Promises of "Thousands and thousands of jobs" by Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee Scoon, have fallen on the ears of 9000 villagers, who, according to Alutrint's own Medical Monitoring Plan, stipulates that the workers in the plant would have to be tested every year for cancer and that some 9000 people living in La Brea, Sobo, Vessigny, Vance River and Union Villages, including new born babies - would have to be tested every two years for cancer.
Respnsible officials should not politicise jobs knowing fully well that the facility planned for Trinidad employs 600 when it is complete, and even this was twice as many persons as a similar facility in South Africa. Will our treasury once again be able to afford to subsidise another overstaffed State Enterprise?
The ominous facility is to be managed by the son of a known PNM advisor and party activist, Mr Ken Julien. Is this a 2.4 Billion family gift to be squandered unaccountably as has happened with UTT?
The award of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance to Alutrint by the Environmental Management Authority has been challenged by three NGOs and is presently before the Judiciary. Is that of no concern to the PNM Cabinet? Would a democratic leader not wait until the judicial process unfolds? Are we being led as a Nation, to take the example of China, which does not have democracy, and which bulldozes and brutalises opposition?
No doubt China will benefit from a readily available supply of aluminium, especially at the market forecast for a depressed cycle for the next 15 years. But how will depressed prices benefit Trinidad and Tobago especially since we will have depleted gas reserves, increased medical costs and sick southerners, and an anchor on the neck of the treasury?
Inevitably it is the population that is at risk of being pauperised by economic mismanagement, and poor planning. In civilised countries matters of such grave public importance goes to a Referendum. In galloping dictatorships it is quite the opposite.
These are matters for the Truth Drummers who will play for change on May 23rd at the St James Amphitheatre.
DRUMMIT INTO THE HEADS OF WOULD BE DICTATORS THAT
ReplyDeleteTHEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED
NO MORE RESOURCES TO BE PLUNDERED
CHAINS TORN ASUNDER
CITIZENS ARISE FROM SLUMBER.
BLAZE THOSE DRUMS!
Just give me a gun and tell me when to shoot!
ReplyDeletethis has been a remarkable year in terms of the quantity of the biomass of kingfish(scomberomorous cavallus). the commercial fishermen in la fillete
ReplyDeleteare catching these fish among other species by the thoudands of pounds.sadly, however, the illegal gill netters using the illegal 'ghost nets' are also aware of this occurence and have opted to place miles and miles of these nets within a mile of shore. the average diameter of the mesh that these nets comprise of is about 4 inches resulting in a tremendous and unnecessary mass killing of every imaginable species. even though the immoral actions of the a la vieve boats have severly affected the fishing in the past 20 years these same net boats are wreaking havoc in the oceans equilibrium and also jeopardizing the thrill of the game us sportfishermen have. it is truly a burning shame to see my fellow countrymen rape such a golden resource. the most hurtful part about the whole circumstance is that in less than a week these fish, the same biomass that has been genetically inclined to come to our sacred shores year after year will be almost wiped from existence and the net boats will continue their plunder until the last swimming creature is exploited. i have no where else to look for support. it seems that these globally restricted nets are openly allowed in trinidad(and tobago aswell). the government probably doesnt even have a clue as to what is occuring, and even if they did they would probably turn a blind eye anyway. my disappointment cannot be contained, i have too much emotion in this matter and i am willing to go to the end to put a stop to this unethical slaughter.please let this not fall on deaf ears. it is do ironic to know that many of the 'friends of the sea' are the same ones who are eager to make a quick dollar at the expense of the oceans bounty. i am not against fishing beacause i myself have caught many fish in my life but i know when to draw the line between sustainance fishing and immoral eradication. respond if you are interested on this topic and i can provide you with hard evidence. BLAZE those drums.....scott moses