Resolution reached in Chaguaramas land issue

While he declined to give specifics at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Imbert said the discussion involved tenants in the area around Pier Two and a water park project. He said these discussions took place after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley raised concerns that the public was alienated from the Chaguaramas waterfront. Chaguaramas falls within the Diego Martin West constituency which is represented in Parliament by Rowley.

Imbert said Government does not want the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) to be a drain on the public purse and there is a shortfall between the amount of rent the CDA collects and its monthly expenditure.

He described the situation as “untenable” and said Government will be, “moving the CDA to break even first and then into profitability.” Imbert also said the CDA is discovering more liabilities incurred by its previous board, which included debts owed to contractors, “that are suddenly surfacing which they have to take the bounce for.” Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Stuart Young, said a legal team has been engaged to examine leases granted by the CDA on the eve of last September’s general election.

Imbert also said a poverty report done by the former People’s Partnership (PP) government is currently before the Cabinet’s Finance and General Purposes Committee which he chairs. He said Government has concerns about the methodology of the report, which was done in 2014.