Sahadeo promises Cabinet approval for Caroni lands

CABINET will give final approval to the distribution of the former Caroni (1975) Ltd’s 77,000 land acreage, and the process will be totally transparent. This was the commitment given by Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Christine Sahadeo, when she addressed Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall. The Minister disclosed that the Caroni Lands Vesting Bill has been approved by Cabinet and will be laid in Parliament shortly. “It means that several pending transactions can now be completed. The management of the various lands can be executed now. We have several people who have been writing. Even simple land leases which are outstanding. It means we can more actively embark on all the programmes we have planned for these lands,” Sahadeo explained.

On Wednesday, Chaguanas Mayor Suruj Rambachan revealed that plans were afoot to establish a light manufacturing estate on 1,000 acres of Caroni land in Central Trinidad. While the Estate Management Business Development Company will handle all of Caroni’s land transactions, Sahadeo said these transactions would be brought to Cabinet “before any leases or sales are effected. It means it will be totally transparent and therefore we have no one person  making a decision but in fact a detailed listing will be brought to Cabinet. It will first be approved at Cabinet before any transaction is finalised,” she declared. Sahadeo said the list of former Caroni workers seeking land for agricultural or non-agricultural purposes was currently being checked to ensure that all of them qualify, and it was in keeping with Government’s promise to give these persons first preference to Caroni’s lands.

She disclosed that Government created a skills bank to help former Caroni workers find gainful employment, but expressed concern that only 2,100 of Caroni’s former employees have participated in the various training programmes. She said a series of community walkabouts will begin on June 24 to encourage the remaining 7,870 ex-employees to follow suit. The Minister said opportunities would even be made available to former workers who are 50 years and over. Sahadeo said 90 percent of Caroni’s former employees have expressed satisfaction with the counselling  programmes.