PM promises ministerial accountability

PRIME MINISTER and PNM political leader Patrick Manning yesterday assured the party’s membership that Government ministers will be made accountable to the population. In his remarks at the conclusion of the PNM’s 39th Annual Convention at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre, the Prime Minister also envisioned Tobago being used as a base to ship compressed natural gas (CNG) to other Caribbean islands. Manning told the assembled PNMites the strength of the party lay in its structure and its internal processes. He said a regular feature of monthly PNM General Council meetings, is an address by a Government minister about events in his or her ministry and an address by the political leader.

Stressing his administration’s focus on integrity in public life, Manning said more will be done to ensure that Government ministers account “on a regular basis” to the General Council and this would allow delegates at the party’s annual conventions to know what has been happening in various aspects of Government. Manning also announced that the Cabinet’s Standing Committee on Energy is examining the possibility of exporting natural gas from Tobago, either in the form of CNG or by pipeline, to neighbouring Caribbean territories. However he stressed that Government would ensure Tobago remains green and environmentally friendly.

Manning reiterated Government’s intention to make Caroni lands available for business expansion in Chaguanas and Couva. He said this would be done via the Estate Business Management Development Company and predicted “major developments in Central and South Trinidad over the next few years.” Manning said many ministries were disseminating information on unprecedented levels to the population, and the party’s “Breakfast with the Prime Minister” series was “wildly successful” and greater emphasis would be placed on more of the non-energy areas of the economy in future meetings.

The Prime Minister conceded that not enough was being done to educate the PNM’s younger members and the PNM was evaluating the performance of its party school. He said there was no reason why all constituencies could not host a party school and his San Fernando East constituency would do just that in 2005. Manning added that the Green Paper on Local Government Reform will be circulated to all units within the PNM. There was widespread support on the convention floor for Government to bring the Police Reform Bills back to Parliament and have them enacted.

PNM delegates urged Government “to go out and meet the grassroots” on a regular basis and attributed Manning’s walkabouts after the 1995 general elections as the reason why the PNM returned to power. Education Minister Hazel Manning and Health Minister John Rahael came in for high praise from many delegates. Rahael’s Port-of-Spain/St Ann’s West constituency was successful in having a resolution to upgrade the Port-of-Spain General Hospital’s paediatric unit unanimously passed. The PNM’s Tobago constituencies assured the Prime Minister of an imminent PNM landslide in the Tobago House of Assembly elections on January 17.