Rowley promises development for Moruga

Rowley made the promise on Monday night during a public meeting of his People’s National Movement (PNM) party at Samuel Junction, Basseterre, Moruga in the lead-up to next Monday’s Local Government election.

“We intend to make Moruga the central pillar along the south coast,” Rowley said. He added the initiative to establish the port which, in turn, will encourage greater production by fishermen, will help reduce the current $4 billion food import bill.

Moruga, he said, can produce $200 million in fish for the local market.

Rowley told supporters that the establishment of a new port also has the potential of facilitating the illegal drug trade.

“We intend to spend a lot of money ensuring that it does not become another drug port in Trinidad,” he said. The prime minister also challenged the residents to make use of the readily available soil and space to grow crops for use in agro processing.

Pigeon peas, he says, is imported from Santo Domingo and this must change.

He told farmers that Government will ensure their products fetch a good price on the local market and the excess is exported.

Rowley also signalled Government’s intention to invest more in the lumber industry saying that this country’s teak and pine, planted by colonial masters, are of such good quality that they are in demand internationally.

He said instead of exporting the teak logs, furniture can be made for export. Government, Rowley said, will create two nurseries where tens of thousands of seedlings will be planted. “In ten to 15 years we will have lumber to the tune of millions of dollars coming out of Moruga,” he said.

“Soursop, sorrel and guava are very much in fashion and in demand in north Trinidad. There are no fields of these products in Trinidad that I know of,” he said, adding that the pink guava of Cuba is a good product to grow in TT. Rowley again lashed out at Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar who recently called on him to account for the discovery, by Customs officers, of $2 million in a container allegedly brought in by a close friend of his.

“She calling on me to account.

But if I respond to her tonight, we will get another editorial saying that we are not talking the issues,” he said. “The same way you know who bringing the money and is my friend, I suspect you know who bringing the marijuana in the chicken.” He questioned whether it was coincidence that police officers investigating the discovery of a plant-like substance at Persad-Bissessar’s private residence in Phillipine, South Trinidad, have been promoted.

Rowley said Government is also making moves to ensure that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) becomes this country’s final court of appeal in both civil and criminal matters. “We agreed with the (Basdeo) Panday government of the UNC (United National Congress) that we should make the final court of appeal here.

With the help of the PNM, we were successful in bringing the Caribbean Court of Justice to Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain.

When the Kamla UNC came in power, that was the end of the Caribbean Court of Justice.”