Marriage debate continues

Speaking in the House on March 6, Rowley said the firm was hired at a cost of $14.7 million over a two-year period. According to the October 2016 agreement which outlines the terms of the firm’s engagement, collaboration with the Government to deal with TT citizens recruited as foreign terrorist fighters with the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS/ISIL); assisting Government’s efforts to diversify the economy and increasing this country’s profile amongst leading figures in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, are some of the initiatives the DC Group will be undertaking on the Government’s behalf. At that time, Rowley said it was necessary to hire this firm because “certain behaviours” of the former People’s Partnership administration, “put TT in a very bad situation with our largest trading partner (US).” Rowley did not say what those behaviours were.

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses will field questions from Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Naparima MP Rodney Charles on contraband and deportees, respectively.

Before the House sits, the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee (PAEC) will sit from 10 am in a public hearing to examine the audited financial statements of the Estate Business Management Development Corporation (EMBD) for the period 2008 to 2010. Last Friday, the EMBD announced the dismissal of Gary Parmassar as its CEO.

The Senate sits on Tuesday from 1.30 pm at Tower D of the Portof- Spain International Waterfront Centre to debate on the International Financial Organisations (Corporacion Andina de Fomento) Bill, 2017. This bill was passed in the House on March 15.