Welcome back, Frankie

The minister’s return to the Senate on Tuesday was yet another milestone in a career which began in 2002 when he was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Ortoire/Mayaro. Since then, he has gone through several ups and downs, to say the least, in a career embodying the complexities of political life in Trinidad and Tobago.

Khan – who was initially appointed Minister of Rural Development and Local Government in 2015 – returns to the energy hot seat. Some of the challenges he faces include: the need for reform of the regulation of the industry in terms of accounting of profits and enforcement of breaches by State entities; chronic environmental issues due to aging infrastructure; declined revenues due to fluctuating prices and the global push to a world without hydrocarbons.

The minister will have to carry through on momentum gained by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in his recent Houston, Texas, energy talks.

Khan has already signalled an intention to do what seems counter-intuitive in the current climate. Increasing the current oil production from 75,000 barrels a day to 100,000 barrels a day by 2018 will no doubt increase revenues, but will it trickle down to the rest of the economy? The gains yielded could eviscerate if the mechanism for accounting for production – and therefore taxation revenues owed to the State – is not working as it should.

And the evidence which we have seen time and time again in parliamentary committees is that there are serious questions as to whether the Ministry of Energy is functioning as it should in this regard. It would be more useful to not only plug the gaps but to also forge ahead with newer, alternative forms of energy. Green energy sources are more sustainable in the long run. There is much room for development in this regard.

The minister may think if it ain’t broken then don’t fix it.

Unfortunately, we have seen time and time again how our reliance on oil and gas has only hindered our development by generating uncertainty and rendering us at the mercy of global market forces.

Khan will have to play a key role in this country’s dealings with Venezuela and Guyana, especially in the wake of reports of ExxonMobil’s discoveries in the latter country and the key role we potentially will play.

Meanwhile, Khan’s return to service (the Prime Minister granted him an additional two weeks to make absolutely sure he was ready to return to office) underlines the fact that politicians, like all of us, are vulnerable to health issues.

Cardiac illness is one of the leading causes of death in Trinidad and Tobago.

According to a 2014 report, cardiac disease accounted for about 30 per cent of all premature deaths in the male age group between 39 and 60 in 2008. According to the latest World Health Organisation data published in May 2014, coronary heart disease accounted for 1,929 or 17.88 per cent of total deaths. While updated figures are slow in coming, several experts in the years since have reported the figures are still high and possibly rising.

Is it any wonder? Our modern lifestyles are stressful and many are not able to incorporate adequate changes to their habits. Exercise, careful dieting and other holistic measures are easier said than done. Khan’s experience, though, is a reminder that we must all take care of ourselves.

We hope his fellow ministers take note and make provision accordingly, leading by example.