Manning not on money

So said Manning yesterday as he noted the rapid economic development taking place in the country at another “Breakfast with the Prime Minister” at the ballroom of Crowne Plaza hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain ballroom.

“Cabinet sits on top of all of this (economic development). And as chairman of the Cabinet, people ask me how I live. I do not make as much money as most of you,” he said, eliciting laughter from members of the business community who filled the ballroom.

“But money is not my focus. I don’t think anybody in this room gets the job satisfaction I get from being associated with the development of TT.” Manning, however, disclosed that the great demand for electricity in the rapidly growing energy sector had placed TT among the five top highest earning nations in the world.

The PM spoke last at the event which included presentations by key people from state companies who enlightened the audience on economic plans and objectives.

He said, “I am quite certain you saw a lot of which you were not aware. I am sure you have come to the conclusion that our country is developing more rapidly than you expected.”

In his brief speech, the PM further noted that much more development is taking place than was disclosed yesterday morning. He said by September, for instance, Government will begin putting into effect the National Transportation Plan. He said this involved a mass transit system from Sangre Grande to Diego Martin and from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando.

Earlier, National Energy Corporation president, Prakash Saith, said the heavily gas-based Union Industrial Estate, which would include the Alutrint smelter, was 95 percent completed.

He said far from being an environmental threat, the emissions from the smelter would be of a “high standard” since the company intended to adhere to the standards set by the Environmental Management Authority, which are more stringent than international ones.

He said Government approved six new industrial sites in February 2005, which includes Cap-de-ville, Point Lisas East and West, poor quality former cane lands, and the Oropouche offshore bank. He said these sites should take care of the country’s needs until 2050.

Wayne Bertrand, Petrotrin’s operations manager, told the crowd that the state company has never lost money in any of its operations from 1969 to the present time.

He said last year Petrotrin made a profit of $1.5 billion and this year $1.6 billion. He disclosed that the company has embarked on a US$650 million upgrade, which would bring in additional revenue.

Calder Hart, chairman of Udecott, said the company would be developing 13 urban centres in the country but greater focus would be placed on making Port-of-Spain a modern metropolis.

Hart said the skyline of the capital was already changing but the coming multi-million dollar waterfront project would make the greatest visual impact.

Khalid Hassanali, president of Evolving Technologies and Enterprises Development Company (E-Teck), which is complementary to the NEC, said 15,000 persons would be employed at the Tamana E-Teck Park.

He said the former United States airforce base at Wallerfield would become “islands of industrial activity surrounded by trees.” He said a contract would be awarded for the building of a city at Wallerfield, which would become one of the town centres the PM had commissioned.

Professor Ken Julien, chairman of the University of TT (UTT), reminded the business community that the country’s best resource was its human resource and announced that the San Fernando Technical school may be enhanced to become one of UTT’s campuses.