POINTE-a-Pierre MP David Lee asked Government what is the future of the former Petrotrin oil refinery which was shut down in November 2018. He asked this question during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Representatives on Saturday.
After observing that Energy Minister Stuart Young did not speak about this in his earlier contribution, Lee recalled that Finance Minister Colm Imbert spoke about the refinery's importance in his 2017 budget presentation.
Quoting from that document, Lee said Imbert indicated that "Petrotrin is a strategic economic and security investment as it meets 100 per cent of our liquid energy needs."
Lee said this statement and the company's subsequent restructuring left him confused.
"I ask who decided to shut down our Petrotrin refinery?"
He was convinced that Imbert did not take that decision.
In her contribution to the budget debate in the House on Friday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar reiterated the UNC's promise from the August 10, 2020 general election that it would restart the refinery whenever it is re-elected to office.
Lee disputed Imbert's statement in his budget presentation on September 26 that the UNC was among the chorus of people demanding that TT move away from oil and gas.
"No one on this side (UNC) said we should abandon our oil and gas."
Lee said the UNC and the PNM agree that oil and gas remains the cornerstone of the economy.
But he added the parties differ on what is being done to develop the energy sector. Lee reiterated the UNC's position that the PNM has been unable to attract any new investment in the sector over the last seven years and dismantled things left by the former UNC-led People's Partnership coalition government that could do that.
Earlier in the sitting, Young reiterated, "Petrotrin was not shut down. Petrotrin was restructured."
He also reiterated that the refinery was mothballed. "It was closed but it is still being held in a certain manner as people look at it."
Young did not elaborate on this statement.
Responding to a question from the Opposition in the House in May, the Prime Minister said a preferred bidder has been identified in the revised bidding process for the refinery.
Dr Rowley said proposals from four bidders were received and evaluated.
He said after this process Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL) identified the bidder and is currently pursuing discussions with the entity.
Rowley did not give a timeline for any final decisions on the matter
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