Petrotrin sale in dispute Haitian Day
from abroad to keep equipment in use.
About 3,000 permanent and part time
employees were sent home. Businesses
and nearby homes which had depended
on a functioning refinery lost millions
in daily patronage. Officials say deep
medical depression resulted.
The facility was therefore put out
to international tender, with Rowley’s
cabinet saying in the end that a group
put together by the OTWU had come up
with the best and most promising bid
and was given the green light to raise
finances and prepare to restart operations.
The refinery’s closure had pushed
a number of neighboring countries like
Guyana and Barbados to find alternative
suppliers for oil and petroleum
products.
The UNC in the meantime, is moving
to court to obtain an injunction blocking
the sale of the refinery to Patriotic
Energies and Technologies Limited even
as it rushes to meet deadlines for submitting
its business plan, complete with
financing details.
The UNC says it is mad about the
fact that Minister of Finance, Colm
Imbert had not seen it fit to pass the
deal through the joint parliamentary
select energy committee for scrutiny.
It charges that that committee had not
met in 18 months, a convenient development
that allowed authorities to avoid
scrutiny. The UNC could lose valuable
votes if such a mega project, led by a
local union and not a foreign, white-led
group, goes ahead and revives district
economies in the politically sensitive
southern Trinidad.
But Rowley has been fighting back.
He told a public meeting in Trinidad in
the past week that UNC concerns were
aimed at scuttling the deal entirely. The
UNC has suggested that such a major
deal should be held back until elections,
not expected before next September.
“The best bid won and the OW TU was
the best bid and we are quite pre pared to
do what we have to do to get it done and
get the re fin ery restart ed. The same way
they chase away the San dals project is
the same way they are try ing to un dermine
the OW TU,” Rowley said.
For its part, union leader Ancel Roget
called a press conference at midweek to
defend the union’s purchase of the facility,
suggesting that a number of communities
like San Fernando, Marabella,
Gasparillo and others could spring back
to life in a big way with a recommencement
if activities.
“The restart of the refinery would
involve turnaround works, refurbishment,
a thorough inspection and repairs
of all of the plants to make sure that
when those plants start it can run for a
considerable period of time with optimum
reliability so that we will guarantee
fuel products for the country,” he said,
waving around documents.
Caribbean L 22 ife, OCTOBER 25-31, 2019 BQ
pay tribute to the contributions of
Haitian people to the United States
and the world,” said Eugene, the first
Haitian-born to be elected to New York
City Council and who represents the
40th Council District in Brooklyn.
Three years ago, Eugene introduced
two pieces of legislation — Resolutions
687 and 664 — asking the City
of New York, the State of New York
and the federal government to establish
Oct. 9, the date of the Battle of
Savannah, Ga as NYC Haitian Day in
recognition of Haitian contributions
to the United States.
“This important date, which commemorates
the historic battle in 1779
when free men from Haiti fought
alongside American soldiers during
the Revolutionary War, symbolizes the
dedication of the Haitian people to
freedom and liberty,” Eugene said. “It
also defines the character of resiliency
that the Haitian community continues
to embody to this day.”
Both resolutions were overwhelmingly
passed by the New York City
Council on Jun. 21, 2016, with Oct.
9 as officially New York City Haitian
Day.
“It is a great honor to host the
2019 NYC Haitian Day Celebration,”
Eugene said. “This is such an important
occasion for the Haitian community,
as we come together to acknowledge
and celebrate our contributions
to the United States, past, present and
future.
“The date of Oct. 9 is of special significance,
because it commemorates
the Battle of Savannah, when free
Haitian men helped American soldiers
in this nation’s battle for independence,”
he added. “This reminds us of
the tremendous contributions of our
Haitian ancestors to the history of the
United States.
“We are recognizing these accomplishments
as a symbol of who we are
and what we can still achieve as people
when we work together,” Eugene
continued. “I am very proud of every
Haitian who has come to the United
States to work hard and contribute to
the success of this country.”
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
Dr. Mathieu Eugene delivers remarks
at the 2019 NYC Haitian
Day fl ag-raising event at Bowling
Green.
Office of Councilmember Dr. Mathieu Eugene
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keep you going.
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