PM on Opposition’s procurement stand: It’s foolhardy

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has described as foolhardy threats by the Opposition to remove itself from the Joint Select Committee on Procurement Legislation. “The country needs proper procurement legislation and needs the input of all involved and all Parliamentarians,” Persad-Bissessar said. She said so yesterday while speaking to media after the official opening of the community-based eco-tourism project, the Valencia Visitor Centre, yesterday. She considered the threats by members of the Opposition to be a distraction of sorts. She said; “The chairman is asking them to reconsider and I will ask them to reconsider because that piece of legislation is most important.

“Should they fail to work with the Joint Select Committee they will be shirking their duties as parliamentarians.” Opposition Leader Keith Rowley announced the Opposition’s withdrawal on Monday during a news conference at his office in Port-of-Spain. Since then chairman of the Joint Select Committee, Bhoe Tewarie, has urged the Opposition to “do the responsible thing and participate,” calling the withdrawal “an act of bad faith.” Delivering an address at yesterday’s opening, Persad-Bissessar told residents Government was taking a new approach to tourism. She highlighted Tourism Minister Rupert Griffith’s announcement that a new policy on eco-tourism would be brought to Cabinet by the end of the first quarter of the year. She said tourism was one of the fastest ways of job creation, adding “prosperity for all” can only be achieved if growth is driven in all sectors.

Persad-Bissessar said in that regard she would lead a trade mission to China and South Africa in the near future. “T&T must be known all over the world. We have many things to offer besides sand, sun and sea,” Persad-Bissessar said. The visitor centre, which was commissioned last year, cost about $2 million to complete. According to Keshwar Maharaj, chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, the first phase, which included a visitors’ area, a petting zoo and bathroom facilities was completed, using only labour and materials from residents of Valencia. He said when the entire project was completed it would create 23 jobs for residents of the area. In his address, Maharaj said changes were needed in tourism as it could not be looked at as just hotels. Maharaj said the centre was the first of its kind in T&T and would use members of the community and community activities to promote T&T’s tourism.