Cabinet ministers gathered at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's yesterday for the first day of a two-day Cabinet retreat which is aimed at reviewing the performance of the Government in the past 16 months, the economic situation in the country and the spiralling crime situation.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley chaired the session and addressed Ministers and Permanent Secretaries who were invited to participate in the first session of the retreat.
In 2017 as the year begins and the Rowley Cabinet meets in retreat, issues on the table include the worsening state of the economy, the threat of possible strike at State-owned Petrotrin over the vexatious 0/0/0 offer, and the millions still owed to contractors and public officers including members of the security services.
Cabinet sources tell the T&T Guardian that the issue of crime features high on the agenda, given the high murder rate in 2016. A total of 462 people were murdered last year.
The New Year has already been marred by two murders and the Prime Minister as head of the National Security Council, the T&T Guardian learned, is adamant that the crime problem must be brought under control.
Sitting with the Prime Minister at the head table as he fielded questions from the floor were Finance Minister Colm Imbert, Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis and Head of the Public Service Sandra Jones.
Government sources confirmed that the Prime Minister used the opportunity to advise Permanent Secretaries that they are the accounting officers and as such they have a duty to ensure that all business conducted by Ministries is above board and within the financial circumstances of the country.
Among those in the gathering was the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister and Head of the Public Service Sandra Jones.
Energy Minister Franklin Khan who fell ill in Thailand while on vacation in December did not attend the first day of the retreat. Efforts to contact Khan proved futile.
Non-Cabinet ministers of government were also given the opportunity to participate during the day.
The first retreat of the Rowley Cabinet was held in March last year in Tobago. That retreat coincided with the wedding of the daughter of Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh. Questions about the timing of that retreat were raised by the opposition. The Prime Minister dismissed those concerns as mere coincidence.
During the 2016 Cabinet retreat the focus was on financial management of the State's affairs, the prioritising of projects and the treatment of Government's commitments, including arrears owed to public servants and other debtors.
Heavy focus was also placed on Tobago with THA Chief Secretary Orville London complaining that Tobago was the only tourist destination which did not have direct flights from international destinations. Caribbean Airlines was mandated to make a better effort to address the airlift issue.
Just under 12 months later London was complaining about CAL, he recently made a case for the island to have its own airline, because of the unreliability of the national carrier. Similar concerns have come from the head of the Tobago Chamber of Commerce Demi John-Cruickshank.
Following the 2016 retreat WASA and the relevant Ministries were mandated to examine the potential for a desalination plant in western Tobago to address the perennial water shortages which impact the island's tourism sector. Cruickshank told the T&T Guardian that as far as the Chamber was aware 43 expressions of interest were received by WASA for the construction of the Desal Plant, but to date nothing has happened.
He said the island was now bracing for more water problems with another dry season upon us and they are again "waiting to see how WASA will deal with the water problem."
Efforts to contact WASA chairman Dion Abdool proved futile.
The performance of some ministers, according to sources, is also of concern to the Prime Minister and whether there would be a shake up early in the New Year remains to be seen.
In October last year, two ministers were fired, the Minister of Energy Nicole Olivierre was replaced by Franklin Khan and the Minister of Public Utilities Ancil Antoine was replaced by Fitzgerald Hinds.
Hinds was replaced in the Ministry of Works by Rohan Sinanan. Also joining the Cabinet in October was former San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein who replaced Khan as minister of Rural Development and Local Government.
In March last year shortly after the Cabinet retreat then housing Minister Marlene McDonald was dismissed pending an investigation by the Integrity Commission, she was replaced by Randall Mitchell.