Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young has accused the Opposition of attacking Mike Wiley who was recently appointed CEO of Heritage Petroleum Company (HPC) at an annual salary of US$450,000, stating that Petrotrin had to retain the services of two international recruiting firms to select him for the job.
Young said Wiley was one of three applicants short-listed for the position based on his proven track record.
He made the comment on Wednesday during his contribution on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Heritage, Petroleum, Paria Fuel Trading and the Guaracara Refining Vesting) Bill in Parliament.
In explaining why the Government chose to restructure Petrotrin, Young suddenly turned his conversation on Wiley.
“Again, the personalisation and the attack on Mr Wiley. Mr Wiley’s CV speaks of the amount of the experience he has in here because the Opposition has nothing good to say. They can’t catch this administration on anything.”
Last week, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley revealed that Wiley was hired in August and paid an annual salary US$450,000 (TT$2.9 million).
Wiley is also entitled to housing, transportation and health allowances.
“The truth is, by August, we knew even before then, we knew, that if there was one part of the Petrotrin operation that could go forward in a viable entity was exploration and production....go and drill for oil and sell the oil on an international market.”
Young said this was what Wiley was retained to do, stating that Government needed to bring him on board during’s Petrotrin’s restructuring.
He said what the Petrotrin’s board at the time did was hired two international recruiting firms with expertise in oil and gas to hunt for the new CEO of HPC which is one of four entities created in the wake of oil company’s restructuring.
“It was narrowed down to the end to a Japanese, Mr Wiley and I believe a Uranian by international recruiters. He was brought in to lead the E&P (exploration and production) operations.”
He urged the population not to be distracted by the noise from the Opposition.
Young said the first shipment of crude had already been exported.
“That crude before was being sucked out by the refinery,” he said.