Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:3 min 38 sec ago
Ramesh predicts dark days for power in T&T
Published: 24 Sep 2009
Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj believes that by 2019, the Government will not be able to generate enough electricity in T&T. Speaking at a public meeting held at the Macaulay Community Centre on Tuesday night, Maharaj painted a bleak picture of T&T’s future. He said because the Government had failed to diversify, T&T would be unable to sustain its power supplies by the end of the next decade.
“Currently our gas is used mainly to generate electricity for all the power needs of T&T. It is used as feedstock to operate the entire Point Lisas Industrial Estate and also as export to international markets through the four Atlantic LNG facilities in Point Fortin,” Maharaj said. However, he added, “In ten years we will not be able to generate enough electricity. We will have to buy gas from abroad to generate electricity.”
Maharaj said T&T’s entire economy was based heavily on gas revenue generated from the sale of depleted resources of oil and gas. “The latest report carried out by Ryder Scott has indicated that our current proven reserves gives us an estimated ten years gas supply,” Maharaj said. Citing statistics from the report, Maharaj said, “We have 15.43 trillion cubic feet of proved reserves. We can only estimate based on geologic and other physical data.
We are currently using around 4.1 billion cubic feet or 1.5 trillion cubic feet per year which gives us a ten year proven supply.” Maharaj also criticised the Government for failing to subsidise the agricultural sector.
“T&T has a one-horse economy that the economists refer to as a petroleum-based plantation economy. Our attempts to step into cocoa, coffee and sugar have been a dismal failure,” Maharaj said. He said after the sugar industry was closed down, farmers and former workers were left on the breadline.
Challenging days ahead for
Challenging days ahead for T&T:-
Sorry to say but Mr. Maharaj is telling us the truth. We cannot argue with the information he is passing on to us, even if we would like to challenge him.
We have to start listenting to the messages and the advice coming with them, and put aside our tendencies to judge the messenger instead. {In other words, please 'don't shoot the messenger.'}
We still have hope, as our future can be what we make it. It is in our hands.
Happy Republic Day - T&T
Ramesh had a chance to help
Ramesh had a chance to help build this country. Instead he went into battle with his PM, sided with the Opposition, even giving them privileged information. He should have done like Rowley and stayed in his Party and fight corruption from within instead of getting his fellow-musketeers to vote against the then Government's Budget forcing fresh elections which led to the present situation. He even went to the then President to advise him on how to handle the the split-vote election, advising against the principles of convention such as incumbency and majority popular vote. And when he did not get the post of Special Prosecutor he tried to form his own Party. Now back in the UNC, it's deja vu once more. Can we believe anything this man says?
But Panday was just as much to blame turning a blind eye to allegations of corruption. And foolishly he had light-weight advisers like Ganga Singh & Yet Ming, people who were later to attack him and desert him, advising him on how to break the deadlock. No wonder Manning with his better team of advisers was able to outsmart him, with a little help from Mr Spiritual & Moral Values, in whom Panday naively put his trust. Now Panday can't live down that political tabanca & dreams of a second bite at the cherry. Time for him to enjoy his retirement and spend more time with his grandchildren while he still can.
Good Day Young Man! :-- I
Good Day Young Man! :--
I will not even attempt to question your comments. You tell it like it is - those are the facts, and no one can change them.
I aim not to be a 'groopie' running behind this 'gentleman' for reason you have documented oh so well. He has lost his credibility and we do have a hard time of ever trusting him. He went into the ring with Panday and aimed to win the boxing match, and like Mike Tyson he used his basic instinct, 'bit off the ear' of his opponent... and the country! His actions were not politically motivated, they were surely 'personal'.
So you see that the decisions we make today, will remain with us for a lifetime. The entire lot behaved like idiots, and -!-!-!-, and we are still suffering from the fallouts of their actions.
You know after his bloopers, I thought that he would remove himself from public office .. but the addiction seems to be overwhelming. Politicians are wired differently.
"Good judgement comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgement." (R.M.Brown)
But I cannot argue with this message of his .. its already written on the big city walls.
Smile and enjoy the day!
Thank you Flower Power for
Thank you Flower Power for your concurrence. I see that you are quite brave to openly agree with my take on things. Some people have hazy memories or selective recollections, mine is almost like an elephant's, admittedly with a slip-up here and there. I would be the first to admit when I get it wrong, but from boyhood I have always had the courage of my convictions and have stepped on many a corn over the many decades I have been around. Just can't help it. And I will continue to call it as I see it free from bias, but always open to civilised discussion.
Ramesh is a very ambitious man, and if COP lets him in, and he is not allowed to be top dog, I forsee more confusion and infighting. And Jack is always a wild card who keeps changing his mind and allegiances too frequently, so we really don't know the real Jack is as yet. I know that the Opposition must unite and put their house in order well in time for the next election but they must work hard on their image and credibility, even though almost anything would be better than what we have now.
Currently, TTEC power is not
Currently, TTEC power is not what we are worried about, Ram. Ram,you Ralph and Trevor short-circuited the process 9 or so years ago. It's shocking now to hear you preaching doomsday. You are a talented and hardworking M.P., no doubting that, but all this talk at the junction would generate nothing unless you, Jack and all who are opposing the Opposition come together and present yourself as a current flowing in the same direction, not as AC today and DC tomorrow. Only then would the population see you as a positive force instead of a negative one.
ajfyzabadbutlertown
If anyone believes this fool
If anyone believes this fool deserves ridicle, this man has cost T&T much needed international investment good riddence to this man as A.G. I wonder how the US embassy used to look at him while he was in that job same time his brother is on death row in Florida state prison!
These ppl will vote for any jacka.. in front of them with a suit & tie.
Mike you are not pointing
Mike you are not pointing your finger to the problem i.e. this present government but rather looking to blame Ramesh. Manning and this AG must go and they must take people like you along with them.
You vote for the PNM don't complain, sit back and enjoy your reward.
Good one Persad! Those who
Good one Persad! Those who voted the government, should sit back and really enjoy the ride. Bumpy or not...it will take us to 20/20 vision. That is to eliminate wealth in our wealthy country.. to erode our sense of security, .. to increase our taxes by 3% ..
..to increase the brain drain in TT..
20/20 vision needs an optical overhaul!
Oh..and by the way...Manning mentioned that we need to keep our belts snug. .. But in his last budget..he raised our taxes...with the ripple effect...increased rent for tenants...water rate increase...
SO DO WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR BELTS SNUG TO PAY THIS HOUSE TAX??
If Manning continue to advise us to tighten and tighten our belts..I suspect a lot ah we belly go buss!!!