Tobago Correspondent
Progressive Democratic Patriots leader Watson Duke says Tobago could generate over $3 trillion from its untapped natural resources—if only it controlled them—and create billionaires on the island.
Speaking at a political meeting in Mason Hall Monday night, Duke said, “Tobago may be more rich than Dubai, more rich than Saudi Arabia.” He said Tobago holds eight gas fields—including the Calypso gas field off Speyside, which he claimed is the largest in the Caribbean—and deposits of rare earth materials in Studley Park that could bring in $10 billion a year.
“If that material is properly extracted, processed, and monetised, Tobago could be making ten billion per year,” Duke said.
He accused the central government of denying Tobago export licenses while allowing Trinidad to profit. “In Trinidad, there are several quarries that have export licenses, but in Tobago the government has none,” he said. “Don’t come and tell me you love Tobago.”
Duke claimed Trinidad had been secretly shipping Tobago’s quarry aggregate to be exported abroad. He also alleged that gas from Tobago’s seabed was being piped to Trinidad while Tobagonians remained unaware.
“Right now, as we speak, gas is being sent to Trinidad via our 40-inch pipeline. But little boy blue in the THA who loves to blow his horn wouldn’t tell you that,” he said, taking a swipe at Chief Secretary and political leader of the Tobago People’s Party Farley Augustine without calling his name.
Duke claimed that controlling Tobago’s two parliamentary seats was the only key to unlocking that wealth.
“The only way to access that wealth is if you have the key… and the only key to the Treasury are these two seats that go to Parliament,” he said.
He promised that under his leadership, Tobago would create its first billionaires.
“There is not one black billionaire in Trinidad, Tobago or the Caribbean... under my watch, we going to Trinidad to create some of the first billionaires in Tobago,” Duke said.
