The remaining four bidders for Petrotrin’s Guaracara refinery have been given until the first week of April to complete current due diligence being done and submit revised proposals for the refinery, says Energy Minister Stuart Young.
Young confirmed this in Parliament yesterday in response to UNC MP David Lee’s query on the status of bids for the refinery.
Young said it’s an ongoing process. He said the revised proposals will be further evaluated to select a preferred bidder.
Revised proposals were done because Government had “made it abundantly clear the mandate in our interest is in restarting the refinery,” he added.
On a query on corruption, Young, as Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, noted the introduction of the Representation of the People (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2020 to treat with legislation on the issue of campaign finance, which has been flagged as a root cause of corruption. The bill was referred to a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee.
He said T&T’s current score on the Corruption Perception Index is based on data from the year 2020, therefore work done by Government in tackling corruption and perception of that since 2020 will only be reflected in the next annual report, based on data from 2021.
Young added, “The specific area of focus, which is of mutual interest to Transparency International and the Government and will positively impact T&T’s score in future, is enactment and enforcement of special-purpose legislation which improves authorities’ ability to fight and contain corruption in the public sector.”
Young cited:
• Passage of the Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Act, 2021 regulating an industry flagged by the IMF and the FATF as root contributor in money laundering/corruption;
• Passage of T&T Revenue Authority Act, 2021, whose focus includes elimination of tax evasion as a predicate offence in money laundering - a hallmark of corruption;
• Passage of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Act, 2020 and regulations to improve state procurement systems
• Continued operationalisation of the Civil Asset Agency, pursuant to the Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Act, 2019 expanding options in the anti-corruption fight
• Introduced Whistleblower Protection Bill, 2022 on critical need for protection of witnesses to improper conduct.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert replied to a query about the value of deposits made to the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund at January 31, 2022, for the quarter October 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Quoting the act, Imbert said in view of the fact that the actual revenues from petroleum for the first quarter of 2022 were less than the estimated receipts, no deposit could have been made to the HSF.
On a query about the safety of masks for the Omicron COVID-19 variant - whose main mode of transmission is via droplets and/or aerosolisation, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said, “In general, the greater the number of layers, the greater the prevention of pathogens passing through the mask. A mask with at least three (3) layers will offer protection and other types of masks that are surgical, and N-95 are usually utilised when there is increase likelihood of aerosolisation.”
He noted the World Health Organisation 2022 update, where three types of masks are recommended;
Reusable non-medical masks which comply with the ASTM F3502 standard to uniquely designed masks for protection against aerosols, not just droplets;
Disposable medical masks which comply with medical mask standards EN 14683 Type I and the ASTM F2100 Level 1.
Other types of well-fitting non-medical masks, including homemade multi-layered masks are acceptable.