Naparima of Parliament Rodney Charles, is calling on PM Rowley to stop "manufacturing distractions" and provide plans to address growing uncertainties in the petrochemical industry in light of Wednesday's announcement by Yara Trinidad Ltd to close one of its ammonia production plants at Point Lisas.
According to Charles, the information suggested there are three reasons for the decision: the uncertainty surrounding gas prices and its availability, prevailing depressed ammonia prices, and given its age, the lower energy efficiency of the ammonia plant.
Charles is alleging there are similar issues at other plants across the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, and he is calling on ther Prime Minister Rowley to reveal the true state of the petrochemical sector and provide concrete plans to rescue the industry.
The closure of the plant he said "takes with it five percent of the country’s ammonia production, reduced government revenues and not inconsiderable job losses."
There are concerns that the futures of Tringen 1 and Tringen 2 are also uncertain since they are yet to reach an agreement with NGC on gas prices.
Charles said "given his proclivity for engineering distractions in the run up to Local Government elections Rowley must state decisively, what his concrete plans are to ensure that citizen’s jobs are protected and the Point Lisas Industrial Estate does not become a thing of the past like Petrotrin where 5,000 plus jobs were lost; or ArcelorMittal with 600; or the 2 Methanol plants closed in 2017; all of which occurred under this clueless PNM administration."
He said "the increasing uncertainty surrounding the major employment sector in T&T only brings further misery and hardships for these workers and their families and fenceline communities. With yet another closure coming, citizens continue to lose faith."
Charles is contending that more than 55,000 have been retrenched since the Rowley administration took power in 2015, and that the economy continues to suffer due to the failures of what he described as "the incompetent and uncaring Keith Rowley administration."
And the member of parliament for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh said the closure of the Yara plant is "devastating news."
Indarsingh said the closure takes with it "five percent of the country's ammonia production and leads to more job losses."
He said the country "is witnessing a literal decimation of the energy sector which continues to get worst and YARA’s announcement only adds to the growing number of companies in the energy sector that have either made significant cut backs in its operations or have completely closed since September 2015. These include Petrotrin, Repsol, Industrial Plant Services Ltd, Arcelor Mittal, CENTRIN, Methanol Holdings Limited."
Indarsingh is calling on Labour and Small Enterprise Development Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, to tell the country when she was advised of the pending shutdown by YARA and whether or not she attempted to have any type of reconciliatory talks with the Company.
Indarsingh, the former President of one of the country’s largest Trade Unions said that from what is being reported in the local media, it appears that there was "no attempt or initiative by the Government to intervene in the gas sales negotiations between NGC and YARA in order to preserve jobs and the operations of the Company."
He said one is left to wonder whether NGC advised the Minister of Energy Franklin Khan that it was involved in several negotiation sessions which failed to reach an agreement that could sustain the operation of the YARA Plantand if so "did the Minister attempt to mediate the issues directly with YARA?"