NEC fails to give info on Claxton Bay port

Published: March 25th, 2009
http://guardian.co.tt/commentary/letters/2009/03/26/nec-fails-give-info-claxton-bay-port

Open letter to Energy Minister Conrad Enill:
Residents and fisherfolk in the general area of the Claxton Bay (100 acres approximately) mangrove system have been asking and demanding information from your state agency, the National Energy Corporation.
This agency has been mandated by your Government to find and develop suitable land and port facilities to continue T&T’s “gas monetisation.” The NEC has failed to produce any information about the cost of the Claxton Bay port and corridor project (which taxpayers will pay for). During a public consultation, a senior official of the NEC refused to give an estimated dollar value to the 40 plus residents.

To add further insult, when questioned about how much the tenants/users of this port will pay if it were to be completed, the NEC does not respond with a dollar amount. In the first and only consultation, the NEC highlighted the benefits and underrated the disadvantages. Why did its representatives hardly use the words people, livelihood, fish, crab, sea grass beds, oyster and scarlet ibis during the consultation?

The tone and direction of the meeting gives one the impression that ordinary people who live in the area have no say on how much money is spent by the NEC/Government on these projects or what takes place in their backyard. So much for community democracy. And the information is not available under the Freedom of Information Act. When you consider that four armed policemen and four private security guards were present at the meeting, naturally people were reluctant to voice their concerns or even persist for an answer, especially with policemen staring at them. Minister Enill, do you believe that consultations can be free and fair with all the heavily armed police and security? Is this necessary? When will the NEC/Government publish the cost benefit analysis for this project? What is the construction cost?

Ryan Sant
Savonetta