Highlights from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's meeting in June with Indian businessman Naveen Jindal. Photo courtesy Dr Rowley's Facebook page -
THE Prime Minister described certain members of the opposition as "louts" and "miscreants" for their criticism of Indian industrialist Navin Jindal, whom he said had been highlighted in a prominent booklet at the Commonwealth heads meeting in Samoa he is attending with Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne. Dr Rowley made the criticism on his Facebook page on October 25.
In the Senate budget debate on October 21, opposition senator Wade Mark had criticised Jindal in alleging he was linked to one of the three bidders being considered to buy the mothballed oil refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre.
Rowley, in response, cited the Report of Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland which was seen to feature a photo of Jindal presenting Scotland with a lifetime achievement award.
The PM said, "Trinidad and Tobago, take a close look at these pictures and this situation, then use your own common sense and tell me what you see."
He said he had sat at a table dining with Commonwealth head King Charles III, King Mswati of Eswatini, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Guyana President Irfaan Ali, following the distribution of the report which had mentioned Jindal.
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"Isn’t it ironic that at the same time almost to the hour, that Mr Jindal is presented to the Commonwealth in this way, he is being excoriated and slandered in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament by the UNC, led by the usual suspects Wade Mark and Kamla Persad-Bissessar!
"What is Mr Jindal’s crime that makes him and his company so offensive to the UNC and their followers?"
Rowley said Jindal, one of the richest men in India, had brought Indian's top industrialists to Trinidad to view the refinery (mothballed since 2018). Jindal was considering making a US$500 million investment to restart the refinery in a way that would not to threaten to bankrupt the country, but rather entail an adequate supply of crude oil.
"Any right-thinking citizen should want this done and encourage the interest shown by this giant Indian company.
"No, not the UNC. When I tell you all that these are the most destructive, unpatriotic louts amongst us, you all don’t believe me."
He alleged the opposition was only concerned about political power and the treasury.
Rowley recalled the genesis of it all during his visit to India at the invitation of the Reliance company, where he addressed a large group of businessmen.
Some of them got excited on hearing what Rowley had said about TT and organised a delegation for an exploratory visit.
"They found out that Mr Jindal was in Venezuela and invited him to join them in a visit to Trinidad where the Prime Minister has said there is opportunity for foreign investment in a number of areas, the most conspicuous being the mothballed refinery." Jindal flew in to TT ahead of the group from India.
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"I agreed to see him as an act of encouragement, the same way I did with all the others at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India."
While Jindal paid Rowley a brief courtesy call, the tycoon's technical people went to work visiting the Guaracara data room to prepare to put in a major proposal on the refinery restart operations.
"Eh heh! Who tell he to do that?
"The UNC heard about that. The last thing these miscreants want is for that refinery to be up and running! They don’t want that to happen! They want to have it there in its current state so that they could try to score political points by attacking the PNM by frequently mentioning its existence even when it doesn’t make sense."
Rowley said the government had fixed a problem at Petrotrin, such that Heritage was now paying billions in taxes and servicing Petrotrin's US$850 million debt.
"Paria is up and running and making a tidy profit." That was how serious, sensible governments solve a problem, he said.
"All that was left was the retired refinery temporary or permanent, we don’t know, but what we do know is that unless there is an investor willing to fund the restart and fund a supply of crude the refinery is not a good business for the taxpayers to re-enter."
Rowley said Jindal's "crime" was that he talked to the Prime Minister.
"They (UNC) knew, and their imps in Tobago, that like Sandals, these are family businesses, owned and run by people who will shy far away from unwarranted slanderous attacks so they go full speed ahead hoping to obstruct progress. Well they have succeeded.
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"We have to be the most squeaky-clean country where a company like the Jindal Group which is among the wealthiest, most successful of businesses in India, a major Commonwealth country, operating all over the world, is welcomed by the Commonwealth Secretariat but not approved by the UNC who only see 'scandal'."
Rowley accused the opposition of "pure selfish, unpatriotic politics."
"The UNC will always give up a chance for success for this country in order to give themselves a chance to succeed in the political arena."
He cited these UNC's stance on the government’s efforts to get gas from Venezuelan fields.
The PM hit, "They hate the 'Dragon Deal' more than they hate human trafficking even though both involve the same Venezuela.
"Today, I look at this picture as it was presented here in Samoa and I feel sad that my own people could be so wicked to our own people.
"Do you know what US$500 million at Pointe-a-Pierre would have done for thousands of people, individuals and businesses, in what they call, 'fence line communities, as if they care about them?
"Look at the picture, think about the refinery and the Jindal Group and tell me what you think."
