What is Rowley Hiding? Part 2

What is Rowley’s motivation for his fierce defense of Monteil and the vested interests if Elias? It is widely known that Rowley and Elias share a long-standing mutual friendship. However, I doubt friendship alone would motivate Rowley to clash with his own party. There must be some external motivation for Rowley’s actions.

Two possible scenarios have been at he heart of Port of Spain gossip for months. First and foremost many believe that Rowley is staying on the attack so that he is not placed on the defensive. There are a litany of smoldering issues from his relationship with Andre Monteil to the Cleaver Heights affair that deserve investigation. If Rowley can keep UDeCOTT and various allegations surrounding the development agency in the headlines there is simply less room for his opponents to question his actions. This is certainly not a new tactic.

The other, more sinister possibilities pertain to the rumors of financial ties between Rowley and Chairman Emile Elias of NHIC. If Rowley were, in fact, financially linked directly or indirectly to NHIC that would account for many of his past actions. However, it should be noted that no hard evidence of this has come to light.

What is Rowley Hiding? Part 1

Dr. Rowley has a long history of defending a seeming independent set of characters and speaking out passionately on an otherwise un-associated assortment of issues. There is obviously a link between these events and the actors involved.

A prime example is back in 2008 when Rowley rushed to the aid of his old-friend Andre Monteil. Monteil was accused of corruption and acting on insider information with his roles in both insurance agent CLICO and Home Mortgage Bank. Likewise, Monteil refrained from participating in any investigation of HDC contracts awarded to NHIC.

If there is in fact, a correlation, Rowely may have been covering for his friend Elias, Chairman of NHIC. While Rowley may have escaped accusations that he was at the helm of awarding contrustruction contracts. It is widely know that Monteil was, in fact responsible for this process at the helm of the Tenders Committee.

All the while, these men have led the charge for an investigation of UDeCOTT. I wonder how they would react if given the same level of scrutiny?

The Tax Charade

Politics are a necessary function of sound government. Elected officials, must, from time to time, play politics in order to achieve good policy. Most citizens accept this. However, the recent ‘debate’ surrounding the new property taxes is absurd. The harsh stances on this issue are clearly aimed at driving divisions in the government and distracting citizens away from other pressing issues.

In October, Dr. Rowley turned against his own party with harsh words regarding UDeCOTT. That bit of grandstanding failed to earn him real support with people across TT and proved to be little more than political maneuvering. Although is ultimate motives are unclear, his opposition to this new tax Rowley is clearly seeking a more emotional issue with which to connect to the people. This also serves as a convenient distraction away from the controversy surrounding Cleaver Heights and other accusations dating back to his tenure as Housing Minister.

Dr. Rowley appears, however implicitly, to be aligning himself with the interests of Peoples Democracy. This group claims to be a political organization driven by those representing worker’s rights. The union leaders involved should tread with caution. If they truly seek to look after the welfare of their workers they should be careful about growing to close to Dr. Rowley. While he may prove to be a powerful ally now, time ill tell if he will stay faithful to their cause.

The Media Downplays True Findings of Poll

A recent poll produced by Professor Ryan on behalf of the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Sector (JCC) is getting a lot of attention in the press. However, few are reporting for the full story and not releasing complete results. It’s common knowledge that pollsters often pander to clients to influence opinions and bias results to promote their clients’ agenda. However, it is the duty of every journalist who writes about a poll to report its true and complete findings.

Professor Ryan's poll was commissioned by the JCC in the midst of slipping numbers for Rowley, Panday and others. The poll actually shows the overwhelming belief that there are construction cartels influencing price fixing, performing illegal business practices, and influencing the political process for their own agenda. The poll, by a whopping aggregate of 65% shows that the people believe that there is “a cartel in the construction industry which rigged contract bids, and that these bids were invariably higher than those from foreign firms.” Only eleven percent “disagreed” with this notion.
It seems the people of TT know there are construction cartels influencing public opinion, fixing prices and defrauding honest hard working people. We’re not only hoping the media promotes this notion soon.

Where is Gopeesingh Going With This?

MP Gopeesingh has yet again found himself in controversy. Dr. Gopeesingh has been extremely zealous in his attempts to influence the practices and proceedings of the inquiry into UDeCOTT. He has been a very vocal critic of UDeCOTT and its leadership for quite some time. As an MP, Dr. Gopeesingh should certainly understand and appreciate the need for independence and objectivity. With so much at stake and so many unanswered questions, surely he can understand the need for the inquiry to act in an unbiased environment. UDeCOTT was designed to further the interests of all of Trinidad in an attempt to reach our long-term goals. Any entity investigating it should be given the same objective and be required to perform its duties with strict attention to detail. The issues surrounding the construction sector have already become infected with numerous political and monetary interests. Surely the last thing this investigation needs are more politicians using it as a pawn for their own interests.
Last month Gopeesingh called upon the Police Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions to launch a criminal investigation of the Central Bank. The “evidence” he cited was a series of letters written by Emile Elias in which he expressed concerned over the oversight of insurance companies and their ability to cover policies (and performance bonds) taken out on various development projects.
Elias is by no means qualified to levy such judgment. As the Chairman of NH International, a major construction company Elais was simply acting in his own interest. By using the central bank managers as pawns, he was simply continuing his crusade to discredit the officials charged with overseeing the procurement process. NH International has lost bids for several major projects recently. Instead of dealing with internal issues of quality and competency Elias has decided to attack those that stand in the way of his greedy desires. As a business man Elias as the interests of his company and profits in mind, not the people of TT.
However, what is surprising about all of this is that Gopeesingh continues to rely on Elias and has been very diligent on taking up his causes before the Congress. Most recently he has attempted to interfere with the commission by condemning its witness list and dictating specific actions he deems necessary.
Dr. Gopeesingh whatever your motivation, you should be focused on representing the people of Caroni East and not Emile Elias and your friends in the construction sector.

TT Contractors Association Uncovered

Recently the TT Contractors Association and President Mickey Joseph have been in the news as vocal opponents of several members of the government in addition to levying harsh criticism of newly completed development projects. Since this association is often granted so much credence by the news media I thought it would be time to explore exactly who these people are.
The Association represents approximately 500 companies across TT. This is roughly one quarter of the total contractors currently operating in the country. President Joseph himself has even stated that if the contractors were subject to licensing requirements, 20% percent of their membership wouldn’t meet even the most basic standards of competency.
The Contractors Association claims to speak for the interests of the whole construction sector and the works that it represents. If that is truly the case then why are the majority of companies so hesitant to join? Perhaps these more prudent businesses recognize that the Association is far more concerned with bludgeoning political opponents than it is promoting and improving the quality and reliability of its members.

Where Are They?

The People's Democracy has been touted as a major, nationwide effort to bring together people from all walks of life and protest as one unified voice. In reality it has amounted to little more than occasional protests of a few hundred people. Other attempts such as the, "wear your red shirt to work day" have flopped as well. Certainly all of these people have a right for their voices to be heard. However, these are merely the orchestrated actions of a small group of union bosses and their most die-hard members. These union bosses should respect their members. These hard-working men and women should not be compelled to masquerade as a genuine protest. An honest and well-rounded debate does not involve these blanket attacks. The union's concerns should be brought before the government in a truly productive manner.

People’s Democracy – Another Puppet?

Rallies and gatherings are certainly signs of a healthy democracy. The government should always welcome the reasoned concerns of its citizens. However, everyone should be vigilant of counterfeit activism. When a self-interested minority begins to manipulate those that trust them in pursuit of greedy objectives they devalue the legitimate and earnest grievances of concerned citizens. The leaders of the NUGFW, TIWU, CWU and Fitun have a responsibility to their union members to present a balanced perspective. Perhaps Union leaders should focus on the quality of their work rather than grumbling over hyper-politicized issues. Unions are a key player in our economy. To reach our long-term goals, Unions must earn their place at the table by promoting genuine discussion and taking only serious grievances to the government. By manipulating their members for their political gain is not a responsible use of their power. Providing quality work rather than politicizing important development projects should be their priority. Call for the resignation of the UDECOTT board and a general denouncement of the government is not productive. The members of NUGFW, TIWU, CWU, and Fitun deserve better from their leaders.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Transparency International Hardly Transparent and Objective

Transparency International has recently released its Corruption Perception Index for 2009. Trinidad and Tobago has fallen seven places in the rankings from last year and many are sounding the alarm. As Trinidad and Tobago continues to grow as a leader of Caricom and moves to become a global contender, perception of business environment and corruption are indeed important. However, there is little cause for the alarmist reaction perpetuated by a small minority. Upon release of the perception index, Victor Hart, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) cited their recent survey of local construction contractors to “determine the level of corruption in the construction sector”. Hart insinuated that the survey somehow weighed into Transparency International’s rankings – and of course his biased opinion did. The business climate and corruption level in Trinidad are serious issues and should not be treated as a political pawn. An objective and qualified third party seeking a holistic assessment of the nation’s position should conduct any such study or assign any ranking. The survey conducted by Trinidad and Tobago’s Transparency International’s office is hardly objective and only represents the voice of one of many parties involved. Its findings are anecdotal at best.
Specifically Transparency International assigned Trinidad and Tobago a score of 3.6 (out of 10), the same score it received last year. Surely all parties can agree that this number is unacceptably low and we should strive together, as a nation, to improve it. However, for an emerging market this figure is perfectly within reason. Take for instance the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), which are commonly viewed as the standard for emerging markets. Brazil and India led the pack with scores of 3.7, China tied Trinidad with 3.6 and Russia trailed with a score of 2.2.
As we seek to become global contenders it is important to foster a strong competitive environment and promote an image of transparency. However, we should not impair our image with the counterproductive rhetoric and loose words of self-interested and motivated individuals such as Victor Hart.

NAPA Drawing Criticism

With the recent opening of NAPA the debate surrounding the facility has been re-kindled. Vocal opponents in the media, encouraged by a small group of biased local contractors working together with others of similar financial and political interest, have opposed NAPA on the grounds that it is unnecessary and costly. While there are a host of concerns facing the country and a long list of potential development projects, there is little to no consensus about the prioritization of these projects. Many recent state-sponsored construction projects such as the airport upgrade have been effective contributions to the country’s infrastructure. While the case for other projects – like water and infrastructure, are strong, so is the case for the education and cultural perception of the nation. Fickle to some, the reality is that no nation will be accepted as a fully developed, global contender without the presence of cultural centers. These factors not only improve the general image of Trinidad to foreigners, but they serve a functional purpose to educate younger generations. Attractions such as NAPA provide a world-class stage on which to receive foreign dignitaries, financiers and businessman. These are exactly the kind of people that need to feel welcome and comfortable in Trinidad if we are to continue to be regional leaders. To be honest I believe we are the only nation in the region even pursuing similar projects. However minor and implicit their benefit may seem to some, these cultural centers place the image of our country at the top of the region and amongst the world’s best.

Perhaps the most disappointing issue is that much of this unfair criticism has been drawn not out of genuine concern, but rather out of greed. Construction executives were vocal opponents of NAPA not because they had a serious grievance with its necessity, but rather the fact that their companies were not awarded contracts for the construction of the project. These types of attacks are vastly unproductive. If these executives seek to become serious leaders in our country they should conduct themselves more responsibly and seek to foster honest dialogues in the interest of the people.