分类： politics

Former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has called on the current government to disclose the specifics of the six-month OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) license obtained from the United States to negotiate a Dragon gas deal with Venezuela. Rowley emphasized that withholding such details could pose significant risks to Trinidad and Tobago, potentially endangering the future of its children. His statement came on October 10, following Attorney General John Jeremie’s announcement that the government had secured the license on October 8 to engage in negotiations with Venezuela. Jeremie clarified that the license, issued under specific executive orders, permits employees, affiliates, contractors, and service providers of TT, NGC, Shell PLC, and Futura Clara Ltd to conduct transactions with Venezuela’s state-owned energy company, PDVSA. However, Jeremie did not elaborate on the terms of the arrangement, only noting that it differed from the approach taken by the previous PNM administration. While the former government sought to license the entire project, the current administration has adopted a “tiered approach,” with the license extending until April 2026. Jeremie also highlighted that the license was secured at a cost of less than half a million dollars, a stark contrast to the PNM’s expenditure of over $120 million, which yielded no results after two years. Rowley criticized the government for not engaging directly with Venezuela, as his administration had done, and accused the current leadership of mismanagement and negligence since 2016. He also questioned the government’s reliance on Shell to negotiate the deal, expressing concerns about who would protect Trinidad and Tobago’s interests in the process. Rowley warned that the government’s handling of the matter could jeopardize the nation’s economic future, particularly its energy sector, and called for greater transparency and accountability.

As Trinidad and Tobago prepares for the 2025/26 budget presentation on October 13, the Joint Consultative Council (JCC) has issued an open letter to Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo, emphasizing the critical need for accountability and transparency in public procurement. The JCC highlighted the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, enacted in 2015 under former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as a transformative tool for ensuring responsible use of public funds. However, since its implementation in April 2023, the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) has reported uneven compliance across public sector agencies. Notably, the Ministry of National Security, which received nearly $7 billion in the last fiscal year, remains among the top non-compliant entities. The JCC stressed that such lapses risk eroding public trust and undermining the safeguards the Act was designed to establish. The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has also been flagged for serious non-compliance. With budget discussions underway, the JCC urged the government to demonstrate decisive leadership by ensuring all public bodies adhere to the Procurement Act, thereby restoring confidence in the management of national finances.

The United States has imposed a stringent six-month deadline for Trinidad and Tobago to renegotiate the Dragon gas deal with Venezuela, as per the October 8 OFAC license issued by the Donald Trump administration. This contrasts sharply with the two-year waiver granted under President Joe Biden in 2023 and the two-and-a-half-year extension sought by former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley. The deal, described by some as “resurrected” and by others as “undead,” has become a political battleground, with the US aiming to exert pressure on the Nicolás Maduro regime while influencing Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign policy alignment.

For the ruling United National Congress (UNC), the situation offers a chance to validate recent diplomatic efforts and undermine the People’s National Movement (PNM)’s claims of energy policy success. Dr. Rowley’s resignation earlier this year and his endorsement of Stuart Young were driven by his desire to secure the Dragon deal. However, the UNC’s adept maneuvering has shifted the US stance, potentially eroding what could have been a cornerstone of Dr. Rowley’s legacy.

Dr. Rowley recently described the OFAC situation as “fluid,” expressing concern over the Prime Minister’s declaration that the deal was dead. Meanwhile, Mr. Young’s hasty press conference in April, following a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a critical tweet from Mr. Trump, further complicated matters. The UNC and PNM both face criticism for their lack of transparency, with Mr. Young’s reference to a “30-year license” misleadingly referring only to Venezuelan authorization.

Despite its significance, the Dragon deal’s political impact may be overestimated. Repeated appeals to citizens for credit on abstract future economic benefits, which may never materialize, offer limited political traction.