标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A major political firestorm has erupted in Trinidad and Tobago over a canceled $3.4 billion public housing procurement process, with opposition leader Pennelope Beckles demanding Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar immediately dismiss three senior housing ministers and the entire board of the state-run Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

The controversy centers on HDC’s June 17 announcement that it was terminating award proceedings for the massive housing construction contracts, a move that came months after the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) ordered a suspension of the process to launch a formal review. The contracts had been provisionally allocated to a group of vendors that included recently incorporated firms with no proven track record delivering large-scale public housing projects, a detail that first raised red flags among opposition critics in mid-April.

In a scathing rebuke of the ruling People’s Partnership (UNC) administration, Beckles condemned the opaque manner in which HDC framed the cancellation, which was listed only under the vague tender identifier RFP No. 050126 – DBF – Portfolio 1. She argued that the vague labeling was intentional, designed to prevent ordinary taxpayers from grasping the full scope and significance of the decision to scrap the award process.

For Beckles, the cancellation itself amounts to an unspoken admission that the original contract awards were improper, awarded under deeply suspicious, corrupt circumstances that reflect poorly on the entire UNC government. With thousands of Trinidadian households struggling with housing insecurity and many on the brink of economic hardship, Beckles said the opposition is committed to holding what she calls a “self-serving, corrupt administration” accountable, and rooting out graft before it becomes entrenched in national governance.

Beckles also slammed the government for failing to address the fiasco during more than 50 hours of parliamentary debate over the previous week, noting that not one government official acknowledged the scandal or addressed widespread public frustration over ongoing failures in the national housing sector. She claimed that the three targeted ministers—David Lee, Phillip Alexander, and Anil Roberts—have delivered no meaningful progress for the housing sector, arguing that Roberts and Alexander have instead focused on launching divisive, vitriolic attacks on the public while turning a blind eye to mismanagement at the HDC, allowing what is now one of the largest public procurement scandals in recent national history to unfold unchecked.

“The UNC can run, but they will have no place to hide. The war Barry Padarath seeks is just starting, and it is against a corrupt Government caught red-handed in the act in less than one year in office,” Beckles said, reaffirming her demand for the immediate dismissal of the ministers and HDC board.

The timeline of the scandal traces back to April, when the OPR ordered HDC to suspend the contract award pending a full review of procurement procedures. HDC has stated that its final decision to cancel the process was made in accordance with Section 33 of the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, following completion of bid evaluations and the end of the mandatory statutory standstill period. As of press time, OPR chair Beverly Khan has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the review, and Housing Minister David Lee told local outlet the Express he would issue a formal statement soon, but had not released any comment as of Wednesday evening.

Speaking in defense of the government, Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Alexander pushed back against corruption claims, insisting that the government’s core target of delivering thousands of new affordable homes to Trinidadian families remains firmly on track, despite the cancellation of the original procurement process. Alexander stressed that the first phase of the planned 3,700-unit national housing program has only been paused, not scrapped entirely, and the government remains fully committed to expanding access to homeownership across the country.

Alexander argued that progress on the housing initiative cannot be delayed indefinitely, noting that pre-vetted developers lined up for the project already have private financing in place to deliver units at no direct cost to the state, and that financing cannot be held in limbo indefinitely. He rejected opposition claims that the program was designed to reward political allies and financial backers of the UNC, contrasting the current process with what he claimed was widespread crony contracting during the previous 10-year PNM administration.

“This is not a friends and financier plan as the PNM did for the entirety of their ten years. All other developers who qualify and have the capacity to deliver within set timeframes and budgets are welcome to tender,” Alexander said.

He reaffirmed that all of the Prime Minister’s housing delivery promises remain in place, and the government’s goal of placing as many families as possible into homeownership during this parliamentary term has not changed. Going forward, Alexander pledged that all future procurement processes for the housing program would meet and exceed the transparency requirements set by national oversight bodies, with the overarching goals of lowering housing costs, improving construction quality, and making homeownership accessible even to low-income households earning minimum wage.

Additional details on the restructured procurement process, including new calls for proposals and tender invitations, will be released to the public in the coming weeks, Alexander confirmed.

The controversy first erupted in mid-April, when former prime minister Stuart Young first raised alarms about the composition of the selected vendors, urging the public to closely monitor how taxpayer dollars are being allocated for the project. Young pointed out that multiple firms selected for the contracts had little to no experience delivering large-scale public housing projects for the HDC, with only a small handful of the awardees holding the necessary industry experience and financial capacity to complete the massive construction work. The proposed allocations ranged from a $1 billion award to Mootilal Ramhit and Sons Contracting Ltd down to a $201 million contract for Adam’s Construction Ltd, across 11 selected vendors.

On a yearly Labour Day march held through the streets of Fyzabad, a prominent Trinidadian justice advocate who has drawn public attention to a fatal police-involved shooting was taken into custody by riot-clad officers mid-proceeding, sparking sharp condemnation from labor leaders and opposition political figures.

Alyssa Phillip, who has organized more than a dozen public demonstrations and vigils calling for accountability and transparency over the January 2025 shooting that left Joshua Samaroo dead and her friend Kaia Sealy injured, was detained around noon on Monday. The encounter unfolded just hours after Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro was photographed publicly greeting Phillip at the Avocat Junction starting point of the march.

Officials from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) did not immediately release details surrounding the basis for Phillip’s arrest. Eyewitness accounts confirm that at least two dozen officers surrounded both Phillip and her mother, Camille Caresquero, before escorting the pair to a police vehicle. As Phillip was placed into the vehicle, onlookers shouted cries of protest, labeling the arrest “shameful” and a display of institutional overreach.

This arrest marks the second time Phillip has been taken into custody in connection with her advocacy work. Last month, Phillip and Caresquero were arrested during a demonstration outside the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Port of Spain, where activists gathered to oppose the decision to charge Sealy with manslaughter and firearms offenses linked to Samaroo’s death. Sealy, who had received medical treatment overseas for her gunshot wounds, returned to Trinidad to face the charges. Both women pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and violating Section 11(A) of the Emergency Powers Regulations during a Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court hearing earlier this month, and were granted reduced bail.

As of Monday evening, no new charges had been filed against Phillip following the Fyzabad arrest. Local media outlet the Express reports that Phillip told officers she felt unwell after being taken to Fyzabad Police Station, and was subsequently transferred to the Siparia District Health Facility for medical evaluation.

Michael Annisette, general secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) and president of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union, delivered a blistering rebuke of the arrest to the gathered crowd at Charlie King Junction. Annisette, who was present during the detainment, said “The only crime that she has committed is not a crime, is that she stood up in defence of something she believed in. And if you cannot stand up for what you believe in in this society, then crapaud smoke your pipe.”

He further noted the striking irony of the arrest: “What was ironic to me was that in 2026 someone who stood up for her right, is deemed to be a target of the police. There was no reason; she was doing nothing wrong, she was celebrating, like all workers, Labour Day.” Annisette added that when he approached officers to ask for an explanation of the arrest, he was turned away and told the matter was not his business.

“Today is a sad day for me, as a father, and citizen of T&T to realise that in 2026, we have a police force, who believes that we are still living in the colonial past and therefore they can disrespect a young lady,” Annisette said. “I say to those police officers, ‘time longer than twine’.”

Annisette also claimed that his own daughter was physically pushed aside by TTPS officers to clear the way for Phillip’s arrest, saying “almost 35 police, about two or three of them pushed her aside, then surrounded the young lady who was marching with me. That young lady fearlessly protested the shooting of the young man.”

He called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and government officials, who were in attendance at the Labour Day march, to intervene immediately to secure Phillip’s release. “When we voted, we voted for change. The change must be substantial, material, worker-centred and people-centred. We cannot, honourable Prime Minister, live in a society where the police can do whatever they feel,” he said.

David Abdulah, political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), echoed Annisette’s calls for clarity, questioning the legal foundation for Phillip’s arrest. “We need to know why she was arrested,” Abdulah stated. “If this were a peaceful march, then there must be a clear explanation for her detention.”

Abdulah emphasized that Phillip and her group remained fully peaceful throughout the march, framing the arrest as a deliberate act of institutional retaliation. “This is a straight case of attempting to intimidate and harass Phillip because she is fearless. The police are scared of her for standing up for justice and speaking out for what she perceives to be wrong in this country,” he said.

Despite the incident, official Labour Day observances continued through the rest of the day as scheduled.

A heated parliamentary debate over Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector has reignited tensions over the legacy of the defunct Petrotrin refinery, as former energy minister Stuart Young has issued a stark warning that the current government’s proposal to restart operations at the shuttered facility could inflict irreversible fiscal damage on the small island nation.

Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives during deliberations over the 2026 Miscellaneous Provisions (Heritage Petroleum, Paria Fuel Trading and Guaracara Refining Vesting) (Amendment) Bill, Young doubled down on his defense of the 2018 restructuring of Petrotrin carried out by the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration. He firmly rejected claims that the restructuring amounted to union busting, a charge frequently leveled by opponents of the original overhaul.

The bill under debate would formalize the extension of all collective bargaining agreements originally signed by Petrotrin, and legally designate two state-owned holding companies, Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd and Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd, as the official successors to Petrotrin for the purposes of these agreements and the country’s Industrial Relations Act. The legislation paves the way for the current government’s campaign promise to bring the idled refinery back online.

Young pushed back against the plan, arguing that Trinidad and Tobago simply cannot shoulder the massive financial burden that the refinery would place on public coffers. He emphasized that the PNM never permanently closed Petrotrin – instead, it split the struggling entity into separate holding companies to manage its viable assets, isolating the refinery’s crippling debts and operational inefficiencies.

He criticized the current government for ramming the legislation through parliament, scheduling the debate just one day ahead of Labour Day with what he called empty, voter-pleasing rhetoric. Young explained that even at the time of restructuring, the refinery was draining Petrotrin’s resources: the facility was losing between $5 and $6 US dollars for every single barrel of crude it processed, a gap that could not be sustained by public finances. Compounding these operational challenges, Trinidad and Tobago’s own domestic oil reserves have been in steady decline for years, forcing the refinery to import roughly 120,000 barrels of crude per day to keep operating, adding even more to its costs.

Outlining the scale of the refinery’s unsustainable losses, Young noted that the facility racked up $4.3 billion in losses in 2016 alone, and accumulated a total of $5.9 billion in red ink over the three years leading up to restructuring. In contrast, he pointed out that Heritage and Paria – the two companies that took over Petrotrin’s viable upstream and midstream assets – have operated profitably for the eight years since the restructuring, with Petrotrin’s restructured debt already fully paid off by Heritage. Under the current government’s revival plan, Young argued, the crippling costs, liabilities and labor obligations of the refinery will now be forced onto these two profitable firms, putting their strong financial standing at risk.

Young warned that the plan would create massive, far-reaching fiscal consequences for the entire country, shifting a massive unsustainable burden onto the national treasury that could ultimately sink the nation’s finances. He also pushed back against claims from the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) that its members were victimized in the original restructuring, noting that the former PNM government granted the OWTU exclusive bargaining rights in the refinery restructuring process, contradicting claims of unfair treatment.

In a closing rebuke to the ruling United National Congress (UNC) for its repeated criticism of the PNM’s original decision to idle the refinery, Young highlighted that the UNC previously laid off more than 40,000 workers from government programs including the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), the Community-based Environmental Protection Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the Forestry Division without providing any severance compensation to affected workers.

One year after taking the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Commissioner Allister Guevarro has reflected on a turbulent 12 months marked by notable crime reduction progress, unanticipated financial challenges, and ongoing efforts to modernize the national law enforcement agency. Appointed on June 17, 2025, with his term officially launching the following day, Guevarra is currently serving a one-year probationary period, and as of his first anniversary press briefing, no official confirmation regarding his permanent appointment has been released by the Police Service Commission.

In a wide-ranging interview held at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, Guevarro opened by acknowledging the public and internal support that greeted his appointment, before turning to one of the most debated policies of his tenure: the national state of emergency (SoE) enacted to combat rising violent crime. Shortly after he assumed office, the SoE became the center of national discourse, with critics questioning whether the TTPS had grown over-reliant on extraordinary emergency powers to address persistent criminal activity. Rejecting these claims, Guevarro emphasized that the TTPS has relied on structured, long-term strategic crime-reduction plans since the early 2000s, framing the SoE not as a replacement for existing strategies, but as an additional set of tools to amplify ongoing work.

Two emergency provisions, he noted, delivered particularly tangible value: preventive detention orders and the authority for officers to conduct warrantless entries to search for suspects or contraband. These measures added a critical new layer to the TTPS’s crime-fighting capabilities, Guevarro said, enabling the service to regain better control over widespread criminal activity. The results, he argued, are visible in official crime statistics: September 2025 recorded just 20 homicides, marking the lowest monthly murder count the country has seen in roughly 15 years. For the full year 2025, the national homicide total fell to 369, down from a 2024 high of 629 – a 41% reduction that Guevarro called a landmark achievement. He also reported a roughly 30% drop in all categories of serious crime, adding that the downward trend in criminal activity has continued into 2026. The Commissioner credited the hard work of rank-and-file officers across the country for these gains, rather than attributing the progress to his own leadership.

Despite these statistical gains, Guevarro acknowledged a key gap between data and public experience: many residents still report not feeling safer, and the widespread perception that crime remains unaddressed has not shifted alongside falling crime rates. “I know the public will say that they are not feeling safe and there is a public perception that crime is still high. But the statistics do speak for themselves,” he said.

Beyond crime policy, Guevarro revealed a major unaddressed challenge facing the TTPS: an internal financial audit uncovered approximately $500 million in outstanding debt owed to private suppliers and service providers. The liabilities span a wide range of operational needs, from information technology infrastructure and specialized equipment to general support services. The Commissioner confirmed that a full report on the debt has been submitted to Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, noting that constrained government budget resources will force the TTPS to implement strict spending prioritization moving forward. Even with fiscal constraints, Guevarro reaffirmed that key priorities including overtime pay for officers and the rollout of body-worn cameras for frontline staff remain on the agency’s agenda.

Modernization and internal institutional reform remain core long-term objectives for Guevarro, with digital transformation of the TTPS topping his priority list. To cut costs and avoid unnecessary external spending, he said the service will leverage existing technical expertise already present within the TTPS workforce rather than relying on expensive third-party outsourcing. Guevarro also plans to revive in-house technical capabilities that the service previously maintained, including on-site vehicle repair and body shop operations. Beyond cutting costs, he noted that these in-house programs could create new employment pathways for trade school graduates across the country while helping the TTPS maintain its large fleet of patrol and operational vehicles. Looking further ahead, Guevarro aims to attract recent university graduates to fill specialized roles in information technology and crime scene investigation, and has outlined an ambition to establish Trinidad and Tobago as a regional hub for specialized law enforcement training for the Caribbean.

Guevarro also addressed the most high-profile criticism of his first year in office: controversy over his decision not to suspend officers connected to the high-profile police-involved incident involving Joshua Samaroo and Kaia Sealy. Standing by his original decision, the Commissioner argued that administrative discipline could not be fairly implemented before independent investigators completed their work. Given the information available to him at the time, Guevarro said he could not in good conscience move forward with suspensions prematurely. The case is currently before the national courts, with the state set to present 30 witnesses and a large collection of evidence, and Guevarro noted that due process must be allowed to run its course. He acknowledged that the TTPS cannot meet every public expectation, but reaffirmed the service’s commitment to fair, professional law enforcement across all communities.

Addressing longstanding public complaints about officer conduct and customer service during interactions with community members, Guevarro admitted that the TTPS continues to receive regular reports of poor treatment. To address this gap, he said the service has rolled out ongoing mandatory customer service training for all officers, with the goal of improving positive engagement between law enforcement and the public.

When asked to rate his own performance over his first year in office, Guevarro declined to score himself, emphasizing his role as a public servant. “I am a public servant. I work for you,” he said. “Despite whatever else, you are the ones who have to say how you rate me. It is not up to me to say how I would have functioned during the year.”