Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she intends to declare who are her party’s financiers but only if other political parties do the same. She said so at a luncheon by the Joint Consultative Council (JCC) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
The issue was raised during the question and answer segment when the PM was specifically asked whether she intended to identify, after the general election, how much was spent on her campaign and who were the financiers. But instead Persad-Bissessar said she was very committed to campaign reform, saying even while in Opposition she had called for such legislation.
“Of course nothing was done. In this term a motion brought by Independent Senator Helen Drayton on campaign finance reform and was accepted by the Government to a Joint Select Committee. We accepted the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee just before the close of the Parliament.
“Parliament wold be sending the recommendations to the Law Reform Commission for them to begin drafting a green paper. So we are committed to campaign finance reform,” Persad-Bissessar said. Pressed further as to declaring her party’s financiers as to account to the public, the PM said: “Should all parties agree... I am not the only party in this... I have no difficulty with this.”
Persad-Bissessar also tried to allay fears that the local construction industry was negatively affected as there was the perception that only Chinese labourers were hired as Chinese construction companies were being awarded numerous contracts, including building hospitals. ut Persad-Bissessar said given Government’s loan arrangements with China, part of that mean using Chinese labour.
“Our revenue streams would only give us so much revenue a year. The concessionary loans available from the Chinese, they give us at very low interest rates. “Then they would want to use one of their own companies. So in other words they are helping themselves by helping us and therefore it is not a deliberate ploy,” Persad-Bissessar said.
But president of the T&T Contractors Association Mikey Joseph said one of the reasons why people believed why the Chinese were “better since slice bread” was because T&T did not have a proper apprenticeship system. “We also need to use agencies, such as HDC, as a ground for the development of construction skills,” Joseph recommended.
Another issue was raised regarding fairness and transparency when it came to awarding contracts. Dale Parsons, chief executive office at Kaleidoscope Paints Ltd, said his company issued a competitive bid for the Children’s Hospital in Couva where it was stipulated that local paint be used. But instead a foreign paint, Sherwin Williams, was chosen.
Questioned about that Persad-Bissessar said she was unaware of the matter.