A MASTERCLASS IN VISION: THE AUDACIOUS RENAISSANCE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Predictably, the professional cynics and opposition commentators have already started sharpening their knives. Confronted with a government possessing the political courage to dream beyond the next fiscal quarter, the critics have retreated to their usual comfortable bunker of skepticism. They mistake caution for wisdom. However, for anyone tracking the decisive moves made since the United National Congress (UNC) election victory, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s "T&T Revitalisation Blueprint" is not a gamble, it is a meticulously engineered, long-overdue roadmap for economic survival.

For decades, economists have collectively wrung their hands over Trinidad and Tobago’s dangerous, singular reliance on the energy sector. Yet, previous regimes offered little more than incremental policy tweaks. This administration has shattered that paralysis. By unveiling the "12 Prosperity Engines," the government is executing a brilliant, localized "growth pole" strategy designed to democratize wealth and unlock private-sector potential across both islands.

To call these initiatives "castles in the sand" is to willfully ignore the concrete foundations already being laid. The Brechin Castle Agro-Processing Complex and the Ste. Madeleine Manufacturing Facility are direct, aggressive strikes against our bloated food import bill. In the East-West Corridor, the transformation into a biotechnology manufacturing hub is creating a self-sufficient domestic pharmaceutical sector. This isn't abstract theory; it is tangible, structural diversification that protects T&T national sovereignty.

Furthermore, the critique of the administration’s projected 50,000 to 72,000 job creation framework fundamentally misunderstands modern economic engineering. Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John’s multi-phase rollout is a masterclass in economic stabilization. Phase 1 immediately absorbs 20,000 citizens into vacant public sector and municipal corporation seats. This is not "artificially inflating the payroll", it is a critical injection of human capital into starving public services, ensuring that decentralized government agencies actually have the manpower to function efficiently.

More importantly, Phase 2 uses state-led infrastructure as a magnet for global capital. The expansion of our maritime capacity into a 4-million TEU mega-port city at Port of Spain and Point Lisas, alongside the 100-kilometer San Fernando-Mayaro South Corridor, provides the literal groundwork that international investors demand. By creating thousands of immediate construction jobs, the government is stimulating local economies today, while building the high-tech, logistics, and hospitality ecosystems, like the Tamana "SolarTech" Park and the groundbreaking Isla Carrera Resort, that will employ our youth tomorrow.Critically, this economic renaissance is explicitly paired with deep human compassion. The establishment of the prosthetic limb camp at Clarke Road, Penal, achieved through strategic bilateral healthcare agreements with India, proves that this administration refuses to leave the vulnerable behind. This is holistic governance: building macro-economic infrastructure while directly touching the lives of ordinary citizens in rural communities.

True leadership requires the audacity to build, to expand, and to challenge the status quo. The global market is intensely competitive, and timid policies will only sentence Trinidad and Tobago to stagnation. The Persad-Bissessar administration has rejected the politics of decline and chosen the path of bold transformation. The blueprint is ambitious because T&T's people deserve an ambitious future. It is time to stop doubting our national capacity and start building the superpower of the Caribbean.

Sarge

note: No CEPEG 10 day work painting rocks , no 5% back to PNM MP's

@sgtdjones

You can't help but hope for a change from the constant dependence on Energy,for years the PNM sat on their backside and did little or nothing to diversify,now at least, the Government is making good moves to change things around.

Thank you Sarge nice read.

@granite

,for years the PNM sat on their backside and did little or nothing to diversify,now at least, the Government is making good moves to change things around.

Why do UNC fanatics have to stoop to deceit or disparaging of their opposition in order to highlight their "achievements" (usually eggs in fowl bottom by the way)? Can't their accomplishments stand on their own, or is the propaganda a smoke screen of ineptitude in governance?

Just look at a couple of the so called pillars that Mr. cut and paste got from his handlers:

" The Brechin Castle Agro-Processing Complex and the Ste. Madeleine Manufacturing Facility are direct, aggressive strikes against our bloated food import bill."

A proposed million dollar project with assistance from the Government of India situated on former sugar cane lands ? (Note almost all their projects tend to be located in the heartlands of their support base.) That's some achievement? Really? 

Meanwhile without all the dUNCe fanfare and bullshit, the previous Government provided extensive facilities, zero or low interest loans and free training in agro-processing:

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/gopeescoon-toursagroprocessingfacility-at-etecks-moruga-park-6.2.1988069.91c6bf4d6e

"The country’s first Agro-Processing Park, the Moruga Agro-Processing and Light Industrial Park, which opened in 2020, continues to benefit surrounding communities through the creation of employment and opportunities for business growth. The other park tenants, which are in various stages of operations, include food-processing companies Woodsman Caribbean Limited, Caribbean Specialty Foods, Trinidad Chocolate Factory and Royal Dates"

Then he mentions :

"stimulating local economies today, while building the high-tech, logistics, and hospitality ecosystems, like the Tamana "SolarTech" Park"

But this has nothing to do with the vodka lady's blurred vision!!

This was TnTs' first utility-scale solar infrastructure established in connection with Shell and bpTT started in 2023 ... first "electrons transfer"to the local grid occurred in July 2025, capicty upgrades ongoing. Nothing to do with them!!

https://www.bp.com/en_tt/trinidad-and-tobago/home/news/press-releases/solar-first-electrons.html

The Brechin Castle Solar Limited, (a joint venture partnership between bp, Shell and NGC), confirms that it has achieved first electrons from the nation’s first utility scale solar farm.

These electrons have successfully been delivered to the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) sub-station at Brechin Castle – providing cleaner energy into the country’s electricity network.

The "d" in dUNCe must also stand for deception!

Just poll the citizens who said , "give them a chance", based on promises on the campaign trail. Even their avid supporters are bawling.

• They were promised a crime plan ... they got a perpetual state of emergency with multiple murders daily still occurring
• They were promised relief from taxes .. they got a minister of finance everyone calls "Taxcoo"  who has literally doubled every tax, fee, and penalty he can get his hands on
• They were promised employment ,, they got termination of at least 40000 jobs on the pretext of allegged corruption, yet they can produce no evidence of it 1 year later
• They were promised transparency yet contracts have been given to build houses under selective tender in a 3 Billion plus housing scheme to hardwares and 3 month old companies with less than a thousand dollars in capital. The hallmark of ypical dUNCe corruption.

When you mention these things, their only response is "But PNM.... "

All they have is an army of paid social media trolls they hope will provide a smokescreen for their ineptitude.

 If they were governing at the time the others were, the Point Lisas Industrial estate, a major economic engine for the country, would have been a sugar cane factory with "jobs for the boys" .. profitability be damned!

You were elected to govern. Stop talking and start performing!!  

.................

Another useless word salad.

 the previous Government provided extensive facilities, zero or low interest loans and free training in agro-processing:

Yet ,T&T spends approx 6 billion purchasing food . Oh I forgot Rowley had a deal to purchase , Yams, dasheen and plantains from the king in Ghana. How did the Plan reduce food costs?

A proposed million dollar project with assistance from the Government of India situated on former sugar cane lands ? (Note almost all their projects tend to be located in the heartlands of their support base.) That's some achievement? Really? 

The government of India is providing a grant exceeding a million dollars and expertise supporting such venture . Did the King of Ghana supply such expertise ? Oh didn't his relatives sold your ilk to slave traders?

You welcomed him with open arms...

"stimulating local economies today, while building the high-tech, logistics, and hospitality ecosystems, like the Tamana "SolarTech" Park"

In case you didn't know Tamana and Brechin Castle are two different places in T&T.Tamana is situated within the Central Range of eastern Trinidad. Brechin Castle is located near Couva along the western coast.

If you were a high school graduate you would have known such...my sympathy.

They were promised a crime plan ... they got a perpetual state of emergency with multiple murders daily still occurring

When your previous government was kicked out , there was an avalanche of crime and murders.

Today such is lower than last year.

Look a t the stats and you will see 99% of such occurring in PNM strongholds that has been neglected since the days of Eric Williams, they still dont have basic amenities over the past 54 years of PNM rule.

They were promised relief from taxes

The government found the treasury empty and 500 million was needed immediately. How can relief be given when T&T Technically bankrupt.

This is what the auditor General noted :

HSF from 12.5 billion ....today 6 billion.

Internal Debt : from 80 billion to 150 billion in the last 10 years.

 Auditor General flags TT$36.56 billion in unverified tax revenue and TT$1.59 billion in unsupported expenses,

TT$78.1 million in housing funds allegedly misused for maintenance. TT$677 million wasted on incomplete school projects. TT$6.8 million in unverified THA travel. And a staggering TT$2.6 billion discrepancy in public asset accounts

It notes that four loans totalling TT$1.75 billion were left out of the official public debt figure of TT$147.1 billion. It also points to a TT$8.9 billion discrepancy involving state-guaranteed loans with no adequate explanation.

Meanwhile, the Exchequer is overdrawn by TT$51.94 billion,an increase of 11.55%.

Hidden loan, not on the books: POSWDL allegedly secured US$500 million from UMB Bank N.A. on February 19, 2025. The loan, crucially, is presented as not being recorded as formal government debt.

Then comes the transparency scandal that should embarrass anyone in public office: records allegedly maintained in pencil, at least they moved on from slate?

Numerous Government entities given billions' of taxpayers money haven't submitted audited statements over the last 10 years.

They were promised employment ,, they got termination of at least 40000 jobs on the pretext of allegged corruption

If you read the auditor General Report you wouldn't post the above. It proves my non high school graduate comment, that you are?

You forgot:

The establishment of the prosthetic limb camp at Clarke Road, Penal, achieved through strategic bilateral healthcare agreements with India, proves that this administration refuses to leave the vulnerable behind.

It is designed to help all of CARICOM.

Nothing about the 3 hotels announced to be built.

To finish the mosquito creek road that your government built and was washed away? 3 years ago!!!

100-kilometer San Fernando-Mayaro Hwy

Pharmaceutical manufacturing : courtesy India.

India's line of credit.

Did Ghana's king gave a line of Credit to Rowley to buy Plantains?...😳

See why I ignore your doltish rass....sigh

Sarge

@sgtdjones

@sgtdjones

Your ad hominems fail to address any of my points.

But there you go again, can’t help yourself can you, eh?!  Yam this and yam that ... Echoing the racist cohorts in your party. In Government or opposition, they try to denigrate anything deemed to be “of African origin”. 

Anytime Africa is mentioned in the pages their latest talking point is “Africa only good for Yam” .. as though something is inherently wrong with yams.

When an African firm was selected as an investor for the refinery, on taking over in Government they immediately removed them as a prospective operator, saying they would partner with Guyana and look for prospects in India, they are still looking!!.

Removed every single person of African descent from _every_ state board.

In and out of parliament they portray persons of African decent as uneducated and stupid.  

I can go on and on about the overt and covert actions of the most corrupt and racist party in the country’s history, but I’d be typing many pages.

I would have to go in to details about the four or five senior government officials before the courts... Speaker of the house an ex convict …   cancelling of Independence Day parades (deeming it to be mainly African-based) but allowing Divali celebrations …  Removing all state sponsorships of steelbands.  .. How can you even stand being on a Caribbean cricket board where you have to pretend to tolerate those “uneducated afros”?!! 🙄

@notinsular

Is that truly how tit indo purists view Africans?

no wonder she is hunting for any reason to pull out of Caricom?

and indirectly tries to oppose Bim PM at every turn?

.................... I just want to show you a few points why you are not educated and need to finish your high school education.

Poverty in and around Port of Spain is heavily concentrated along the Eastern-West Corridor and coastal reclamations. Can you tell me since the days of Eric williams , Manning and Rowley how these major PNM stronghold have improved in basic amenities: Laventille, Sea lots, Beetham Gardens,Gonzales, Morvant, La Brea, they live like in the 1960's even after supporting the PNM for over 50 plus years?

 These hillside communities overlooking the capital are historically significant but suffer from a lack of formal development and high rates of poverty, often driven by single-parent, female-headed households and limited access to full-time jobs.

Didn't Alexander warn black men: violence is heavily concentrated in historically , urban Afro-Trinidadian communities (such as parts of Port of Spain, Laventille, and Morvant). Why ?

You didn't know Tamana and Brechin Castle are two different places in T&T.Tamana is situated within the Central Range of eastern Trinidad. Brechin Castle is located near Couva along the western coast.

 The $77 million Moruga facility has historically suffered from underutilization. The factory spaces have not operated at the high commercial volumes required to manufacture mass-market composite flours or frozen staples to compete with international brands. How did the Plan reduce food costs? How did the Agro Plant in Moruga reduce the food import bill? It didn't its losing money.T&T spends approx 7.3 billion purchasing food .

Auditor General’s Annual and Special Reports consistently flag structural, financial, and management issues across state-funded projects and agricultural ministries:

Recent Auditor General Reports have flagged massive accounting discrepancies within the Public Accounts, most notably a $2.6 billion variance between opening and closing balances that lacked proper disclosure requirements and explanatory notes. This broader breakdown in tight financial tracking makes it highly difficult to verify exactly how much state funding is being lost to underperforming agricultural projects

Like the $77 million Moruga industrial park, frequently suffer from extreme underutilization.

A $2.6 billion variance between opening and closing balances that lacked proper disclosure requirements and explanatory notes.

The Auditor General has repeatedly noted that the Ministry of Agriculture lacks robust internal controls and tracking mechanisms. While millions are funneled into agricultural incentives, farming grants, and infrastructure, there is very little post-payment auditing to prove whether these state funds are actually resulting in higher crop yields, lower food production costs, or a lower national import bill. This data highlights that despite the heavy capital poured into regional parks and shade houses, the sector is structurally shrinking rather than expanding. Another failure.

I can post more but it's beyond your understanding of economics and Government.

You are one of those PNM till I die , and many are dying, sadly

I am wasting my time in responding ....can you start your own thread please.

Sarge.

...................sodden

You are believing someone :who didn't know Tamana and Brechin Castle are two different places in T&T.Tamana is situated within the Central Range of eastern Trinidad. Brechin Castle is located near Couva along the western coast.

Is that truly how tit indo purists view Africans?

Why not check and see what Eric Williams noted.."I can put a frog in that stronghold and they would vote for it". They have voted for his party for over 50 plus years and still live like in the 1960"s, poverty and squalor with little amenities.

"Recalcitrant minority" is a highly charged political phrase coined in 1958 by Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, to describe the country's East Indian population following an unexpected election defeat.They are stubbornly defiant, uncooperative, or resistant toward authority, control, or management.They dont follow idiots.

Those indo purists were not part of the black power uprising that Eric crushed , why would the Africans do such against the father of T&T?

I reckon why the majority of murders in T&T is African vs African.....all because of indo purists.

I see why Mia kicked your party and you to the curb....

"Well, we are all someone's idiot. Today, you are mine ."

Sarge

John Cocteau said

An original artist is unable to copy. So he has to copy in order to be original

BTW- you are an original cut and paste artist

............sodden

No thought of any idea nor originality in your rebuttal...it comes from someone who adheres to:

"The law is literally a collection of text copied from previous statutes. Synthesis isn't plagiarism; it's the foundation of your entire career."

To show lack of intelligence, you attacked me, but you copy and pasted ....John Cocteau

"Even Cocteau had to learn his alphabet from someone else. Innovation is just well-hidden plagiarism anyway."

"I call it curation. You call it copying. Let's let history judge the exhibit."

I am very good at destroying you, but you haven't learned, such is minuscule to accomplish against paralegals.

Sarge

@sgtdjones

You keep tilting at a non-existent windmill !

@notinsular

Get da fcuk off the thread...😡

Start your own....

@sgtdjones

Get da fcuk off the thread...

What's the matter .. run out of things to cut and paste ? 😂

You didn't know Tamana and Brechin Castle are two different places in T&T.

You must be talking to your imaginary dUNCe-conceived stereotypical "uneducated blackman". I used the Brechin Castle utility-grade project to debunk your foolish assertion that the tiny yet-to-materialize Tamana Solar project was some visionary thing that only the briliant UNC could conceive. The strategic pillar was established long before April 2026.

I have spent substantial time at Tamana when we were looking to establish a data centre at that location (ultimately it was done in Curacao), so I can only chuckle at your childish nonsense about Geography.

hillside communities overlooking the capital are historically significant but suffer from a lack of formal development and high rates of poverty

In much the same way, there are impoverished rural areas in South and Central that don't receive quite the visibility, but of course you would never mention these. Have you ever taken a drive through some of those dirt roads in the back of Penal?

There is no point in commenting further on the typical copy-and-paste dump you received from your handlers. All the furore about Auditor General's report reflects inefficincies in the public sector management that transcends Political parties.

When I suggest that your so-called "visionary" agro-processing project pales in comparison to the existing Moruga (2020) facility, you backtrack and say that that facility is underutilized. So if that's the case then why propose another and tout it as a dUNCe answer to diversification? 

Dishonest and Dunce .. What a combination 🙄😂

Weren’t it for ChatGPT and comparable AI programs you could not construct a sentence properly

....................sodden

"The law is literally a collection of text copied from previous statutes. Synthesis isn't plagiarism; it's the foundation of your entire career."

The above must hurt as the allegation: you failed to established a private legal career and worked for an insurance company in Calgary.

It’s flattering that you think my natural writing is that perfect, but those are just my own thoughts and standard grammar. 

In online debates, when people are completely losing an argument on the facts, they will desperately look for anything else to attack. Accusing someone of using AI is the ultimate modern coping mechanism for someone who has run out of intelligent things to say, and with your limited ability , sadly you have.

As noted, I can destroy you any day with the English language.so continue with your hallucination 😎