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  • 2 years ago
Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon will soon visit the Studley Park Quarry.


The announcement came after it was revealed by the Executive Chairman of the Board, Ashworth Jack, that Studley Park Enterprise Limited is still awaiting licensed approval from Central Government to export.


The Trade and Industry Minister met with the business community in Tobago today, led by the Chairman of the Tobago arm of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Curtis Williams. More in this Elizabeth Williams report.
Transcript
00:00 Mr. Jack, Ashford Jack would have raised those questions. I understand he's the
00:06 chairman and I think his concern was the inability to get licenses. The Ministry
00:13 of Trade and Industry will actually have the responsibility of issuing the
00:17 license but only after consultation and after having approvals from the Ministry
00:23 of Energy and Energy, of Industries, who is the Ministry that is, which is the
00:28 Ministry that is responsible for quarries and also the Ministry of Works
00:33 and Transport who are the users of aggregate in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:38 Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopiskun as she spoke with members of
00:44 the media following a meeting with the business community in Tobago. Minister
00:49 Gopiskun sought to clarify what needs to happen before the granting of a
00:54 license to the Studley Park Enterprise Limited. What I made Mr. Jack understand
01:00 is that yes there may be varying types and sizes of aggregate produced. There is
01:07 there must be a discussion of what they able to produce, what is required in
01:12 Trinidad and Tobago and what therefore if it's not required and quantities are
01:17 available to be exported then that can be, that perhaps can be exported but
01:24 again we have it has to go through the two ministries before the license is
01:29 granted. The consultation must be done. Minister Gopiskun announced that she
01:34 and her team are to visit the Studley Park quarry soon. We need to clearly
01:39 understand Studley Park's capability, capacity, what they produce etc etc. So
01:45 he's clearly he's extended a visit, an invitation to the ministry to visit and
01:51 I think that's a good thing. I shall do that pretty soon and with along with my
01:58 colleagues from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Works and Transport as well.
02:01 The interest is to act, the I mean the point is we would act in the interest of
02:06 Studley Park but there must be the understanding of what is required for
02:10 the national, the greater national good. Chief Secretary Folly Augustine who was
02:15 also present during Tuesday's meeting sought to bring clarity. In the
02:21 conversations about Studley Park we specifically spoke to specific types of
02:28 aggregates that is not readily used within the local space and that is needed
02:35 in large quantities outside of the Trinidad and Tobago market that can be
02:41 exported to our benefit. So we are going to explore that conversation some more.
02:48 You know we have made applications for a license, we have been to and fro about it
02:54 both in the public and private space about getting it because it is one of
03:00 the areas for which Tobago and by extension Trinidad and Tobago can in fact
03:04 in fact benefit from the foreign exchange. Tuesday's meeting took place
03:10 at the Tobago branch of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Scarborough.
03:15 Elizabeth Williams TV6 News
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