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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