00:00 Clause 6 makes provision for sale and distribution of tickets for CWC 2024 persons by persons
00:07 solely authorized by the CWI and there are penalties in the bill for scalping.
00:15 Attorney General Reginald L'Amour as he began the first innings so to speak of the debate
00:20 in the House of Representatives of the bill for the staging of the ICC men's T20 Cricket
00:27 World Cup 2024 which is taking place in the United States and six CARICOM member states
00:33 including Trinidad and Tobago.
00:35 Madam Speaker it is anticipated that this event will be viewed by approximately 2 billion
00:41 persons virtually.
00:44 We anticipate thousands of spectators to come to our shores to be physically present to
00:49 view the matches scheduled to be played here in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:54 A unique opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean to showcase our countries.
01:00 The bill was passed by the Senate with some amendments on April 30th.
01:05 The lower house began its debate on Monday two days before specific regulations were
01:09 set to begin on May 15th of this year.
01:13 So that persons arriving into the Caribbean at any one of those Caribbean post countries
01:21 will have a single point of entry and under the mutual recognition of visas can thereafter
01:27 move freely subject of course to some examination by immigration authorities through the other
01:33 five host countries.
01:34 The Attorney General said that that measure ends on July 15th of this year.
01:40 Members are asked to note that notwithstanding the mutual recognition of visas Trinidad and
01:44 Tobago will retain its sovereign right to refuse entry to any person seeking to enter
01:49 Trinidad and Tobago if the admission of that person would be contrary to the immigration
01:54 act or the immigration regulations.
01:58 Batting first for the opposition politically speaking in the lower house's debate was
02:02 Cariney Central MP Arnold Ram.
02:05 I know that members opposite, I'm not sure whether they love cricket as we do but I know
02:11 for certain they have become very close to former cricketers and I know that they are
02:21 courting a former cricketer to be the candidate for Maroufa Taberland at the next general
02:26 election and I think the member for Arima can firmly deny that but that is something
02:32 another matter for another day.
02:34 MP Ram then returned to the bill.
02:38 The hosting of this workup is not something that we are generally, the bill before us
02:44 is something that we generally have objections to.
02:48 There are however certain provisions in which we would like to draw the attention of those
02:52 opposite for their active consideration.
02:54 Mr Ram said one such provision is the clause for the publication of the match venues in
02:59 the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette and at least one daily newspaper.
03:03 A lot of people are using Facebook and other social media sites as compared to reading
03:09 newspaper or looking at the Gazette whether that can be considered by the government in
03:14 publishing the venues as well as the match period.
03:18 Other MPs made their contributions before their Attorney General was due to wind up
03:23 the debate to be followed by the vote required for the bill's passage.
03:28 Jule Brown, TV6 News.
03:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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