00:00TV6 News has sent a question to Energy Minister Dr. Rudal Munilal to find out if he had received a status report on the proposed restart of the mothballed state-owned oil refinery and pointer pair by the Nigerian-based Owando PLC that was initiated by the former PNM-led government.
00:18Energy Minister Munilal told TV6 News that he has, quote, received a report and will review and speak to this matter shortly, end quote.
00:27Just days before the general election on April 28th, state-owned Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited, TPHL, said its discussions were very much ongoing with what it then identified as the preferred investor.
00:41The PNM lost the general election to the UNC-led coalition of interests, which includes the oilfields' workers' trade union, the OWTU.
00:50After the former PNM-led government closed down the refinery as part of what it called its restructuring of the state-owned oil company from Petrotrin into TPHL in late 2018,
01:02the OWTU failed in its efforts to be the preferred bidder to restart the refinery.
01:07Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa made no mention of the OWTU company when she made this announcement during her first post-Cabinet media briefing at the Red House in Port of Spain on Thursday,
01:19as she announced some of her plans for the local energy sector.
01:23We'll also begin the program to assess and determine and decide the reopening of the Petrotrin refinery.
01:31Thank you very much.
02:01The 0.14 MP, the OWTU's Onesto Kisar, is the new minister in the Ministry of Energy.
02:10Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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