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00:03Thanks for staying with us. The government is urging citizens to begin preparing now
00:08as El Nino conditions strengthen, bringing the threat of drought and increased pressure
00:13on the country's water supply. Government officials say Trinidad and Tobago must prepare
00:19for months of dry conditions as the El Nino weather pattern strengthens. Speaking at a
00:25Ministry of Public Utilities media conference, acting chief executive officer of the meteorological
00:30service, said there is now an 80% probability that El Nino conditions will intensify between
00:37August and October, with the event expected to peak between November 2026 into February
00:432027. We should prepare for reduced rainfall during the latter part of this year's wet season
00:51and the worrying part for us, it will extend and continue into the upcoming dry season.
00:59This could result in low inflows into our reservoirs, which in turn may affect the availability of
01:07water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and commercial use. Minister of Public Utilities
01:14Barry Padarath said the country's immediate concern is its water supply, noting that several reservoirs
01:20were below 50% capacity as of June. While recent rainfall has helped, he warned reservoirs may
01:27still fall short of full capacity before the next dry season, placing additional strain on an already
01:34challenged water system. He added that the government is working with the Inter-American Development Bank
01:39to strengthen water resilience. There was a lack of injection of resources in terms of a number of
01:47infrastructure projects across the country. And while we have been there for the last year, we have been spending a
01:55significant amount of time working with the IDB and other agencies, inclusive of planning and others, to place a lot
02:08of
02:08emphasis and resources in the coming financial year because it requires a lot of scoping, a lot of planning ahead,
02:19a lot of identifying the funding for these projects to materialize.
02:25Meanwhile, the Water and Sewerage Authority says it has already activated measures to protect the nation's water supply.
02:31Refurbishment works at the Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant are improving filtration, chemical dosing and overall plant reliability.
02:43At the Carony Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitation of the Travelling Bridge is in progress steadily.
02:51Once completed, these improvements will enhance sedimentation performance and allow approximately 5 million gallons of water per day to be
03:04recirculated throughout the treatment process, increasing production capacity.
03:10Minister of Planning Kennedy Swarat Singh says preparation must also happen at the community level. He urged citizens to conserve
03:18water, stay hydrated, protect vulnerable people, avoid activities that could spark bush fires and store enough water for periods of
03:27reduced supply.
03:28He also announced plans for public awareness campaigns, community outreach and cooling stations where necessary.
03:34While the Ministry of Health prepares measures to protect those most vulnerable to extreme weather, the Meteorological Service also warned
03:42that drought conditions are expected to develop first in parts of Tobago before gradually affecting Trinidad.
03:48The Ministry of Public Utility says WASA will begin a nationwide public awareness campaign in the coming days, encouraging every
03:56citizen to help conserve water as Trinidad and Tobago prepares for the months ahead.
04:01Rochelle Edwards, TB6 News.
04:04Sport is up next, keep it here.
04:32CONCoAl.
04:32C-D car in the water, check out here at QC.
04:34The macaroni mand!?
04:41besite that food nursery can run
04:41I have fewer people to actually persevere, the explorationasta to provide that cost of water as Trinidad.
04:41Because of Matt burns for a long time since Tory konuşamos a sort of melancholy Muchashores takes place in
10:12And do have a great evening.
11:22Thank you,
12:52thank you.
17:22And you're here.
17:22BBC Chairman Josiah Austin arrived at the active construction site and was met with Opro.
17:27Why?
17:29We won zon.
17:30In his hand, a document he told us was a stop order to hold the works.
17:35So a stop order will be served accordingly, and thereafter we hope that compliance will be
17:41had and the contractor will be saved, the stop order.
17:45And how legally binding is that stop order?
17:47Do they have to stop?
17:48Yes, it's expected that they do.
17:50He was waiting on the engineer, the corporation, to serve the order, as a political appointee is unable to do
17:56so.
17:56Austin maintains that his main peeve with the project is over what he views as disrespect.
18:02There was no consultation with us. They came in and just started this.
18:07It's very simple. The minister laces with me, right?
18:11The PS laces with the CEO, the minister laces with the CEO, and just said, give accommodations for this, basically.
18:18There's no, it's very disrespectful.
18:20As for the email sent by Amin.
18:23That was not sent to me. Usually, politician to politician, we lace, and the PS would lace with the CEO.
18:30But nothing was sent to me.
18:32Head of the Municipal Police Senior Superintendent Wayne Mohamed and his team were there from start to finish to keep
18:38order at the site.
18:39When our cameras left, the documents still had not been served,
18:43and the platform for the police post and sewer installation were more or less completed.
18:48Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
18:51Meantime, the chairman of the state-owned National Gas Company explained that the pipeline is in fact non-operational.
18:58In the telephone interview with TV6 News, the chairman of the National Gas Company, Gerald Ramdeen, replied to concerns raised
19:06by Tunapunapiaq Regional Corporation Chairman, Josiah Austin,
19:11about constructing a joint police defense force post over a gas line at the Eddie Hart grounds in Takarigua.
19:17The police post that is being constructed at the Eddie Hart grounds is being constructed in the vicinity of an
19:27NGC pipeline.
19:28I've had certain discussions with my operations department.
19:33We have identified where the pipeline is.
19:37It is a two-inch pipeline.
19:38It is a pipeline that has been non-operational for a number of years, and it is a pipeline that
19:46is buried four feet below the surface.
19:49The NGC's chairman said that the two-inch pipeline had been used previously to transport gas for compressed natural gas
19:56at a gas station in Takarigua.
19:58The pipeline is safe, it is secure, and the reports that I have received from my operations department is that
20:08the construction that has taken place there,
20:10which is really the putting down of a foundation on the surface of the land, poses no danger to the
20:16pipeline.
20:17We have gone further at the NGC to ensure that all the precautionary measures are taken with respect to the
20:25pipeline,
20:26and though being non-operational, that no danger is posed to the public.
20:29Chairman Ramdeen said NGC personnel were at the site on Friday, giving him updates.
20:35Ensuring that everything that took place there was no danger to any of the citizens of this country
20:42who use the Eddie Hart ground for exercising, whether they go there.
20:47Last night, I myself, after I got my report, I myself, at 9 o'clock last night, went to inspect
20:55what was going on based on the reports that I received,
20:58just to ensure that what was being told to me, without me being a qualified engineer,
21:04I went there myself to ensure that what was told to me was carried out, and I was satisfied.
21:10While the TPR sees the chairman is claiming a lack of consultation,
21:14the NGC's chairman claims his office was not contacted by the corporation.
21:20Before the construction of these police posts was started throughout the country,
21:26the Minister of Homeland Security, the Honorable Mr. Roger Alexander,
21:32did consult with me as chairman of the NGC
21:35to find out whether the location in which these police posts were being put up
21:41or intended to be constructed,
21:43they in any way pose any concern or danger to NGC's pipeline network,
21:48which runs throughout the country, throughout the length and breadth of this country.
21:51The government says there will be 30 new mobile joint police-defense force posts
21:57in several areas across the nation.
22:00Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
22:02We'll have more news when we return. Keep it here.
22:11Welcome back.
22:13The Prime Minister is expected to address the country in the coming days,
22:17revealing major news as it relates to the energy sector.
22:21The announcement came from NGC chairman, Gerald Ramdeen,
22:25who also hinted at new investments by key players in the energy industry.
22:30I believe you have got much representatives.
22:36What I want to say is that within the next three to four days,
22:41the Honorable Prime Minister will make some significant announcements
22:45with respect to the energy sector.
22:47I have deliberately stayed clear and stayed in my lane,
22:51and I know that what I can tell you is this.
22:54Within the past two months, the National Gas Company, the Ministry of Energy,
23:00the international, our international upstream partners,
23:03have done considerable work to be able to bring benefits to the people of this country.
23:08The results of those works are going to be announced by the Honorable Prime Minister.
23:12NGC chairman Gerald Ramdeen says the country can prepare for transformative changes in the energy sector,
23:20including what he hints will be new investments by major players in the energy industry.
23:26We have been in discussions with all of our downstreamers.
23:30There is significant work that has been done on the Point Leases estate by the National Gas Company
23:36with our international partners, including Nutrien, including all of the downstreamers,
23:41including companies that have not stepped foot in Trinidad and Tobago before,
23:46that are now ready, willing and able to make investments.
23:50You would have seen something that has been announced yesterday.
23:54I don't think Minister Hussain has said so himself.
23:58The level of investment and enthusiasm that has been generated by the confidence
24:03in the economy of Trinidad and Tobago as a result of the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister
24:11and her cabinet, the decisions that have been made in particular in the energy sector
24:16has generated a level of enthusiasm and investment that has not been seen before.
24:22Like I told you, you do not have to wait until cabinet next week.
24:26Those announcements are going to be made very soon.
24:29His assurances come as key players like Methanex and Nutrien have shut down their TNT operations.
24:36However, he says the government is simply seeking TNT's best interest.
24:41When they talk about plants closing, they are responsible for that
24:45because they never made any provision for gas to go into the downstream.
24:49And we have had to compete.
24:51The last time I spoke here, I told you, the NGC now doesn't hold any monopoly on gas.
24:56The NGC has to compete with upstreamers to buy gas at LNG prices
25:02to be able to supply our downstream.
25:04They crippled our downstream.
25:06For years, you have heard about dragon.
25:09For years, you have heard about mannequin, coquina.
25:11For years, you have heard about manatee and loran.
25:14What you are going to experience and what the people of this country
25:17and the region is going to experience is the actual monetization of molecules
25:23that will bring revenue to the people of this country.
25:28The NGC chairman was speaking at a handover ceremony
25:31for the title of the lands housing the Beechfield Gas Processing Facility in Guayaguayare.
25:38NGC and Shell have agreed that the Beechfield Gas Processing Facility
25:41will form a critical part of the onshore infrastructure supporting the manatee project.
25:47You would also be aware that Shell was recently granted a license
25:51by the government of Venezuela to develop Phase 1 of the Loran Gas Field,
25:57which has an approved volume of up to 1.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas for that phase.
26:03It is envisaged by both Shell and NGC
26:06that gas from the Loran Field will likewise be processed
26:10through the Beechfield Gas Processing Facility.
26:12In other news, the opposition leader called on the government to explain its plan
26:17to have citizens 16 years and older carry a valid form of ID in public spaces.
26:24Opposition leader Penelope Beckles is weighing in on the proposal before the cabinet
26:28for citizens aged 16 and older to have in their possession
26:31a valid form of ID in public spaces,
26:35which has been publicly confirmed by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander.
26:40During a media conference, the opposition leader responded to a question on that matter
26:44and the government's plan to increase the age limit for drinking alcohol from 18 to 21.
26:49My information is that there was a cabinet note earlier this year, April to be exact,
26:56and I would prefer that this government comes clean and tells us
27:04if this is a proposal of theirs and if they intend to implement it.
27:10The fact is that there are too many proposals of this government that is left hanging.
27:16So I'm asking them, tell the public, what is your policy, what is your philosophy,
27:22what is the data that you are using?
27:24Earlier in the media conference, opposition leader Beckles referred to data
27:28on another matter regarding the economy.
27:31So the CSO has indicated to us that the economy, employment in the economy fell by some 5,900
27:39in three months and specifically 569,900 persons in quarter four of 2025
27:49to 5,000, 5,564,000 in quarter one of, well, first quarter of 2026.
27:59The opposition leader called on the government to say whether it stands by its position
28:03that job losses in the first quarter of 2026 reflect a seasonal trend.
28:09Female employment fell by 6,800 from 248,800 to 242,000,
28:21while female unemployment rose from 12,500 to 18,000.
28:28The opposition leader maintained her party's position that the government's restructuring
28:33of state-funded programs like CPAP and URP has led to thousands of job losses
28:38which are having a direct impact on small businesses in particular.
28:42You want people to believe that all these people whose businesses are closing down,
28:48they're involved in drugs, Kamala, everybody involved in drugs.
28:51I mean, what it is, where you live in, in your own constituency in Separia,
28:58you go and take a walk and see all the little parlor closing down,
29:01all of them involved in drugs?
29:03I mean, oh gosh, have a heart.
29:06Have a heart.
29:08Because the fact is that if you go into a lot of these villages,
29:13they move the license from $1,500 to $9,000.
29:18You're only taxing, taxing, taxing.
29:20Everything is a tax.
29:22On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Kanma Pusad-Busasa shared a video
29:25of her chairing a meeting of her cabinet with a statement
29:28that said she met with her ministers as they, quote,
29:31quote, continue advancing policies and making decisions
29:34that improve the lives of all citizens, end quote.
29:39Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
29:42And the government is turning to admits sentenced to hard labor
29:46to help maintain public spaces
29:49while a replacement for the CPEB program is being developed.
29:53Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, says
29:57the government intends to utilize what he described
30:00as the largest labor force in the nation
30:02by deploying convicted inmates sentenced to hard labor
30:05to assist with maintaining public spaces.
30:09Speaking during a visit to the National Program
30:11for the Upkeep of Public Spaces in Tunapuna on Tuesday,
30:15Alexander said inmates will be assigned to tasks
30:18including cleaning communities, cutting grass,
30:21and maintaining public areas
30:23while the government works to introduce a replacement
30:26for the CPEB program.
30:28We are going to reintroduce where persons who have been charged
30:37and convicted by a court
30:41and are sentenced to hard labor,
30:44we are going to reintroduce those persons
30:46to come back home to the streets
30:47and help to the clean up places.
30:49The minister argued that the move would restore
30:52the original purpose of hard labor
30:54while also helping inmates prepare for life after prison.
30:58You know what is hard labor in the jail right now?
31:02A man's smoking, a man is on his phone, internet,
31:06and all these things.
31:06That's not hard labor.
31:09And if someone is smart enough on the inside,
31:12you could use that process to start to reintegrate himself
31:16back into the public.
31:17Alexander said the arrangement will remain in place
31:20until legal matters involving the former CPEB program
31:23are resolved
31:24and a new program is introduced.
31:28Until matters are completed in a court of law
31:32and the corruption that is associated with that
31:36have been dealt with,
31:37then we will reintroduce a new program
31:40until such time
31:42we are allowing persons to do their job,
31:45clean the community,
31:47defy the place again.
31:47The Homeland Security Minister also said
31:50maintaining clean public spaces
31:52complements the government's wider efforts
31:54to improve public safety
31:56and restore confidence in communities.
31:59It's about increasing what you already have
32:02in order to maintain.
32:04So it's not just that the crime is done
32:06and we're all right, let's just relax.
32:08It's not about that.
32:09It's about giving the public
32:11that sense of safety and security
32:12that was left,
32:14that was moved away from them
32:16for nine years
32:18and bringing it back
32:19with purpose
32:21and intention.
32:23Asked about the failed Zoso's bill
32:25and if and when it will return,
32:28Alexander declined to discuss the legislation directly
32:31but said his anti-crime strategy
32:33is being shaped by public feedback.
32:36Anti-crime.
32:37Anti-crime.
32:37I want to discuss the Zoso
32:38and what I'm saying to you is this.
32:40In Tunapunan,
32:41the way I have structured my approach
32:45to show length
32:47is also,
32:49well, as I said before,
32:50we are thinking people.
32:52We are.
32:53So we often find ways
32:55to treat the thing.
32:56We listen to the public,
32:59not those who mischievous
33:01and care us.
33:02We listen to members of the public
33:05who are seeing things different
33:07so we can guide them
33:08and we often take ideas from them.
33:11Alexander did not indicate
33:12when the replacement
33:13for the CPEP program
33:14will be launched
33:15but said
33:16the interim measures
33:17are aimed at improving
33:18the upkeep of communities
33:20while broader reforms
33:21are implemented.
33:23Charlotte Kisto,
33:24TV6 News.
33:25This is The Past,
33:27seven days on six.
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