Young slams energy sector ‘naysayers’

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Gail Alexander

Energy Minister Stuart Young has slammed some “naysayers” of the sector who he says receive gifts and other forms of compensation from companies with agendas opposite to what Government is trying to achieve for the people.

“I say (so) without fear of contradiction,” Young said in the Senate yesterday citing some article and column writers. Young was speaking in debate on the 2022 Budget.

Among examples, Young added that in April he had to call the Prime Minister as one of the largest methanol plants was trying to shut down a Pt Lisas plant, “And it was all over negotiation prices; articles were coming out in newspapers.”

“I now understand why and who was writing and what they were being given to write these articles,” he said.

Young said the global energy sector is going through a transition. But he said there are people in T&T who claim the energy sector’s end is near.

“Don’t let the Chicken Little syndrome that the sector will suddenly vanish, frighten anyone.”

“Every time there’s a dip in global commodity pricing people put us in a state of panic that the sky is falling – but commodity prices are set globally.”

Young said a lot of ‘noise’ that was heard at one point was a reflection of global community prices.

He said a number of people unfortunately try to interfere with national psyche and paint T&T in a negative light and some try to do so through articles and columns.

In reality he said those people are doing no more than “carrying out an agenda of those who are trying to derive maximum benefit from T&T’s limited resources.”

Young said Government had its mandate to maximise securing the sector and deriving maximum benefits for the people, “And that doesn’t sit well all of time with those trying to maximise their profits.”