Sunday, August 30 2009

Tabaquite Member of Parliament Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday announced his decision to take the issue of the European Union 41.643 million euros given to this country in support of the National Sugar Adaptation Strategy to the courts if necessary. He also intends to go directly to the EU to get first-hand information about the grant.

According to the former Attorney General, “The government has not been disclosing full information about this grant and the cane farmers and workers are left in the dark.”

At a meeting held at his constituency office in Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo he said the money is disbursed by the EU in annual grants and as of the 28th of this month the latest tranche is 2.2 million euros.

In her parliamentary response to the issue Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira said, “The grant is not for sugar workers ... it is to give a country, which was involved and depended as part of their GDP on the sugar industry, to give them sector support.”

But according to Maharaj the statement is only a half truth and based on preliminary investigation the grant is undoubtedly intended to a great extent to benefit the sugar workers and the farmers.

He said attempts by the Opposition to get material information on this matter have failed and the Government has not disclosed what it intends to do with this grant.

Recent developments on the international market show that there is a steep increase in the price of sugar and it is predicted that it will be increased to an all time high with shortages on the world market, he said.

In this light, Maharaj accused the Government of “making a huge blunder in its dismantling of the sugar cane industry.”

Maharaj said he is calling upon the Government to rewrite its budget for the next year and go back to the drawing board and “take steps to promote the growing of sugar cane and the manufacture of sugar.”

He lashed out at the Government, saying they failed to deliver on promises to grant former sugar cane workers agricultural leases and residential leases of their land.

Maharaj said he is now calling on the Government to give information to the cane farmers, sugar workers and the country as to whether it has collected any part of the EU’s grant and what was done with it.

“I intend to make representations to the EU to get relevant information and for them to ensure that the funding is intended for the sugar cane farmers and workers.

“I have started to put together a research team and with the assistance of the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Rights Association. If necessary public litigation would be filed against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet on behalf of the sugar cane farmers and workers for them to get all the relevant information and also the benefit of the grant.”