The Petrotrin Point-a-Pierre refinery has been a major customer for many of the service companies and contractors who make up the membership of the Energy Chamber. A recent survey of over 400 companies who have been certified to work as contractors in the energy sector has revealed that 59% of these companies have provided goods and/or services to the refinery over the last 5 years. Thirty-nine percent of them currently provide goods and/or services.
A total of 75 companies responded to our survey, administered over the period (30th August to 4th September).
For the companies which have worked for Petrotrin, the refinery accounted for an average of 25% of their business. Four companies reported that the refinery was their only customer.
The value of the goods and services provided to Petrotrin over the last year by these 75 companies was TTD$72M. According to the companies, approximately TTD$40M is currently owed to them by Petrotrin. Compounding this, is the fact that 18% of the companies stated that they completed work without receiving a valid Purchase Order (PO). The absence of a PO makes it more difficult for contractors to collect money they are owed.
Of the service contractors responding, 32% anticipated that they would have to retrench some of their workers based on the closure of the refinery. The companies who responded estimated that they could be reducing their workforce by approximately 143 temporary and 138 permanent staff. Assuming that these companies are a representative sample of all 400 service companies and contractors, this could translate into approximately 760 temporary and 735 permanent job losses in the sub-sector.