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The most important discussion on Caribbean energy
Just another of his PR stunts or not, in the past week the Public Service Association’s leader, Watson Duke, threatened a sickout due to a dispute over health claims by some 400 workers at the Housing Development Corporation.
The merit of his claims is something to be sorted between the PSA, HDC’s managers and, if needed, the relevant tribunals. However, what cannot be ignored is Mr Duke’s threat of having public servants skipping work in a coordinated way because, to put it in plain English, that is a strike and that is illegal.
Oil players in Trinidad & Tobago are urging changes to the government’s supplemental petroleum tax on oil production, which they say in its current form discourages investment and inhibits oil exploration.
Fossil fuels are going to remain an important part of the energy mix for many years to come, but renewable energy is growing quickly. Trinidad and Tobago needs to be aware of this reality and embrace the global energy transition to a lowercarbon future. The energy transition is being driven not just by climate change policies, but also by technological innovation and the changing economics that the technological revolution has spurred.
If Guyana is to experience sustained growth leading to the development of a worldclass energy industry that benefits the local economy, it is critical that a robust safety culture is embraced now. Imperative would be the adoption of safety systems and procedures that international operators consider basic to a safe and productive operation. Adherence to such systems would also give locally owned and operated contractors greater access to work in the sector, which will enhance local content development.