kemist
06-08-2011, 08:21 PM
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,141853.html
Senator: Economy in neutralBy Clint Chan Tack Wednesday, June 8 2011
INDEPENDENT SENATOR Subhas Ramkhelawan yesterday questioned the ability of the People’s Partnership Government to stimulate growth in the economy, arguing that contrary to the public utterances of Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, the economy was not moving forward but was “in neutral.”
Explaining that the energy sector is driven by gas rather than oil, Ramkhelawan argued that with global gas prices currently in “a period of stasis” the country cannot be “sitting in the middle of the river” waiting for a fortuitous breeze to blow it in one direction or another. He advised Government that one of the shortest paths to stimulate economic growth would be to take domestic methanol and ammonia production to the next level through the development of plastics and melamine spin off industries respectively. like he didnt get de memo or wha? lol
He advised Government to move swiftly to establish trade agreements with Latin America and establish double taxation treaties with countries in that region to stimulate investment opportunities in TT.
Stating that agriculture was a critical domestic driver of growth, Ramkhelawan said Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath has been “caught like a manicou in a flashlight” and it was time for him to “roll up his sleeves” and put 50,000 acres of agricultural lands in the country into production. He also called upon Dookeran to establish “an overall monetary authority” in the country to ensure better regulation of financial affairs. i dont know, but i feel there is some kinda unwritten govt policy not to develop agriculture.
Noting Dookeran’s admission that the country’s deficit was $8.9 billion, Browne said the coalition had the unenviable distinction of presiding over the largest deficit in the country’s history. Observing that most of the expenditure which Dookeran referred to was recurrent, Browne said he did not see anything in Government’s economic planning that would provide “a self-sustaining stimulus” and the level of expenditure being proposed by Government was not sustainable.Looks like hard times ahead, or should i say, harder times
Senator: Economy in neutralBy Clint Chan Tack Wednesday, June 8 2011
INDEPENDENT SENATOR Subhas Ramkhelawan yesterday questioned the ability of the People’s Partnership Government to stimulate growth in the economy, arguing that contrary to the public utterances of Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, the economy was not moving forward but was “in neutral.”
Explaining that the energy sector is driven by gas rather than oil, Ramkhelawan argued that with global gas prices currently in “a period of stasis” the country cannot be “sitting in the middle of the river” waiting for a fortuitous breeze to blow it in one direction or another. He advised Government that one of the shortest paths to stimulate economic growth would be to take domestic methanol and ammonia production to the next level through the development of plastics and melamine spin off industries respectively. like he didnt get de memo or wha? lol
He advised Government to move swiftly to establish trade agreements with Latin America and establish double taxation treaties with countries in that region to stimulate investment opportunities in TT.
Stating that agriculture was a critical domestic driver of growth, Ramkhelawan said Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath has been “caught like a manicou in a flashlight” and it was time for him to “roll up his sleeves” and put 50,000 acres of agricultural lands in the country into production. He also called upon Dookeran to establish “an overall monetary authority” in the country to ensure better regulation of financial affairs. i dont know, but i feel there is some kinda unwritten govt policy not to develop agriculture.
Noting Dookeran’s admission that the country’s deficit was $8.9 billion, Browne said the coalition had the unenviable distinction of presiding over the largest deficit in the country’s history. Observing that most of the expenditure which Dookeran referred to was recurrent, Browne said he did not see anything in Government’s economic planning that would provide “a self-sustaining stimulus” and the level of expenditure being proposed by Government was not sustainable.Looks like hard times ahead, or should i say, harder times