THE TOBAGO Business Chamber says the somewhat adversarial stance the Prime Minister has taken in referring to the environmental management laws may not be the best position to adopt if the government intends to develop the country along a particular path.<\/p>
At the post-Cabinet media briefing on June 13, Dr Rowley said the government would have to revisit the EMA Act, as people in the country use it to obstruct development rather than help it.<\/p>
He believes the misuse of the act has robbed Trinidad and Tobago of projects such as a Sandals resort and an aluminium smelter plant.<\/p>
But Rowley said the proposed construction of a $500 million brand hotel and property development at Rocky Point, Tobago, which is to be undertaken by a group of private developers, Superior Hotels Ltd, will not suffer the same fate.<\/p>
Some environmentalists and a surfing group have expressed serious concerns about the project, which on completion, is expected to comprise a 200-room hotel, 28 duplex residences, 11 single-family luxury villas and 12 fully outfitted townhouses. It will also contain facilities for scuba diving, jogging, cycling, local food vendors and craftsmen, among other amenities.<\/p>
The project was announced in September 2021 during the PNM-led THA\u2019s term in office.<\/p>
But speaking to Newsday on June 14, Tobago Chamber chairman Martin George said the government and the EMA must find common ground.<\/p>
\u201cOne can understand the Prime Minister\u2019s frustration in this regard. But we are confident that there must be a way to straddle that divide so that you are able to have development occurring in an environmentally sensitive and in an environmentally sustainable manner,\u201d he said in a WhatsApp voice note.<\/p>
\u201cWe don\u2019t think that the two are so impossibly far apart that they can\u2019t meet. We think that there are ways that you can do it in a way that you still preserve and maintain the environment and you still are able to proceed with your development while showing that respect for the island and that respect for Tobagonians in the process.\u201d<\/p>
He added, \u201cSo the carte-blanche dismissal of even the objectors as being entitled, weed-smoking babies that are just idling all day and surfing and smoking weed \u2013 I am not sure that that is a fair or just characterisation.<\/p>
\u201cAnd even if they were, the reality is that at the public town hall meeting, lots of young men came there representing the interests of the surfers and the beachgoers, and they were very well-prepared, well-rehearsed in their presentations.<\/p>
\u201cSo we have to be always mindful and respectful to take on board the views of others, see how we could adjust and compromise to get a result that is a happy ending for us all.\u201d<\/p>
Saying the Tobago Chamber was fully on board with the project, George said it must be done to consider objectors’ concerns \u201cin a manner that is both respectful and sustainable so that you end up with a win-win all around.<\/p>
\u201cWe have to step away from these highly adversarial positions where it is daggers drawn and you approach things with a sledgehammer-type approach. Sometimes, the subtlety and precision of a surgeon\u2019s scalpel can help us to find that fine line between one view and another, and you can thread the needle to get to where both sides are able to say we have been able to weave a beautiful tapestry as a result that is satisfactory to everyone in this circumstance.\u201d<\/p>
He said the chamber is urging all stakeholders to continue discussions with the EMA.<\/p>
\u201cThe EMA is a necessary body \u2013 let\u2019s not get around that or ignore that \u2013 for protecting the environment. It may be sometimes that they need to look at themselves, their operations, make adjustments, make adaptations.<\/p>
\u201cBut to make a carte-blanche statement which seems to say that their laws are being used in this manner may not necessarily be the best way of resolving this going forward.<\/p>
\u201cSo we think dialogue, reasoned discussion, logic and common sense ought to dictate this process going forward, as opposed to going in with guns blazing on both sides because that will end up in a scenario where basically there are no survivors left and you really have made no progress at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>
Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Curtis Williams said the organisation also welcomed the project in the context of the island\u2019s overall development.<\/p>
He told Newsday the process must be carried out within the laws of the country.<\/p>
Williams urged the developers and investors to meet with the various community groups, fisherfolk and village councils to discuss their concerns.<\/p>
\u201cThe island is open for business. But we must operate in conjunction with the laws of TT.\u201d<\/p>
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