If we needed a script with twists and turns and an unexpected ending, we could look no further than the one written jointly by Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan.
In fact, we could be looking at a tragicomedy, if the circumstances did not merit a more dramatic tale with a happy ending.
The play called the Galleons Passage has a cast of characters that range in nationalities from down-under to the Caribbean, with many of the roles featuring players whom we expected had the experience to deliver to an audience starved of excellent productions.
However, expectations of a good show have not been met, and the critics are weighing in and filling the playbill with reviews that are not even remotely flattering.
The writers, producers, and actors of the Galleons Passage will have to rewrite the entire play and make a fresh and definite announcement of the next edition.
If they fail to do so, then the audiences in both Trinidad and particularly Tobago will consider the production of the Galleons Passage a complete waste of time, money, talent, and more.
If that happens, it will be hard to attract anyone to future productions, and that as any theatre producer will tell you is not the way to break a leg.
Let’s work with Guyana
How times have changed for Guyana. Our South American neighbour is set to become a top oil producer “projected within a decade to pump nearly a barrel of oil per person a day, more per capita than Saudi Arabia,” according to Kejal Vyas writing in the Wall Street Journal.
This new source of wealth that Guyana is due to receive has already raised concerns that the Government may not have engaged the kind of expertise to ensure that real value comes to the country.
But it is getting help from two World Bank experts who will be conducting workshops to build Guyana’s oil and gas capacity as part of a US$20 million grant.
Expertise resides right next door, and we should be the first call to share our experience and knowledge with Guyana.
Approaches have already been made, but we urge GORTT and private sector operators to move swiftly to take advantage of the opportunities Guyana’s good fortune present. It would be a prime example of CARICOM at work.
Time for T&T football to step up
The performance of the Mexico team in the World Cup in Russia has brought joy not only to their legions of fans at home and around the world but also to the countries of CONCACAF. With the future expansion to 48 teams, we should be aiming to qualify. Let’s start today with that goal.
