Stop giving the Chinese contracts. Time to send them back home.

This was the main condition laid down yesterday by local contractor Emile Elias, as he argued forcefully that Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s declaration of intent on Monday, to work with the local construction industry, must be followed by tangible action.

Speaking at a news conference at his NH International Construction (NHIC) office at Long Circular, St James, yesterday, Elias said: ’Actions are louder than words. If you are serious about correcting the mistakes of the past, in the use of foreign contractors, start by ending this vendetta against NHIC, admit the Cleaver Heights project is a first class project, stop attacking local contractors and cancel the contract on Maracas Bay for Chinese workers to put sand on our beach.

’Use that money instead to build schools, to build police stations and to build more houses ... health facilities. These are the priorities. Maracas Bay is not a priority and I rue the day that I would have to go there and watch Chinese people pushing wheelbarrows ... because if you want to stimulate the economy, stimulate our economy, not the Chinese economy by giving work to Chinese contractors, I am advised, at a higher price.’

Elias stated that Manning must demonstrate by deeds, not by words, a genuine interest in the development of locals and nationals and not Chinese workers, ’thousands of whom are in our country when our people cannot find work’.

On Manning’s statement that the battle between state-owned Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) and local contractors erupted because UDeCOTT was trying to bring positive change to the construction industry, Elias said it was shameless for the Prime Minister to continue to defend UDeCOTT in the face of sworn testimony and evidence that have been placed before the Commission of Enquiry.

’Shameless! He has invested political capital he no longer has in this useless exercise (of defending UDeCOTT),’ Elias declared.

Elias said he was not aware of the practices in the local construction industry which provoked concerns. However, he said if there are problems, the industry could fix them.

’Bringing Chinese contractors to make a mess of the Centre for Non-Performing Arts, the Social Development towers, ... to make a mess of every project they have done in this country, with huge cost overruns... is not the answer,’ he declared.

He added that the Chinese were so smart, they were now using Western names for their companies, such as Times Construction, which is building the Chaguanas Administrative Complex.

’The only thing the Chinese could teach me is how they manage to go into a foreign country where they can’t speak the language, and invade the political network to the point where nationals are being denigrated and deprived of work, and they could walk in with limitless workers, waive the work permit laws, break the health and safety laws, break the PAYE and tax laws... and be immune? Who is their Godfather?’ Elias asked.

’And what kind of priorities this country has, when in view of a $12 billion revenue shortfall, Government would decide to refurbish Maracas Bay; when for six years it has been planning to build four primary schools in Rosehill, in Belmont, in Paramin and in Point Cumana and these four schools are waiting for $133 million to finance them, but yet one quarter of a billion dollars could go to fix Maracas Bay? And you bringing Chinese (to do the Maracas Bay job)?’

’That has to be political madness,’ he asserted, adding: ’That was only two weeks ago (that Government announced the Maracas Bay contract ). So when did this rush of blood to Mr Manning’s head come, where he suddenly wants to make friends with local contractors again, before or after that Maracas Bay award?

’Cancel that award, tell the Chinese to go (back) home.’

Head of the Joint Consultative Council, Winston Riley, who was also at the press conference, said the last time Manning wanted dialogue with the local contractors, they placed a proposal before him for the construction of police and fire stations. He stated that the JCC had said it would put its head on the block for local contractors getting these contracts. He said two years have passed and since then, local contractors who had designed projects before, had them taken away. Furthermore, the JCC subsequently learnt that the 19 police and fire stations were all awarded to foreign firms, he said. Shaking his head, Riley said he had stopped trying to understand what was going on.