The construction industry is divided on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statement that aid to countries ravaged by Tropical Storm Tomas should rebound to the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association (TTCA) Mikey Joseph told the Express that Persad-Bissessar's statement "was unfortunate".

"I hope it was taken out of context," he said by phone yesterday.

But founding member of the association, Emile Elias, said he strongly supported the statement.

Asked about aid from Trinidad and Tobago to Caricom neighbours, Persad-Bissessar said, "We will have to look at ways in which we would be able to assist. But you would recall my comments earlier this year, when I said there must be some way in which Trinidad and Tobago would also benefit. So if we are giving assistance with housing, for example, and that is one of the areas that we (the Prime Minister of St Vincent and myself) spoke about, then we may be able to use Trinidad and Tobago builders and companies, so that whatever money is given, rebounds back in some measure to the people of Trinidad and Tobago."

Joseph said many local professionals and contractors in the construction industry have worked in the Caribbean.

Aid was a fundamental humanitarian gesture and it was not right to impose conditions in times of natural disaster, he said, adding, "We have an obligation to help them get back on their feet, unconditionally."

His colleague from the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry of Trinidad and Tobago Winston Riley said Persad-Bissessar's statement was "not unnecessary".

He said the conditions under which donations were given were always determined by the donor country.

Elias, in a statement he signed as a founder member of the TTCA and the JCC, said he "strongly supports the Prime Minister's statement that all such assistance should be structured so that the food supplied is manufactured in Trinidad and Tobago such as flour, biscuits, jams and a wide range of other canned foods and bottled goods".

Noting that T&T manufactures roof sheeting, reinforced steel and cement, among many other materials, he said this should also be done in relation to assistance with housing, roads and bridge reconstruction.

"I strongly support linking assistance to what is produced in Trinidad and Tobago. We cannot send cash to an island to buy Venezuelan cement, or reinforcing steel from China," he said.

Elias said as construction expertise is required such aid could be tied to the use of T&T engineers and architects, as well as local construction companies "so that our generosity to our Caribbean brothers and sisters could also act as much needed stimulus to the local manufacturing and construction sectors who are all in recession".

He said many years ago, T&T forgave Guyana over US$500 million in debt and got "absolutely nothing for it".

He said T&T needs to offer immediate humanitarian assistance as was done for Grenada. This would include appealing to the generosity of citizens for donations of food, clothing, toiletries, and other basic necessities.

In the medium and longer term, he said, "We need as a people to consider how we could be of assistance in the urgent reconstruction efforts that would be required utilising the goods and services we manufacture and have available in surplus at this time."