Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar is standing behind her concerns raised about the sale of the Petrotrin refinery. 

In a press conference to respond to the Prime Minister today, Persad-Bissessar said both Dr. Rowley and the OWTU have not denied that the refinery was being offered at a price tag of $500 million, which she alleged on Monday.

“After all this to-ing and fro-ing, the population needs answers. Government accepted the Patriotic bid, offered a 13-year time period to pay. Then in a counteroffer, Patriotic offered US$500M as the upfront payment.”

She further pressed: “What is the price of Paria and its assets? What would be accepted and on what terms? Has Patriotic been able to adequately demonstrate its ability to raise the necessary funds to make an upfront payment? Are these sources committed? Because the documents we have seen suggest otherwise.”

Persad-Bissessar rejected the PM’s response on Wedneday as “political garbage”, saying “the population has been taken on a roller coaster ride.”

Earlier this week both Dr. Rowley and President General of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, Ancel Roget, described Persad-Bissessar’s public statements on the matter as “unfortunate”, saying the Opposition’s unfounded allegations had now potentially hurt ongoing negotiations.