THE San Fernando Business Association (SFBA) has hailed the government’s move to restart operations at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, describing the decision as an economic lifeline for South Trinidad and a long-awaited boost for national development.

SFBA president Daphne Bartlett, in a news release on December 7, said the association is “extremely happy” that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has decided to greenlight the refinery’s reopening, a central campaign pledge of the new administration. She said the refinery’s closure in 2018 disrupted foreign exchange earnings, crippled downstream industries, and drained already scarce resources.

“When the refinery was closed, it was very profitable. We sold fuel to airlines and other countries and earned vital forex. For domestic use, we paid with TT dollars, and the by-product, bitumen, kept our road network maintained,” Bartlett said. “Since the shutdown, we’ve had to import these products with scarce foreign exchange, and that’s one reason our roads are in such disrepair.”