The focus was on the future and strengthening relationships as bp Trinidad and Tobago's (bpTT) president, Claire Fitzpatrick, held discussions with various stakeholders from Mayaro on Thursday.
A release from bpTT quoted Fitzpatrick as saying, 'Mayaro has always been and will remain a priority for bpTT and this relationship is being enhanced through our net zero ambition.
"We are committed to engaging with members of the Mayaro community as we view them as important stakeholders for our business. Even though covid19 restrictions prevent us from meeting in person as we have in the past, we are no less committed to open dialogue with stakeholders in the community, so we have used technology to our advantage to engage virtually. We were glad for this opportunity to interact, share business and social context and to provide an opportunity for community representatives to highlight any issues or concerns.'
'For close to two decades we have delivered on this commitment to have the highest level of bpTT leadership engage with the Mayaro community. The feedback and energy at the session were encouraging. The atmosphere was one of shared respect and it is good to know that we remain a valued partner in the continued development of Mayaro and its environs,' bpTT's president added.
Thursday's virtual session saw participation from 80 representatives of the Mayaro business sector, community-based organisations, government agencies, education institutions and other stakeholders, the release said.
Topics ranged from the importance of TT in bp's net zero ambitions, the significance of natural gas in energy transition, future field developments, infrastructure projects, opportunities for community contractors and how community initiatives will evolve to better align to bp's new sustainability frame.
Founder and president of the Mayaro Movement for Social Upliftment, Robert McIntosh said, 'This type of interaction with bpTT's leadership is always positive and demonstrates that our voice as a community is respected. From education to sports to entrepreneurship, bpTT has invested in many facets of Mayaro and it is good to know that their future plans continue to hold a significant place for us. As a proud member of this community, I look forward to continuing to work with them for the betterment of Mayaro and our nation.'
Fitzpatrick was joined by Rodney Hosein, vice-president of production; Michael Daniel, project general manager; Camille Boodhai-Kangal, procurement senior manager; Giselle Thompson, vice-president corporate operations; as well as Kamal Samsundar, area production manager with responsibility for operations at Galeota and Beachfield.
Discussions also focused on the impacts of the pandemic and how paradigms have been shifted in the south-eastern community to encompass a vastly transformed social and economic reality.
Andy Paul, Principal of Mayaro Government Primary School, 'Facilitating this opportunity for us to discuss the way forward is
