OILFIELD Workers Trade Union (OWTU) education and research officer Ozzie Warwick questioned if successive governments have used TT's natural resources to benefit the population.
He asked this question during a virtual forum co-hosted by the union and the TT Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) on Thursday.
During his contribution, Warwick extended condolences to the family of Kernella Saunders who was killed by a stray bullet at her Trainline, Malabar, Arima home on Tuesday.
He said many people would not know that Saunders was a member of the Banking and Insurance General Workers Union (BIGWU) at that union's branch at Cipriani Labour College in Valsayn.
Warwick also observed this year marks the 53rd anniversary of the Black Power Movement in TT, which saw government declaring a state of emergency after there were mass protests by young people for social and political change.
While personal safety and security are uppermost in people's minds because of the level of crime in TT today, Warwick said economic security is equally important as well.
He recalled that this was one of the factors which contributed to the Black Power Movement in the 1970s.
For this reason, Warwick said governments must be accountable to the public about how the country's revenues are used.
"Natural resources belong to the people."
While government is the the custodians of a country's natural resources, Warwick said, "People must benefit from the commanding heights of the economy,."
He was uncertain whether successive governments have allowed this and whether the trickle down effect of revenues often mentioned in economics, benefits the people who need it most.
Warwick opined that scenarios which see a country enjoying large revenues, are fertile grounds for poor governance and corruption.
He said one way to ensure politicians and big business remains accountable to the public is an informed and strong civil society movement. Warwick added if necessary, this movement must be able to take to the streets to demand accountability from people in positions of authority.
TTEITI chairman Gregory McGuire said while many people have the perception that politicians are corrupt, it does not apply to all politicians.
He observed that in TT "there are two (political) parties playing around since 1995."
McGuire said since that time, different governments have created various institutions to channel state revenues. He added it is debatable as to whether that money reaches the people it is supposed to or goes to party supports.
"That's the reality."
McGuire said one thing all governments in TT have in common is providing as much funding as they could to maintain a strong social safety net.
The reason for this is simple.
"They know where the votes are."
McGuire said TTEITI has no evidence to suggest there has been corruption in the energy sector, where oil and gas revenues are concerned.
He added that data on revenue collection from various extractive industries in TT provides important information t
