National Awards will be Held at the Diplomatic Centre – NOT Official Residence
Contact: UDeCOTT Corporate Communications - 627-0083. August 10, 2007: The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited (UDeCOTT) today responded to an article in the Newsday entitled - "National Awards at Manning's Mansion". Calder Hart, UDeCOTT's Chairman, expressed the view that this article seeks to imply that the facility is Mr. Manning's house and not the Official Residence of the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago. In addition, Mr. Hart confirmed that the National Awards Ceremony is not being held at the Official Residence but at the Diplomatic Center. Hart reiterated that "the Diplomatic Center is a Government facility, for use by the Government to deal with visiting Heads of State, diplomatic events, ceremonial functions, and special occasions". Mr. Hart clarified that the President himself had requested the use of the facility, which he had visited on several occasions. The President's House, where the ceremonies have been held in the past, is now a condemned structure, and UDeCOTT has taken on the responsibility of restoring this particular facility. Mr. Hart remarked that it is regrettable that these misguided references by the press on the official residence continue to be made, when the fact is the facility is for the Prime Minister of this country, whoever he or she might be. The facility has been developed to world class standards and we are confident that when citizens see it these disingenuous remarks will cease.
UDeCOTT is developing the structures that form part of Vision 2020,
the development plan of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
|
