No war with construction sector: Manning

Prime Minister Patrick Manning is backing away from his talk of war with the construction sector.

On Monday Manning spoke of "a war" between Government and some elements of the construction sector, and predicted that some "soldiers" may fall. "They’re coming at me from every angle, but I fear no man," Manning said.

Read the story: Manning declares construction sector war

Manning's statements at cottage meeting of his party prompted a swift response from officials in the sector.

At a media conference Tuesday Emile Elias, founder of the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC), accused Manning of double standards.

Elias noted that it is Manning who ended the "love affair" with contractors. He said when Manning sat as opposition leader he was happy when the JCC provided him with information on suspected corruption in the procurement practices at the Piarco Airport Development Project and the Desalination Plant, in Pt Lisas.

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A media release Wednesday from the Office of the Prime Minister addressed "concerns raised by the public, in response to reports in the media that Government was at ’war’ with the construction sector".

The release stated: "The prime minister wishes to state clearly that the Government is not now, or has it ever been, in any literal war with any group or person in Trinidad and Tobago."

Manning said his comment in St Joseph on Monday "was in no way intended to exacerbate a conflict but to draw attention to the serious deficiencies in one of the most important areas of the local economy and to indicate that appropriate remedial steps were underway".

The PM explained that he was raising concerns over the setbacks in the national infrastructure development program, and explained that the problems were "largely due to unsatisfactory work being done by the local construction sector".

He said the point he was making is that the government would fight to make sure cost over runs are eliminated and that the public gets value for the money.