Bar owners still pushing to reopen

Teron Mohan, interim president of the recently formed Bar Owners/Operators Association of TT (BOATT) said he was happy to receive the attention of the authorities about the reopening of bars.

On May 29 the association called for bars to reopen in the fourth phase of the Government’s plan.

Mohan said in a phone interview the association was “extremely hopeful” of the reopening.

CMO Roshan Parasram said on Monday that he had received submissions from the bar association, casinos and cinemas via the Chamber of Commerce on protocols and policies for reopening.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh also said his ministry will continue to reach out to bars and other institutions over the course of the week.

The association is planning to get its guidelines to Parasram by Wednesday.

Mohan said the association received negative remarks from “a vast majority of the population” when it made its position public.

But the association and its 156 members did not take “anything to heart.”

However, he said, “It is not nice for some members of the population to refer to us so negatively.

“Our industry does constitute a seizable stake in our TT economy. Our taxes do have a massive impact on the Government’s revenue and on top of that we employ a very hefty workforce.”

Mohan estimates the industry’s workforce to be over 100,000 people.

“It is kind of hard to see the negative remarks. But this thing is affecting families on a very massive scale just from our industry alone,” he added.

The association and its members did not pursue government compensation or “fight” for grants, he said.

Mohan said staff applied for grants offered by the Government in the wake of the covid19 pandemic, but to date many have not “received a cent.”

“A massive number of them have not been able to receive any grants. It makes the situation a lot harder too,” Mohan said.

“We don’t want to extort the Government for anything. We don’t want to hold the Government to ransom for anything.

“We want to work with the Government. We want to put people to work. We want to be able to open and trade and families are highly dependent on the industry. I can’t stress that enough.” The industry is willing to adapt to the new normal, Mohan said.