Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal: Debe Data Centre Could Revitalise South Trinidad
The proposed data centre in the Debe area is being warmly welcomed by the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Roodal Moonilal.
Dr Moonilal expressed his feelings as he spoke with members of the media following a school bag distribution ceremony in Debe on Friday, saying he and his constituents are welcoming the proposed data centre.
« I have been inundated. I have been hounded down by constituents asking for jobs in that data centre that is being constructed in Debe, Picton, and there is a lot of excitement there that that will create not just jobs but spin-off businesses. The data tells us that there is no risk to the water supply, nor anything like that. There is no risk to anything, and we are extremely happy. »
He noted that the centre will mean the revitalisation of South Trinidad.
« I want to remind people that over the last two decades or so, the Central and South have been hit by two catastrophes: one, the closure of Caroni, and second, the closure of Petrotrin. Interestingly, both occurred and damaged the southern economy. Both we have had. It’s a double shot. Caroni and Petrotrin. And there has been no industrial expansion activity in South Trinidad for many, many years. »
The MP for Oropouche East indicated that he hasn’t received negative comments from his constituents regarding the proposed establishment of the centre in their area.
« That data centre is most welcome, and I have been extremely happy that the Debe campus is on target and that the data centre has been located in our constituency. It is something that I am extremely proud of. And no, to answer your question, nobody ever come up to me anything about risk or nothing. In fact, I am now keeping a file on people who are applying for jobs there. »
He added that a location has been identified for the data centre.
« They have also identified suitable lands in the vicinity of Debe that could be used for the data centre. And we are extremely happy with that. And we believe that that will trigger off a process of much more industrial development in these areas, which is very much needed because, as I told you before, both Caroni and Petrotrin, when they were closed. They affected the southern economy in a sense to a bigger extent than it did any other part of the country. »
Dr Moonilal advised that people ought not to prejudge the establishment of the data centre.
« The people who are saying it will cause noise never hear a data centre yet, so that’s the first point, because there is none. Today is a very, very hot day, and I don’t know the temperature now, but if you ask somebody, they might say the data centre open because if you associate that with an increase in temperature, then we have about 25 data centres already. Those things, listen, as industry comes, there is always, as someone who has studied industrial development, there are always fears and rumour mongering and so on with industrial development. »
He insisted that the data centre’s establishment will benefit the whole country.
« Once change comes, the people benefit by change because they will get the jobs, they will get the revenue, they will get investment in their area, they will expand what they’re selling and so on. So we are very, very confident that this is a very, very positive development for South Trinidad and Trinidad and Tobago as a whole. And I as an MP am extremely happy to welcome the data centre. »
The proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Debe involves a multi-billion-dollar US investment by Ernst & Young and Hummingbird AI.
