Leave of absence was granted to Dr. Lackram Bodoe, MP for Fyzabad, from Sittings of the House during the period January 17-21, 2022 and to Ms. Anita Haynes, MP for Tabaquite and Mr. Dinesh Rambally, MP for Chaguanas West from today’s Sitting of the House.

The National Academy of the Performing Arts Bill, 2022 and the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts Bill, 2022 were brought from the Senate and read a first time in the name of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

Prime Minister’s Question Time is a feature of today’s Sitting. Nine questions were posed to the Prime Minister by Opposition Members.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Sen. the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon, moved the second reading of The Trinidad and Tobago Special Economic Zones Bill, 2021 in the House. Debate began on the bill. Nine members contributed to the debate before the wind up by the Minister of Trade and Industry. The bill was committed to a Committee of the Whole for consideration clause by clause. No amendments were made. With 32 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions, the bill was read a third time and passed.

The Sitting concluded at 6:06 p.m.