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  • 11 months ago
If businesses and government work together and collaborate, there can be a solution to the country's forex problem.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce Kiran Maharaj says there will be challenges but it can be achieved.

Nicole M Romany reports.
Transcript
00:00Miraj notes that there is need to focus on reducing the country's forex bill.
00:05She highlights the fact that the food import bill remains high.
00:09However, she adds that Trinidad and Tobago has a lot of potential to export as well and
00:15to earn forex from other sectors.
00:18Still, she says, collaboration is key.
00:21So I think if we do this collectively with sufficient collaboration, because you don't
00:26want to duplicate efforts.
00:28You want to create efficiencies that are really beneficial to all.
00:33So creating those efficiencies may mean creating synergies.
00:35And I think if we do that, I think we can actually get over the bump.
00:41But it's not going to be an easy bump, right?
00:43It's going to be a rough ride, but I think we can do it.
00:46The chamber president tells of an upcoming conference titled Catalyst 2025, a transformative
00:53two-day event designed to empower small and medium enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:59We have to start moving away from the concept of just looking for grants to get a project
01:05done and then nothing.
01:06We need to look at the marketing and distribution and the sustainability of what we're doing.
01:11So we're going to focus a lot on monetization.
01:14She also weighed in on crime, acknowledging that it is a crippling problem.
01:19However, she said, there is still a lot of interest in what this country has to offer.
01:25Crime has to come under a little more control.
01:27You know, that is really top of my wish list.
01:30If I had the magic wand, solving crime would be the thing, but we know it's not a one-stop
01:35solution, right?
01:36This has to be multiple things that have to be done.
01:40But yes, there is interest and there continues to be interest.
01:43And I know for a fact that there are some businesses out of the U.S. that are excited
01:48to come here in April.
01:51And they're coming here because obviously they are seeing opportunity.
01:54Nicole M. Romani, TV6 News.
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