00:00On day one of the 2025 Annual International Finance Accounting Conference, hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago at the Hyatt Regency, Trade Investment and Tourism Minister Sakiyama Maraj delivered the feature address.
00:15Our vision is clear, to transform Trinidad and Tobago into a future-ready economy, innovative, export-driven, investment-attractive and globally competitive.
00:30One that is open for business. To achieve this, the Ministry has articulated bold but achievable targets and a clear action plan.
00:42Minister Maraj has spoken as the government of Trinidad and Tobago's closest South American neighbour, Venezuela, has been critical of joint training exercises that have been taking place this week between the United States' 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.
00:58TV6 News posed the question to Minister Maraj about that issue in the context of investment.
01:04Has this issue of the US military's presence in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago's support of its presence in the Caribbean, affected how foreign investors are looking at investing in Trinidad and Tobago?
01:17I have no, I don't see why and how. I think the people are very happy, very comfortable. As I said, I just came from Europe and everybody is comfortable.
01:28In response to a question from the media, the Trade Minister said Trinidad and Tobago's trade with Venezuela is very, very small.
01:35Venezuela is a gold mine if we can sort it out there. Because you know we have duty-free concessions with Venezuela.
01:46It's a big open market that our manufacturers are jumping at the teeth if things could be normalised there and they can do business there.
01:59When you say normalised there, what do you mean?
02:01Because right now it's a problem doing business there. They have sanctions, they have all kinds of things. You know, things sort out over there and we can get that market.
02:11It's a big, huge market that we can capitalise on instantly as soon as it's, you'll have trade missions set in there the next day.
02:21Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa has expressed her government's full support for the US war on drug cartels in the Caribbean and has said it has led to a reduction in illegal trafficking of guns, drugs and people to Trinidad and Tobago.
02:35Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa has said it was a challenge. A lot of it was coming in with this high powered boats coming with four engines and they came in and bring in all that stuff. That stopped it. Right? So counterfeited will go down.
02:53I'm telling you from a personal point of view, Sasha Cosmetics is faced with fake Sasha products coming to the market. So everybody is faced with it.
03:04But I'm confident we'll get a hand on it.
03:08Minister Maraj is the founder of Sasha Cosmetics.
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