Fired up over FTAA

Anthony Hosang is a busy man these days. Apart from overseeing the day-to-day operations of his own business, Fine Art Ltd, he now sits at the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA).

Hosang, 42, was appointed the 38th president of the 50-year old association just over two weeks ago. With local manufacturers being threatened by the onslaught of globalisation and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), Hosang knows that he has plenty work to do, and very little time to do it. As a result, Hosang will spend his time bringing to TTMA’s 400 plus members and other businessmen up to speed on what steps have to be taken for TT to secure a place in the FTAA.  In fact, TTMA’s former general manager, Anthony Guissepi, resigned his post to work as a consultant on trade negotiations. “We are going up against first world countries who have economies of scale on their side.” Hosang  said in an interview. The local manufacturing sector was born out of a very protective environment with lots of licences and other regulations, he said, adding that by removing these we now have to take on the world.

He said the TTMA has been focusing on having the voice of the private sector heard through its negotiating teams, noting that this has prompted the signing of several bilateral trade agreements with countries like Cuba, the Dominican Rep-ublic and Costa Rica. Hosang voiced concern over the manufacturing sector’s response to the upcoming FTAA agreement, stressing that many business people have not yet realised how it is going to affect them. Through seminars and meetings, Hos-ang hopes to get the message out about the FTAA, and what must be done to protect TT business. As the FTAA draws closer, many more people are going to become interested, because only then will they start to realise that it is a reality and that it is definitely coming.

He reminded that the largest trading bloc in the world is less than two years away. By 2005, the FTAA would affect the lives of 800 million people throughout the Americas. He is of the view that TT is lagging behind, noting that while the TTMA will do its part, it needs some government assistance. “We are our own biggest threat,” he said, adding that the government has to play its part in ensuring that the necessary measures are implemented to strengthen the regulatory bodies and ensure that they are properly manned and funded. “These regulatory bodies like the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) need proper legislation to be able to enforce the laws of TT, especially on the sub-standard products entering TT. “TT needs to realise that the only way to level the playing field is through the regulatory bodies. Our regulatory bodies are under-funded and not given the attention they require,” Hosang added.

Hosang noted, too, that govern-ment has a major role to play in ensuring that TT’s line of defence against un-fair trading practices are in place to protect its manufacturers. “Whether we like it or not, it will affect the food that we eat, the water that we drink, our children’s access to education, our health care and essential medicines, our electricity.” “Manufacturers are already seeing the impact on their production processes and the way they do business. “As governments put policies in place and industries streamline operations for global competitiveness, we are already seeing the effects. We can boast of the variety on our grocery shelves. “But we are also seeing the closure or downsizing of many local manufacturing operations.” He said the TTMA is concerned that apart from a few manufacturers, the country is still largely ignorant and therefore ill-prepared to make the most of the opportunities of liberalised trade. While some manufacturers have adopted an “uninterested” attitude towards the FTAA, there are others who are looking for opportunities, making the changes and adjusting their production processes to create a niche for themselves in a globalised environment.

Before TT opens its doors any further to trade, he hoped that consumers appreciate the products made right here. “We have to appreciate the special things we produce,” he says, noting that they will be under threat from low cost imports made en masse by producers who already have some of the largest markets in the world. He added that consumers will have to develop a discerning taste. The playing field will never be level for TT outside, noting that manufacturers will have to identify their unique qualities and  customise products and work towards niche markets. “We are ourselves a niche — and a very small one at that — in the world of global enterprise.” The TTMA, he said, has been working closely with the Ministry of Trade, noting it needed to get legislation in place before January 2005. It is possible for the FTAA, he observed, “to increase profits for large foreign corporations without providing any real benefits to the people of TT.” Hosang is also committed to working with other manufacturers in the region to build a stronger manufacturing force. The TTMA has been meeting with other manufacturers from throughout the Caribbean under the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC).

But even with all his efforts, Hosang has his doubts. “There is still too much to be done and far too many manufacturers have the care-free attitude that their protected markets will forever be a safe haven from foreign competition.” FTAA is not going to wait on TT, he warned.