Sealing the South-South route

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago aims to transform the country from a developing island to a developed nation by the year 2020.  The success of this vision is closely tied to the performance of the changing global economy and Trinidad and Tobago’s ability to make use of the opportunities arising from these changes. One important facet of this strategic plan is to position Trinidad and Tobago as the manufacturing and financial centre of the Caribbean. Consequently, to fulfil this role the Government has identified the need to further develop Trinidad and Tobago’s ports, both air and sea, into major transportation hubs of the Southern Caribbean. With trade liberalisation and globalisation as the primary factors driving the international economic agenda, Trinidad and Tobago must ensure that it benefits from the changes taking place as a result of developments and shifts in the global economy. One of the main economic objectives is to diversify the economy away from its dependence on the petroleum sector, by among other things, strengthening the gas-based energy sector, and developing non-energy based manufacturing activities and services. It is therefore critical that as a country we explore and exploit opportunities in non-traditional markets, as we seek to develop these new products and services.

It is against this background that Trinidad and Tobago has initiated the South-South Route Development Programme.  This South-South route development is an integral part of Government’s Vision 2020 programme. The objective is to establish air and sea links between Trinidad and Tobago and South and Central America in order to develop closer ties and gain enhanced access to market to the 800 million consumers. It is part of the strategic plan to expand Trinidad and Tobago’s market space and allow our manufacturers more room to grow. This South-South Route Development Programme is chaired by Ambassador Jerry Narace and representatives of all the key stakeholders serve on the programme’s Steering Committee. 

Air Links
The air transportation segment of the programme adopted a phased approach. Phase I involved twice-weekly flights by BWIA to Costa Rica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.  The start of BWIA’s service to the Dominican Republic on January 21, 2004 completed Phase I of the programme as flights to Costa Rica and Cuba began in 2003. The second phase of the programme will include flights to Panama, Belem, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico and Colombia. There are many benefits to be derived from this South-south programme. Chief among them would be the creation of an enabling business environment, which will enhance Trinidad and Tobago’s chances of being considered for the permanent site of the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). There will also be the development of multi-destination tourism, culture, trade and investment with Latin America and the wider Caribbean. In addition to the development of air and sea links, Cabinet has also approved a bilingual initiative to make Spanish our first foreign language. Thereby positioning this country as an efficient intermediary between the English speaking north and Spanish speaking south. This programme will be officially launched later this year.

Sea Links
The second major area in the South-South Route Development Programme will be sea transhipment. Trinidad and Tobago already serves as a major transhipment hub in the Southern Caribbean and our goal is to expand this role.  We have fourteen recognized seaports of entry. Four major seaports in Trinidad are Port of Spain, Point Lisas, Chaguaramas and Point Galeota. Port of Spain has a sheltered harbour, capable of handling bulk container shipping and cruise ships. Point Lisas is a fully developed industrial port, which specializes in handling petrochemicals, iron and steel and containerised and general cargo. Chaguaramas located on the active western peninsula has a terminal and a dry dock facility, which handles vessel repairs. There is also a lot of large vessel movement as a major bauxite plant is housed there. Point Galeota located on the southern tip of Trinidad is the main port from which BP undertakes its major oil operations. Additionally, with major port development works at both Point Lisas and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago is ideally positioned to take advantage of its geographic position. 

The South-South Route Development Programme will also address:
* the development of Trinidad and Tobago as a homeport for cruise ships in the Caribbean; and
* the promotion of Trinidad and Tobago for airline stopovers, refuelling and as a maintenance hub
Caricom is presently seeking to deepen the level of economic, social and cultural integration through the ongoing efforts to establish a Caricom Single and Market Economy (CSME). Accordingly, our thrust to improve domestic air and sea links will continue to facilitate and further enhance this process. The South - South Route development programme will prove to be both timely and strategic in our efforts to finalize the negotiations for the

FTAA and secure housing its headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has one of the strongest economies in Caricom. Therefore, any improvement in our trading links with the Americas will automatically boost the regional economy. Naturally, any benefits, which accrue to the region, will ultimately and positively impact this economy as well. In this regard Trinidad and Tobago will pursue all efforts to function as one of the catalyst for growth in the regional economy.

This article is part of the public education by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. For further information please contact Dionne Ligoure, Communications Specialist, the Ministry of Trade and Industry at dligoure@tradeind.gov.tt or 868. 623.2931-4 ext. 2028. Fax 868.627.0002