Chaguaramas revamp

Chaguaramas with its natural deep water harbour, its large area of available land space, an already laid down infrastructure put down by the Americans during World War 11 and the ability of the Gulf of Paria, which washes its coast line, to accommodate thousands of yachts in safety during a storm is a shoo-in as a major industrial estate and tourism centre on Trinidad’s North-West peninsula. One of the areas in Trinidad leased to the United States of America by Britain in the 1941 Lend-Lease Agreement as military and/or naval bases to be used as lines of defense for the US and Latin America against atttack by the Germans in World War 11, Chaguaramas is positioned strategically to be developed as a principal in this country’s future economic and industrial growth.

Water mains, power lines and a viable network of roads, with foundations still able to withstand heavy traffic decades after having been laid down, plus the available land space as noted earlier, will make it that much easier to establish an industrial area at Chaguaramas. In turn, its deep water harbour would facilitate both the offloading of materials and equipment for plant construction as well as for production of goods and services and the export of finished products. A plus is that while some of Trinidad and Tobago’s industrial estates are either sited inland or planned for inland Chaguaramas being a seaport then the relative proximity to the sea of the majority of any plants sited there would appreciably reduce the cost of production and the shipped finished products. But because of the congestion which could be caused with excess traffic clashing with available road space — Chaguaramas has only one entry road at present, the Western Main Road — care should be taken to seek to attract capital intensive as opposed to labour intensive industries.

This would avoid creating congestion into Chaguaramas and triggering the possibility of built in late coming, and a repeated loss in production. The Government, however, could explore the possibility of a new overland route to and from Chaguaramas. The cost of overland transport of materials imported for plants, and goods manufactured by these plants for export would be minimal as most of the transport would be by nearby ship to shore and vice versa, making them more competitive, an increasingly crucial factor in the age of globalisation. Natural gas for energy based industries could readily be piped from Central Trinidad, for example. In addition, steps could be taken to provide for the piping of gas to housing developments in any new residential areas which may arise, as well as existing housing. The Tourism and Industrial Development Corporation, or indeed its succesors when its twin functions — industry and tourism — are separated can market Chaguaramas as a tourist destination.

Expanded emphasis can be placed on Chaguaramas as a port of call and an extended stopover point for yachts, and because of the area’s several nature trails, flora and fauna, as an eco tourism centre. Meanwhile, nature parks can be established and protected by law, and eco tourism which has an undeniable appeal for scores of tourists visiting Trinidad and Tobago, could be developed at Chaguaramas and marketed regionally and internationally. The end result would be the attracting of thousands of additional tourists, including stopover visitors to this country and more money turned around within the economy. This would lead to an expansion of the hospitality industry, the construction of more hotels and restaurants, and an increase in the provision of goods and services. The concept of Chaguaramas as a tourism and industrial centre with the natural spin off of further ship repair yards as well is worth serious study.