Trade Minister says PM looking at Tobago transport

Responding to a question about how to solve these problems to ensure a smooth business link between Trinidad and Tobago, Gopee-Scoon replied, “I think its certainly more than business.

Trinidad and Tobago is one country. The Prime Minister is taking a special interest in this.” Rowley, who is also the Diego Martin West MP, is from Mason Hall in Tobago.

Gopee-Scoon also indicated that the Tourism Ministry and other entites are also looking at these longstanding issues, “especially if we are going to be focusing on Tobago to increase our revenue.” Against this background, she reiterated, “There is special interest, targeted interest at this time on improving the transport between Trinidad and Tobago.” Providing an update on the trade mission she led to Cuba last week, Gopee-Scoon said it was “largely successful” and her Cuban counterpart has given a commitment to attend the next Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) to be held in this country next year.

She said seven local companies are currently on the ground in Cuba which is an excellent market with 11 million persons.

Gopee-Scoon also said local companies have expressed interest in investing in the Marion Economic Zone in Cuba.

Gopee-Scoon also said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is looking at the possibility of importing drugs from Cuba and one local business landed an agreement to send 52 containers of goods to Cuba between now and December.While in Cuba, Gopee-Scoon said she was fortunate to meet with Haitian Commerce Minister Jessy C. Petit-Fr?re who wants to visit TT next year.

Gopee-Scoon said she would be discussing this with Rowley and local businesses are interested in investing in Haiti as well, which has a market of nine million persons. Earlier in the briefing, Acting Attorney General Stuart Young reconfirmed that Haitian student Luxon Saint-Herve can stay in TT, after a High Court judge ordered so on Monday in the San Fernando Supreme Court.

Relating the sequence of events and the intervention of his ministry in the matter, Young said, “A decision had been made and there was no threat of the student being deported. It was a satisfactory outcome.” Gopee-Scoon also said Venzuela has made three purchases of manufactured goods from TT under a trade arrangment between the two countries in May. She disclosed that a trade mission could be going to Venezuela next year and the South American nation also provided investment opportunities for local manufacturers, in the context of ongoing TT-Venezuela energy talks.