Central businessmen losing $25M monthly sales

IN THE aftermath of Gover-nment’s lay-off of approximately 9,000 workers from Caroni 1975 Ltd earlier this year, president of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce Rudy Maharaj claims businessmen in Central Trinidad have lost a $25 million-a-month revenue source and are now feeling the economic pinch.

Speaking to Newsday in a telephone interview yesterday, Maharaj said: “With the Christmas season upon us, a lot of retail businesses situated in Chaguanas and environs are now feeling the negative impact of the decision to lay-off these workers. “While Caroni 1975 Ltd was up and running, there was an average of $25 million in revenue circulating within Central Trinidad. But now with the retrenchment of its workers, this revenue source no longer exists,” Maharaj added. He said the situation had reached a stage where businessmen have no choice but to resort to cutting back on their staff in order to cover monthly expenses for running their respective businesses.

Regarding illegal street vending along Chaguanas Main Road, Maharaj said the Chamber made a proposal to Chaguanas Mayor Surujrattan Rambachan to transform Nipdec car park, situated next to the Chaguanas market, into a vendor’s mall with a housing capacity of about 130 vendors. “The proposed three-floor vendor’s mall for Chaguanas will be recognised as a high level image/standard throughout Trinidad, meaning that, yes, it would be affordable to the vendors where rental fees is concerned, but it will also be of a particular standard that would be accepted by persons of the upper class society,” Maharaj explained.

Maharaj also claimed that the Chamber made a proposal to the Government in setting up an industrial park. “The industrial park, Singapore originated, would consist of the establishment of numerous “smart companies” in the area of technology and service-type operations and this would be keeping in line with the Government’s 2020 developed nation objective,” Maharaj said. “This technological step forward will benefit not only Central Trinidad but the country as a whole and the transition will allow both small and large enterprises to move away from the traditional way of conducting business,” he ended.