PM: Vision 2020 not the end of the road

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning said Government’s Vision 2020 is not the creation of a state of utopia in Trinidad and Tobago, but rather one objective in a relentless quest for a better life for all citizens. Speaking at yesterday’s opening of the fourth annual Euromoney/Latin Finance Caribbean Investment Forum at the Hilton Trinidad, the Prime Minister said Vision 2020 is “a goal not normally associated with small, developing states such as ours” but TT was “very much encouraged by the potential to achieve our goal.” However, Manning said Government does not see Vision 2020 as the final stop on the road to national development.

“We recognise the achievement of our goal of developed country status not as an end in itself, but for the procurement of our people of an appropriate level of secure quality of living and the eradication of poverty among us. Our goal of developed country status must involve accelerated economic development, advanced through the optimisation of the use of our natural resources and human capital,” he declared. Manning said it was for this reason that a private sector driven, multi-sectoral group has been formed to devise a framework “that would inform development and implementation, as well as the integration of the various initiatives throughout all sectors of our society and economy.”

The Prime Minister said the local economy has experienced steady and positive growth over the last decade, at an average rate of four percent per annum. He indicated that the country’s inflation levels were low, interest rates were falling and TT was achieving record balance of payments and trade surpluses. “Ours is a positive business environment, characterised by increasing openness and the stimulation of competition,” the Prime Minister boasted. He added that TT was using the gains from its energy sector “to leverage development in other areas of our economy.” Manning spoke about proposed industrial estates at Union Park in La Brea and at Wallerfield for energy and non-energy industries respectively.

In the case of Wallerfield, the Prime Minister disclosed that “targetted international firms will soon be given the opportunity to reap synergistic benefits of establishing a presence in such a modern industrial park in our country.” Manning also remarked that while the “phenomenal development of our energy has been a marvel for the rest of the world, I assure you it is not so for us. It is the result of careful planning and implementation, pragmatic decision-making, visionary thinking and the political will to move the industry forward.”