Minister to furniture sector: Maximise capacity

“With this in mind, I am certain that we will continue to see new and exciting developments arising from our local furniture sector in the coming years, includ ing more local products on offer throughout the Courts chain,” Gopee- Scoon said. She made the remarks while delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of Courts at Calcutta Settlement, Road #1 in Freeport, off the Solomon Hochoy Highway.

The Minister noted that this country has had many years of enviable economic growth.

However, it does not safeguard citizens from the challenges posed by volatile energy prices and global competition.

Gopee-Scoon added, “As we set our sights on the goal of wider diversification and sustainable economic development, the Government encourages private sector players to follow Unicomer’s example in fortifying their respective brands and embracing innovation.” Unicomer is an international retail group which represents more than 30 retail brands across the region, among them Courts, Courts Optical and Servitech, to name a few.

The Minister explained that direct investments, such as the opening of Courts’ newest branch, have expansive, positive, direct and indirect spillover effects on society. She noted that the “efficient functioning of our local markets” depends on an adequate level of competition among producers.

By increasing consumer choice, Gopee-Scoon said, this investment will increase the level of competition in the domestic furniture market and thus increase the economic welfare of consumers. Commending the Unicomer Group for serving this country by “being a driver of social and economic development”, the Minister charged that the investment created 250 jobs during construction.

That figure is expected to generate some 500 permanent jobs when the full project is completed.

Among those in attendance at yesterday’s ceremony were: Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary of El Salvador to CARICOM, Raymundo Rodriguez Diaz; vice-president and managing director of Unicomer Caribbean and USA, Mario Guerrero; Managing Director, Unicomer (Trinidad Limited), Clive Fletcher; and General Manager at Courts Freeport, Debra Thomas.

Gopee-Scoon noted that Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory to 12 free trade or preferential trading agreements that together offer a potential market size of approximately one billion.

It is part of the Government’s plan, she said, to continue engaging countries in such bilateral discussions to encourage the expansion of local industry and investment, both foreign and local.

In his welcome address, Guerrero noted that with the opening of the store yesterday, it marked Courts’ 21st and Courts Optical’s 13th store in Trinidad.

The vice-president added that the Unicomer Group is the proud sponsor of the Courts Speak Out Programme and the Courts Cocoa in the Community Project.

Both initiatives allow the Group to widen the impact of efforts across several communities, Guerrero said. “As we continue our expansion throughout the Caribbean, we invest with confidence in the future, creating new employment opportunities for many as we increase our retail footprint adding new stores and new chains to better serve the people of the 15 Caribbean countries we serve,” he added.

Fletcher, in his welcoming remarks, told the gathering that the new store features a 25,000 square-foot showroom filled with the “very latest” in a variety of items.

These include home appliances, televisions, electronics, digit products, a wide range of stylish furniture, as well as a Courts Sleep Centre and a full service Courts Optical.