CARILED ends in TT

The four-year project, which began locally in 2012, and was first accommodated in the Chaguanas borough, was done in partnership and with funding from the Canadian government.

Speaking at the “Final Knowledge Sharing Event” yesterday at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, Rufelds said the lessons shared at yesterday’s event, which also included a panel discussion, “will highlight the important role that local government plays in the development of your nation.” With the current phase of the project at an end, she expressed the hope that lessons learned, exchanges on best practices, and networking, have had a positive and lasting effect on human lives in TT and across the Caribbean.

The aim of the project, she said, was to help organs of local government work better with constituents to contribute to economic development.

In Tobago, training in business development among medium, small and micro-enterprises was done. Support in the form of equipment was provided to the Tobago Agro Processors Association (TAPA) to support their processing capability.

“Good work is going on there in Tobago,” she said, and TAPA was working closely with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

Among those sharing their experiences and how their entities benefited were chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation Henry Awong, entrepreneur and president of TAPA Darilyn Smart, and local economic development officer, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, Stacy Ramroop.

Rufelds said over the past four years the Ministry of Local Government and the THA have worked closely with CARILED.

Some of the notable areas of collaboration, she said, had been the advancement of the national policy environment, particularly in terms of rural development, local government, and local economic development.

There has also been significant institution creation and capacity-building at municipal levels. “That is extraordinary,” she said.

Municipal capacity development, she said, was done through various training sessions, study tours to Canada and participation in global conferences such as the United Cities and local government-organised forums.