Tunapuna Chamber: Seabridge affecting business

WHILE the country continues to struggle with the downturn in the economy, companies that do business in Tobago now have to spend more to get goods across to Tobago, said president of the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GTCIC) Surindra Maharaj. He said owing to the unreliability of the ferry service, companies are struggling to prepare and plan delivery/transport operations in Tobago.

“Businesses which have built a reputation on providing quality customer service to their valued clients face failing relationships due to untimely deliveries and poor responsiveness to their customers’ needs. The GTCIC, is calling on all stakeholders, government and otherwise, to put aside their differences. The GTCIC urges unity over divisiveness, communication over argument and solutions over problems,” he said.

In a release, Maharaj said the GTCIC continues to monitor, and note with increasing dismay the further collapse of the seabridge. He said the latest footage, circulating on social media, of passengers being forced to abandon the water taxi after it was pressed into service, was horrifying. “Indeed, many of the passengers on board described their voyage as nothing short of traumatising and frightening. These are certainly not words one would hope to hear from the upstanding, law-abiding and innocent citizens of our nation.

“Our business colleagues in Tobago continued to express hope the Easter weekend may bring some respite to their struggling circumstances,” he said.