Business: Rowley’s speech welcome but action must follow

Business groups have welcomed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s speech to the nation on Sunday as an attempt to keep the country informed about the state of the economy, but they remain ambivalent about the government’s ability to implement the necessary remedies for improvement.

The fate of the seabridge remains one of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s greatest concerns, one it does not believe Rowley adequately addressed in his speech.

The Chamber did, however, appreciate that Rowley took the time to communicate “quite effectively” to the population the challenges being faced by the country and what corrective action has so far been taken.

Speaking to the Newsday yesterday, Chamber chief executive officer Gabriel Faria said the country’s biggest business special interest group “looked forward to speedy implementation of initiatives identified by the government, and the resultant impact on the economy.”

Rowley’s speech was almost 45 minutes long, and covered quite a lot, Faria said. “(He) recognised the importance of engaging with the population. I think we all would have liked to have heard more positive comments, and we hope the government will take the necessary actions,” he said.

Faria added that as a country, all major interests, especially business, labour and the government, needed to work together to achieve the greatest benefits.

In a release, the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham TT) also said it welcomed the speech but wanted more specific information about how the initiatives proposed by the government would be implemented, especially those to deal with crime.

“The timely delivery of clear, accurate and detailed information is critical for investor confidence, and is characteristic of a Government that is committed to transparency, accountability and good governance in all its affairs,” AmCham said.