IDB lists more plans to work with THA

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has pledged to continue working with Tobago and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

So said the IDB’s TT country representative Carina Cockburn as she spoke with Newsday during the 2023 cheer fair at the Scarborough Esplanade on Wednesday.

The cheer fair, hosted by the IDB in collaboration with the THA, is IDB’s community engagement event, said Cockburn.

“What we try to do is to come to the community level and discuss the work that we are doing and the work that our partners are doing with citizens, with families, with communities, and engage in an interactive way.”

She said the collaborations with the THA had been amazing. Activities included exhibition booths, cultural displays and a health and wellness festival featuring TT Moves as well as giveaways.

She said the IDB has been in TT for over 50 years as it serves Latin America and the Caribbean as a development bank.

“We provide banks and financing to the government and to private-sector entities as well. We mobilise grants, we do research, we provide advice and support in other ways for development projects.”

She said in Tobago, it has been working with a number of the THA divisions.

“We have blue economy entrepreneurs who we support here. We also have supported the construction of a number of ground wastewater treatment plants. We are working with the THA on the Riseland Housing Development. We provide capacity-building and training in a number of areas, and for the THA we have provided training on statistics.”

She add that there are upcoming plans as well.

“We have work that we’re doing with the Tourism Division, which we will announce soon, so there is a new technical co-operation there.

"We are doing work with protected areas to help with the administration of protected areas here in Tobago, and we will continue to work with the blue-economy stakeholders, because we see Tobago as a centre for that, and the opportunity for that is significant.

"In addition, we’re going to start engaging in the renewable-energy space. I think it is completely possible for Tobago to become a green island totally powered by renewable energy. If we can support that, we’ll love to do it.”