Couva Chamber elects new president

Newly appointed president of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce Deoraj Mahase says he intends to continue the initiatives started under outgoing president Mukesh Ramsingh.

Mahase was elected president of the chamber on Monday, during the chamber’s annual general meeting.

“There is an issue here in TT where new people who come into a position, whether at the domestic, national or regional level, want to put their own initiatives in place. It is not a bad thing, but we forget what initiatives are already ongoing that might be beneficial to people. We want to change that,” Mahase said.

Mahase said the first initiative for the chamber would be to continue the citizen surveillance initiative, which had a soft launch in May.

He explained that the initiative involves the installment of security cameras at private properties and business places, for $66 a month.

The cameras are monitored by the police for evidence and surveillance protection.

“We have already launched the project here in Couva, but we want to have a more outward approach in terms of putting the initiative to people both in the business community and private citizens,” he said. “Not just the business people have been affected by crime.”

Mahase, who served as vice president of the chamber under Ramsingh, said over the past three and a half years the chamber had laid significant groundwork and he wanted to continue its progress.

He added that about 80 per cent of the chamber’s outgoing board was re-appointed for another term.

Ramsingh said for the chamber crime continues to be a top priority, but there have been other challenges for the business community in Couva, especially at the ports.

“Businessmen are complaining that goods are not coming out of the port in a timely manner, and we end up incurring a lot of expenses in rent and demurrage. He (Mahase) comes from a maritime background so he would be able to address those issues in a more timely manner than maybe I would have,” he said.

Ramsingh thanked his staff for their support in bringing forward several initiatives which helped the business community in Couva.

The chamber boasts that they have more than 400 members.