Tobago Business Chamber: Young an excellent choice

TOBAGO Business Chamber chairman Martin George has congratulated Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young on his selection by the People's National Movement (PNM) to become the country's next prime minister when Dr Keith Rowley relinquishes office in the coming months.

Rowley announced his intention to retire from representative politics and step down as prime minister during a media conference in Tobago on January 3. On January 6, Rowley announced Young would take his place as head of government before the end of the current term.

That position was affirmed by PNM general secretary Foster Cummings during a media conference after a meeting of the party's general council on January 11.

After PNM MPs initially voted 11-9 in favour of Young over Arima MP Pennelope Beckles at a retreat in Tobago a week earlier, Cummings said Young had gained the support of all PNM MPs by the end of the meeting.

It is not clear exactly when Rowley will step down, but he says he should be done with his last remaining official duties before Carnival. Rowley remains the political leader of the PNM.

On January 12, George congratulated Young on the PNM's decision on behalf of the chamber.

“We think he is an excellent choice and we think that he will bring a fresh perspective to the office of prime minister and a new style of leadership and direction for the country of TT.

"He is from a strong business family and he is an accomplished attorney-at-law and I think that he understands the needs of the population and what is necessary to take TT to the next level."

When asked what he thought Young would do differently from the current prime minister, George said, “I hope that he would have a look at the aspects of improving the business climate, facilitating the ease of doing business and improving the flow of direct foreign investment, not just in Trinidad, but also in Tobago, by the removal and repeal of the Foreign Investment Act, which prevents all direct foreign investment into Tobago at this time."

The repeal of the Foreign Investment Act is a matter the Tobago Business Chamber has been advocating for many years.

In a statement on June 7, 2024 George called the legislation “repressive and obstructive.”

He said, “Instead of facilitating direct foreign investment like so many other islands in the Caribbean are doing, this archaic and anachronistic Foreign Investment Act has us placing and maintaining hurdles and obstacles in the way of investors.

"The simple fact of the matter is that the act needs to go. It needs to be repealed and expunged from our laws immediately and entirely.”

This, he said, would allow the inflow of needed foreign exchange into Tobago, with obvious spillover benefits for the entire country.

“So that’s one of the things we as the Tobago Business Chamber will be calling on Young to treat with diligently. We trust that he will take the approach whereby he is the prime minister for all of TT and ensures that we as a nation can move forward with peace, prosperity and progress.”