Benoit: first task is stabilising economy

Claude Benoit, Chief Executive Officer of Trico Industries, says his first and major task as newly elected Chairman of the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, is stabilising the island’s economy.

Benoit, who was elected at the Chamber’s election on Monday evening, said he plans to do this with the Chamber working with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA)

“We have meet with the THA a couple weeks ago, and we plan to work with them in making this thing possible. So, you will hear from us to set up the committee to work with the THA to stabilise the economy,” he told reporters after the election.

Asked about the Chamber’s ability to forcefully representing the concerns of the business community and other stakeholders in Tobago under his leadership, Benoit said efforts to do so will come from teamwork with the immediate past chairman, Demi John Cruickshank and other executive members and not on his own strength.

Cruickshank, who said he was relieved to be passing on the chairmanship of the Chamber, said he looks forward to working with the new Chairman.

“He (Benoit) will not be left alone he will have the expertise of former managers,” he said.

“The only disappointment I would say during my tenure is that we spent too much time fighting central government on this inter-island transportation issue and now the lines have been open… we are now establishing a team of five persons from the Chamber and five from the THA to move Tobago forward,” he said.

Attorney Martin George, newly appointed Vice Chairman of the Chamber, told reporters Tobago must have a new outlook on its issues to generate positive solutions.

“As you can see the state of Tobago, there is so much to do that when given the responsibility you look forward to the team and I feel if the team works well together we will accomplish the entire task before us… We need to take a paradigm shift in terms of how we look at things, in terms of instead of seeing the glass as half empty, we need to start seeing it as half full. With this we should accentuates the positives and build on strengths and all the things that make us uniquely Tobagonian to see to rebuild this island that we want it to be,” he told reporters.

Nathalie Mahabir is the new Secretary of the Chamber while Jason Arthur is Assistant Secretary