Amcham welcomes digital ministry, calls for action on bills

The American Chamber of Commerce of TT (Amcham) has congratulated Dr Keith Rowley and the PNM on their victory at the polls on August 10.

A release on Friday from Amcham said it looks forward to working collaboratively with the new government to improve the business environment to foster greater economic growth and overall social development.

Amcham also congratulated all newly elected MPs and appointed senators and government ministers. It said the chamber looks forward to working with them all on legislative and policy matters.

"We note with some degree of pride that our country can continue to boast of political stability even during periods in which election results are not declared immediately," the release said.

"We believe this second consecutive term should provide the government greater incentive to engage in a robust legislative agenda that would radically transform our society by greatly improving the ease of doing business and the quality of life for all citizens."

Specifically, Amcham said it is looking forward to the prioritisation and fast-tracking of the full implementation of the Public Procurement Bill, The Bail Amendment Bill, Transformed Tax Collection and Administration, Customs, and Immigration transformation, including full implementation of the ASYCUDA system.

Amcham said as the country continues to manage the impact of the covid19 pandemic, it looks forward to meaningful dialogue and engagement with Government. The chamber hopes to address issues relating to trade and investment opportunities, legislative reform, maintaining law and order, and the plans for the digital transformation of the entire society.

It said Amcham is "greatly encouraged" by the explicit addition of the digital transformation title to the Ministry of Public Administration and Digital Transformation.

"We are grateful to both parties for placing such high importance to the digital economy as a matter of priority in their campaigns this year," the release said.

"We trust that the Government will stay true to its commitment to delivering this digital governance agenda to our citizens and that the Opposition will constructively support this objective."

Amcham has been a long proponent of digital transformation as has repeatedly called for legal digital identity, single national identification number, full acceptance of electronic signatures by the Government and to fully implement the legislative arrangements and processes for e-payments.

With covid19 still a real threat, Amcham believes a large part of the solution to securing the nation’s economy lies in the swift digital transformation in both the public and private sectors.

TT and the world are in a very unstable, uncertain place, the release said.

"To ensure we are successful in meeting the myriad of challenges before us, we believe this moment in our nation’s history requires collaborative, bold and clear leadership that truly addresses the real issues affecting the lives of citizens," it said.

Amcham called on the Government and Opposition to put aside "petty differences" and lead the meaningful change that will improve citizens' quality of life.

"It is our hope and, indeed, expectation of all government and state officials that their stewardship will be underpinned by the principles of transparency, adherence to the rule of law, respect for labour, and management of the environment," the release said.

"As always, we stand ready, willing, and able to collaborate to achieve these objectives."