Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association

THE MANUFACTURER PAGE 4
opportunity. This time around it is
not going to be the small and the
weak that get eaten first by the big
and strong. It will be the big and
juicy that gets eaten by the
collaborative small.”
Mr. Hadeed's message that
“knowledge should be shared”
was also clear as he extended an
offer to the Jamaican contingent to
a ssist them with t he
implementation of the private
sector's version of the Beverage
Container Bill which the TTMA has
been attempting to pass for almost
ten years.
The Beverage Container Bill if
passed, will not only allow for the
successful removal of beverage
containers from the nation's drains
and waterways, but it will also
create opportunities for the
recycling of other materials such as
tires, batteries, and appliances. In
addition to the primary benefits to
TTMA enhances trade andregionalcooperation
between Trinidadand Tobago andJamaica
On Monday 28th March, 2011, one day before
its AGM and Business Breakfast Meeting
featuring the Hon. Karl Samuda, Minister of
Industry, Investment and Commerce, Jamaica,
the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers'
Association (TTMA) met with the Hon.
Minister and his trade delegation to reiterate its
support of Jamaican manufacturers and to
further dialogue on the way forward with trade
between the two islands.
TTMA's meeting with the Jamaican Trade
Mission including Mr. Omar Azan, president of
the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA),
Mr. Vitus Evans, president of the Jamaica
Exporters' Association (JEA), Mr. Francis
Kennedy, vice president of the Jamaica
Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and other
Meeting of presidents- Mr. Dominic Hadeed, newly elected president of the TTMA greets Mr. Greig Laughlin,
Immediate Past President of the Association
the environment, the Beverage
Container Bill will also create new
companies and new products,
sustainable jobs and new tax
revenue from profits earned. The
TTMA continues to wait for the
necessary legislation for the
enactment of the bill and the
expected advantages to the social
and economic landscape.
The Business Breakfast
meeting also provided the ideal
opportunity for Mr. Hadeed to lay
out his expectations for what he
wants to achieve during his term,
with the assistance and guidance
from the newly elected directors,
who will serve of their time and
talents during the next year.
“Each member of this new
board brings a specific, unique and
needed talent to the TTMA, with
the intention of repositioning the
Association, towards what we all
officials in trade, formed a vital component of
the group's visit to Trinidad, as they sought
answers to several lingering problems that
impede regional trade. The Jamaican Mission
expressed their willingness to form closer ties
and have better communication between
government agencies like the Bureau of
Standards of Jamaica, the Bureau of Standards of
Trinidad and Tobago, and eventually the Bureau
of Standards in the rest of region, to ensure that
barriers to trade do not exist.
The TTMA agrees that stronger
communication and ties must be forged among
regional counterparts, and openly discussed
several concerns raised by TTMA members
who met earlier in March to discuss trade issues
with Jamaica in preparation for Minister
believe, should be a year of
introspection, with a goal of
transforming the TTMA into a
more effective, focused, and
respected organization.”
“This new TTMA board
would like to engage the other
NGO's within Trinidad and Tobago
and the Caribbean, in an effort to
work together within the areas of
common interests and towards
common goals. For it is only by
pooling our strengths and coming
together, can we avoid the
duplication of our efforts, and
ensure that we are all heading in
the same direction at the same
time. It is only by recognizing each
others' strengths and being able to
work together that we can as a
small country, and asasmall region
within a large world, Ever hope to
really stand out and be noticed.”
Samuda's visit. The TTMA looks forward to
continuing talks with our regional counterparts
which began on:
The creation of equal opportunities,
The removal of barriers to interregional trade
The ability to partner with each other towards
mutually beneficial goals
The opportunity to collaborate with one
another for assistance on individual needs and
issues
The diversification of our respective economies
And the willingness of our Caribbean leaders, to
assist us with these goals by removing
governmental bureaucracy which hampers the
productivity of our Caribbean people.