The TT Chamber Annual Report for 2019

Message from the President
— Reyaz Ahamad
We have been able to represent our members’
viewpoint in a variety of forums – from
consultations on legislative and policy matter
locally, to presentations to CARICOM and through
the newly formed Network of Caribbean Chambers
(CARICHAM). In these varied ways, we have sought
to build strategic linkages, explore export markets
and deepen regional relationships.
It is my pleasure to have been elected to serve
you for another year and I must thank you for the
confidence you have placed in me. Looking back,
I would like to recognise the invaluable support of
my Board, as well as the Management and Staff of
the Chamber. Please allow me to say a heartfelt
‘thank you’ for the guidance that was provided by
all of you.
I think that less than a decade ago, very few in
Trinidad and Tobago could have anticipated the
juncture at which our country now stands. Not
only has our economy continued to contract, but
the spin-off effects are impacting our social fabric.
Crime, homelessness and domestic violence seem
to be increasing, putting pressure on our already
strained state resources. At the corporate level,
companies are being forced to deal with issues
that have taken on a global twist – migration,
climate change and cybercrime, for example, have
been added to domestic issues of low productivity
and a challenging industrial relations climate,
bureaucratic impediments to doing business and
lowered consumer confidence.
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