Pres. Ali urges 72-hour push to fix T&T–Guyana hurdles

[TT Guardian] Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali is urging T&T and Guyana to come together for 72 hours to fix the problems which currently stop the countries from finalising a strong economic partnership.

In his feature address at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry & Commerce business meeting at the Hyatt Regency today, the Guyanese President said it was important that both countries, which are propelled by oil and gas, future-proof their economies.

However, the Guyanese President called for the leaders of both countries to iron out bureaucratic issues which were currently hindrances to such a partnership.

“If we care about partnership, if we care about building consortiums. We care about building a joint economic front between Guyana & Trinidad and Tobago then we must care about fixing the problem and let’s get in that room, lock ourselves up for 72 hours and fix the damn problem,” said Ali, who also stressed there were prospects outside of energy where both countries could develop through partnership pointing to Guyana’s export of soya beans and T&T’s famous cocoa plant.

While he praised the ANSA McAL group for leading the way through its investments in the South American state, including its development of a shopping mall, he lamented that there was no T&T consortium that had taken the opportunity to invest in Guyanese gold.

The Guyanese President was also critical of the lengthy process to go through immigration in T&T as he suggested this bureaucracy also held back Caribbean Airlines from its full potential.