Monday, November 18, 2013

Addressing the Caribbean’s “grave economic crisis”

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Unless and until Trinidad finds new untapped sources of natural gas from untapped oil wells, the energy idea is dead on arrival. TNT will not undermine its investments by engaging in alternative energy, meaning fuels. The proposed use of the sea-bed for the transportation of gas to neighbouring countries like Barbados has yet to get from ideation to first-stage implementation.

A more modest form of an alternative energy programme in renewables, like wind, solar and biofuels is required.

The maritime idea does not have too many legs either. Had it the kind of ROI needed, some private sector entity would have long ago exploited that. This suggests that a business entity undertaking such a venture must be guaranteed a stated profitable rate of return on its working capital for that to be undertaken. Who will fund such a venture, with LIAT as a model of regional inter-island cooperation?

The food idea has legs. However, there must be greater strategic business integration in the private sector, attended by stringent safeguards regarding food safety and inspection.

After all, we do not want to be in a situation where some people are importing food from farms "fertilized" with rodenticide, because of farmers' ignorance in a certain country of CARICOM. Now, do we?

Regarding the above, food grown in the Guyanese hinterland suggests an immediate and formidable challenge.