Nineteen (19) trade technocrats from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana will benefit from a three (3) day training workshop on trade analytical tools which commenced on Tuesday 3 December, 2019 at the Ministry’s Head Office Port of Spain. The workshop which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Port of Spain Office will provide technocrats from participating Member States with enhanced analytical skills allowing them to better inform market analysis, trade negotiations, and development of trade policies across the CARICOM Region. Participants will be trained in the use of analytical tools (TradeCAN, MAGIC Plus, and WITS) using examples from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
In addressing the participants at the Opening Ceremony, Mr. Norris Herbert, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry emphasised the importance of having access to accurate and meaningful trade statistics. He said “For policy makers, accurate information increases confidence that policy decisions are relevant and impactful. Additionally, having government measures and reports that are empirically analyzed, engenders greater trust from the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders in government initiatives. This was among the main reasons for ensuring that there was a wide range of participation in this workshop from both the public and private sectors”. He expressed confidence that the workshop will help to address the Region’s need for more critical thinkers with the skills and tools required to extract useful information from available data.
Ms. Nyasha Skerrette, ECLAC’s representative, in delivering Remarks on behalf of the Economic Development Unit at UN-ECLAC, gave the assurance that ECLAC will continue to work with Caribbean Member States to build capacity and to assiduously ensure that trade research remains a core component of their programme of work. She said “It is our hope that participants will walk away with an increased capacity to effectively use ECLAC’s analytical tools that will ultimately be beneficial to their respective countries and the region as a whole”.
The interactive three (3) day workshop is being facilitated by Ms. Indira Romero Marquez, Senior Economic Affairs Assistant, ECLAC Sub-regional Headquarters for Mexico and Ms. Jennifer Alvarado Vargas, Economic Affairs Assistant, ECLAC Sub-regional Headquarters for Mexico.
