Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, met virtually with Mr Charles Pashley, President of the Board of Directors of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC), new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Ian R. De Souza and outgoing CEO Mr Gabriel Faria on Friday 14 January 2022. The Trade Minister congratulated Mr De Souza on his appointment as the Chamber’s new Chief Executive Officer and expressed confidence that Mr. De Souza’s wealth of knowledge and invaluable experience in the banking sector, at the local and regional levels, would serve the Chamber, its membership and, by extension, Trinidad and Tobago, in good stead. It is envisaged that his expertise, together with the targeted work and advocacy of the TTCIC, will support the policy thrust of building globally competitive businesses in Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister Gopee-Scoon also thanked Mr. Gabriel Faria, outgoing CEO of the TTCIC for his sterling contribution to the business sector since taking up his appointment in 2016. At the first meeting between the MTI and Mr. Faria, Minister Gopee-Scoon noted that “There was a need for continued and heightened collaboration between the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry as we seek to focus on growing the capabilities and export capacity of our local medium sized businesses.” Over the last six years, the MTI and the TTCIC undertook a number of collaborative initiatives that focused on the development of Small, Medium and Large enterprises in the areas of capacity building, trade missions, export readiness and fostering competitiveness. The Minister of Trade and Industry wished Mr Faria future success and expressed certainty that he would always have a keen interest in contributing towards the continued development of businesses in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Ministry looks forward to the continued successful partnership with the Chamber towards the road to economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
