Trinidad & Tobago – A case of Onwards and Upwards

Compared with many parts of the world Trinidad & Tobago is a veritable haven, a place that has successfully isolated itself from many of the troubles of the world. Those who know the country appreciate its calm and generally tolerant outlook and recognize that in a number of areas substantial progress has been made since independence. To the tourist who jets in for a fortnight of relaxation the impressions are invariably positive and yet true friends appreciate that life for smaller nations, even one as blessed at Trinidad & Tobago is never going to be easy.

Smaller nations, even those who are fully developed rarely have immense leverage on the world stage, but this does not mean that they cannot affect positive change. A spirit of co-operation and partnership can help initiate a more constructive mindset, one free from the shackles of history, yet mindful of context and what has gone before. The Honourable Winston Dookeran in his capacity as Foreign Minister is passionate about his desire to see a “new politics”, one that seeks to foster a mindset that enables a better understanding of responsibility. He appreciates the importance of equipping the young with the right core values and ethical framework that enables them to become more effective citizens. To their credit successive governments in Trinidad & Tobago have set great store by access to education, and the range of opportunities available continue to be the envy of many comparable countries. The greatest asset Trinidad & Tobago possesses is not its oil and gas or its land, but its people, a people who recognize that challenges exist and are desirous to move forward with positivity.

A sudden rash of road improvements is appears to be a normal part of the build up to a General Election in Trinidad & Tobago

Photograph by Mark T Jones

Progress will inevitably come from both the public and private sector, and the current government has been anxious to articulate the importance of ensuring that the country becomes a regional centre of excellence across a range of sectors. Inevitably change for some does not come quickly enough and yes as in all human endeavours there have been errors or initiatives that have not always fulfilled their potential. That said, the government should be judged on what it has achieved and the efforts being made to create a broad based economy that equips its workers for a workplace that is undergoing extraordinary change. If we look around us with an objective eye, we must surely acknowledge that progress has taken place. Of course there will be those who for ideological reasons will denigrate all that has taken place, yet in so doing they reveal more about themselves than they do of the current political status quo. Political leadership requires that one liberates oneself of the desire to carp and criticise at every turn. The constructive is infinitely preferable to the destructive. Democracies benefit greatly from robust debate, investigative and responsible journalism and opposition parties that hold those in public office to account. True political leadership is about service and the positive mindset that accepts that your work of nation serving is never done.

The day to day realities are daunting. Firstly, there is the constant quest to tackle what Sir William Beveridge* (1879-1963) described as, ‘the Five Giant Evils’ (Squalor, Want, Ignorance, Disease and Idleness). Even a scant perusal of various international indices makes clear that the country has come a long way in this regard and should be proud of what it has achieved. Human nature being what it is sees us demanding more and more and thus governments seems doomed to a degree of perpetual disappointment. Trade Unions and workers groups wish to see better working conditions, job security and preferment based on merit and not according to ethnicity or nepotism. We should all be concerned by the global trend for zero-hours contracts and do everything we can to ensure a happy and productive workforce. Employers are desirous to see less red tape as well as supportive tax regimes that reward enterprise and innovation. Government has to balance sometimes conflicting demands, and thus is often accused of being pro or anti-business. In point of fact it need not be either, for in reality economic activity does not always have to be framed in a narrative that is portrayed as a titanic struggle of us versus them. The country as a whole has benefitted from a number of government backed agencies that include the likes of e-Teck, ExportTT and InvesTT and these have each helped to diversify the economy, something that over time will draw in foreign direct investment as well as creating jobs and helping generate tax revenue that benefits the entire nation.

For those willing to look as well as see it is heartening to see a gradual upgrading and development of the maritime sector as well as growth in food and beverage processing and production. The creative arts has been an area that has proved a real success with Trinidad & Tobago developing to a regional hub that is fostering talent that will project local dynamism around the globe. It would be churlish to deny that there are still pockets of real deprivation and no country wishes to see unemployment or under employment. For an insight into local deprivation academics, environmentalists, sociologists and policy makers would find visits to the Sea Lots, Beetham and Bangladesh districts of the north of Trinidad elucidate matters. Over-zealous policing, gang crime, white collar crime and general perceptions about corruption remain a concern, as does the pressure being placed on the environment. Potential is a marvellous thing, but unfulfilled potential is not only a disappointment, it can be soul destroying.

Illegal land clearance in the Maracas Valley, St. Joseph, Trinidad & Tobago Photograph by Mark T Jones

The “new politics” that Winston Dookeran speaks of envisages a far greater collaborative spirit, one that has a sound ethical foundation and that cherishes the country and its citizens as guardians rather than rivals. Effective leadership is going to be crucial if Trinidad & Tobago is to continue to move forward and therein lies the challenge for every citizen and every organisation whether public or private. Like all great projects there will be setbacks and disappointments, but on the evidence of what I and others have observed there certainly remain grounds for cautious optimism.

Mark T Jones

* He was a British economist who was born in Rangpur in what is now Bangladesh and was responsible for writing a seminal report entitled Social Insurance and Allied Services in 1942. This report, which became known as the Beveridge Report served as the basis for the establishment of Britain’s welfare state.