Govt, IDB share ideas on sustainable cities

Following the recent visit to T&T by Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Vice President for Countries of the IDB, Roberto Vellutini, accepted an invitation from Planning and the Sustainable Development Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie. 

During this visit from February 4 to 5, Vellutini and members of the IDB team met with Minister of Finance and the Economy Larry Howai and his team to share ideas and discuss the development of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and non-sovereign opportunities for loans to both public and private sector stakeholders. 

A meeting was also held with Tewarie and representatives from his ministry to discuss the status of the country strategy and the country programme for 2013 to 2014 with the aim of identifying necessary adjustments and modifications, as well as the plans moving forward for projects in East Port-of-Spain.

One of the key collaborative projects of the Government and the IDB is the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) which was developed by the IDB to help emerging mid-sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean address some of the challenges facing their urban centres. 

Port-of-Spain is one of five cities in chosen by the IDB for inclusion in the ESCI and is selected to pioneer the initiative with focus on sustainability in East Port-of-Spain. The process utilises a deep collaborative approach involving government agencies, community stakeholders of the area, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation and the East Port-of-Spain Development Company.  

Vellutini was privy to one of the many proposals in East Port-of-Spain utilising the trinity of public-, private- and community-based involvement while on a site visit to the former Maryland RC School located in Belmont within close proximity to the Lady Young Road.  

Representatives from the Belmont community propose to construct a vocational training institute on the site which will provide educational opportunities as well as facilities to develop small to medium enterprises and entrepreneurial activity in the community. The land was donated for the project by the Roman Catholic Church. Partnership with the private sector on the project is another key ingredient that will contribute to the project’s success.