The Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce wants airbridge services between Trinidad and Tobago to start operating from the Camden Airstrip in Couva. So said newly elected president Liaquat Ali when he delivered the feature address at the Chamber's annual Christmas dinner in Camden.
Ali said with the Aviation School at Camden due to be completed next year there has been informal consultations about the possibility of an airpark in the area. He said the chamber welcomes this move and he suggested a domestic terminal would serve passengers from south and central Trinidad.
Ali said passengers between the two islands have become frustrated at Caribbean Airline's inability to provide seats at peak travel periods and as a result many domestic tourist who would have gone to Tobago for a vacation instead travel out of the country and spend scarce foreign exchange abroad.
He said the chamber has already had discussions with the MPs for Couva South and Couva North on the matter.Commenting on the shortage of foreign exchange, he said: "It has resulted in a delay in payments to our suppliers and this leads to a damaged credit ratings on the international market. I think the relevant authorities need to re-examine the distribution of foreign exchange."
Ali said the majority of businesses are facing a massive labour shortages and several businesses struggle with low productivity from an indisciplined workforce. He also expressed concern about a shortage of unskilled labour.We need to implement some form of regulation that can be put forward for external labour to be sourced so that the government too can benefit from this opportunity through rates and taxes.
"We need to be able to import labour under a controlled system where the government can be the facilitator and the business organisations would be able to drive this initiative," he said.