JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Yachting sector asks Imbert: What’s in the budget for us?

by

Otto Carrington
301 days ago
20241002
Yatchs docked in Chaguaramas

Yatchs docked in Chaguaramas

Roberto Codallo

OT­TO CAR­RING­TON

Se­nior Re­porter

ot­to.car­ring­ton@cnc3.co.tt

Ma­rine Ser­vices of Trinidad and To­ba­go (MSATT) is dis­ap­point­ed with the bud­get as it says noth­ing in it is ben­e­fi­cial to the cruis­ers and yacht­ing sec­tor.

Vice pres­i­dent of MSATT Jesse James said the in­dus­try was a “low-hang­ing fruit” for the Gov­ern­ment to ex­tract for­eign ex­change and cre­ate em­ploy­ment op­por­tu­ni­ties for the skilled and un­skilled.

He said the on­ly men­tion he saw was a brief state­ment about an eco­nom­ic zone in Ch­aguara­mas, but there was no fur­ther dis­cus­sion on it.

“We were dis­ap­point­ed that the ma­rine ser­vices and yacht­ing in­dus­tries in Ch­aguara­mas were not ad­dressed in the bud­get. What I would like to em­pha­sise is that this in­dus­try doesn’t re­quire a large fi­nan­cial in­jec­tion to thrive.

“The sit­u­a­tion in Ch­aguara­mas is what we would call a very low-hang­ing fruit that the Gov­ern­ment is strug­gling to cap­i­talise on. While they’re fo­cused on bal­anc­ing the bud­get and pos­si­bly bor­row­ing to do so, this op­por­tu­ni­ty in Ch­aguara­mas is read­i­ly avail­able. It could eas­i­ly be lever­aged to gen­er­ate for­eign ex­change, cre­ate jobs—both skilled and un­skilled—and pro­vide sig­nif­i­cant eco­nom­ic ben­e­fits with min­i­mal in­vest­ment,” he said.

“I have to say Min­is­ter (Paula) Gopee-Scoon has been cham­pi­oning this sec­tor and do­ing her very best. They re­cent­ly launched a train­ing pro­gramme aimed at equip­ping young peo­ple with var­i­ous skills and ser­vices, high­light­ing the im­mense po­ten­tial in this in­dus­try. There’s a clear op­por­tu­ni­ty here, and with con­tin­ued fo­cus, it can great­ly ben­e­fit the econ­o­my.”

James said Gov­ern­ment should con­sid­er co­or­di­nat­ing with var­i­ous agen­cies like port health and stream­lin­ing the process for cruis­ers ar­riv­ing in Trinidad. This, he said, would make it eas­i­er for them to ac­cess the coun­try and in turn boost the sec­tor.

On Mon­day, Fi­nance Min­is­ter Colm Im­bert spoke about the digi­ti­sa­tion of im­mi­gra­tion, but MSATT said that al­ready hap­pens thanks to the Sail­Clear sys­tem.

Sail­Clear is an op­tion­al ser­vice avail­able for use by yachts and oth­er plea­sure craft op­er­a­tors who wish to sub­mit their Cus­toms de­c­la­ra­tions in the form of elec­tron­ic no­ti­fi­ca­tions, pri­or to ar­rival in coun­tries where the sys­tem is avail­able.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

Father Anthony Abraham, centre, alongside Jesus Explosion coordinator Leslie Taylor-Gouveia, left, Kerry Ragoobarsingh and Father Ian Taylor, right, pray over the congregation during Jesus Explosion 23 at the Cheryl F Greaves Auditorium, Bishop Anstey High School East, Trincity, on July 19.

Father Anthony Abraham, centre, alongside Jesus Explosion coordinator Leslie Taylor-Gouveia, left, Kerry Ragoobarsingh and Father Ian Taylor, right, pray over the congregation during Jesus Explosion 23 at the Cheryl F Greaves Auditorium, Bishop Anstey High School East, Trincity, on July 19.

Father Anthony Abraham, centre, alongside Jesus Explosion coordinator Leslie Taylor-Gouveia, left, Kerry Ragoobarsingh and Father Ian Taylor, right, pray over the congregation during Jesus Explosion 23 at the Cheryl F Greaves Auditorium, Bishop Anstey High School East, Trincity, on July 19.

Father Anthony Abraham, centre, alongside Jesus Explosion coordinator Leslie Taylor-Gouveia, left, Kerry Ragoobarsingh and Father Ian Taylor, right, pray over the congregation during Jesus Explosion 23 at the Cheryl F Greaves Auditorium, Bishop Anstey High School East, Trincity, on July 19.

Jesus Explosion 23: Visiting priest feeds RC faithful

18 hours ago
Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, right, presents Israel Khan, SC, with the Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League Street Recognition Award while Rajah congratulates him during a ceremony at the St Augustine South Recreation Ground two Sundays ago.

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, right, presents Israel Khan, SC, with the Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League Street Recognition Award while Rajah congratulates him during a ceremony at the St Augustine South Recreation Ground two Sundays ago.

Courtesy Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, right, presents Israel Khan, SC, with the Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League Street Recognition Award while Rajah congratulates him during a ceremony at the St Augustine South Recreation Ground two Sundays ago.

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, right, presents Israel Khan, SC, with the Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League Street Recognition Award while Rajah congratulates him during a ceremony at the St Augustine South Recreation Ground two Sundays ago.

Courtesy Aneal Rajah Windball Cricket League

Israel Khan honoured by community cricket league

18 hours ago
SSCasa chairman Eudaine Garcia meets Guyana President Irfaan Ali

SSCasa chairman Eudaine Garcia meets Guyana President Irfaan Ali

SSCasa chairman Eudaine Garcia meets Guyana President Irfaan Ali

SSCasa chairman Eudaine Garcia meets Guyana President Irfaan Ali

SSCasa steps up Caricom collaboration after summit

Yesterday
Then acting Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Barry Padarath, right, toasts with Argentina Ambassador Gustavo Martinez Pandiani during the Argentine National Day function at the Renassaince Club Room, The Renaissance at Shorelands, on July 9.

Then acting Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Barry Padarath, right, toasts with Argentina Ambassador Gustavo Martinez Pandiani during the Argentine National Day function at the Renassaince Club Room, The Renaissance at Shorelands, on July 9.

ANISTO ALVES

Then acting Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Barry Padarath, right, toasts with Argentina Ambassador Gustavo Martinez Pandiani during the Argentine National Day function at the Renassaince Club Room, The Renaissance at Shorelands, on July 9.

Then acting Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Barry Padarath, right, toasts with Argentina Ambassador Gustavo Martinez Pandiani during the Argentine National Day function at the Renassaince Club Room, The Renaissance at Shorelands, on July 9.

ANISTO ALVES

Argentina wants to export world-famous beef to T&T

Yesterday