Chaguanas Borough Corporation

Chaguanas Borough Corporation

Business View profiles the Borough of Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago, for our focus on Best Practices in Caribbean Business and Economic Development

The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Chaguanas was given its name by Spanish settlers in the 18th century when the community was inhabited by an Amerindian tribe of the same name. The Borough is ideally located on Trinidad’s western coast between the two main cities of Port‐of‐Spain and San Fernando; approximately 18 km  south of Port-of-Spain.

Chaguanas became a Borough in 1990, prior to that it was part of the County of Caroni. Its boundaries are the Honda River to the South, the Cunupia River to the east, and the coastline to the west. It lies north of the central mountain range. The Borough is comprised of the main town, Chaguanas, a number of rural villages, as well as some suburban areas. The large expanse of agricultural lands that fall within the boundaries of the Borough defines its rural character. However, this is  gradually changing with the increase of housing projects and the development of urban centers.

Chaguanas is a prosperous community with a population of over 128,000 persons. Over the years, the Borough has grown significantly in the area of commerce, industry, educational institutions, and residential communities. Numerous national and international companies have chosen to base their organizations in Chaguanas, thanks in part to economic development outreach from Borough representatives.

Through active dialogue and collaboration with key individual and corporate stakeholders, the Mayor’s Office creates not only day-to-day, but also long-term solutions for a variety of issues that drives progress in a growing and robust Borough. The Mayor and his team also work with businesses, government leaders within the nation, the region, as well as globally, to ensure that Chaguanas is represented, promoted, and served as a world class community. This has poised the ever-growing Borough to become the next Central City of Trinidad.

Mayor of Chaguanas, Mr. Faaiq Mohammed

Business View Caribbean asked His Worship the Mayor of Chaguanas, Mr. Faaiq Mohammed, for his insights into the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and Council, current projects, and prospects for the future.

BVC: Can you tell about the workings of the Corporation?

Mayor: “The mission of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation is to assure and support the planned growth and effective management of the Borough through the utilization of a variety of resources to promote quality living and sustainable economic development. The Chaguanas Borough Council creates policies aimed at promoting a diverse, stable and secure environment. We also administrate numerous services and seek to provide continuous improvement in service delivery to our communities.

“Over the years, our Mission has remained: ‘To Effectively and Efficiently Utilize Resources, While Sustaining and Promoting Quality Living Through Commitment and Collaboration to Create Safer and Better Communities’. We pride ourselves in believing that our prime purpose is to assist others, by continuing to work and partner with all stakeholders and agencies to create safe and secure communities. One of our main priorities is economy, and improving the quality of life in the Borough. We will ensure that we put all our many people and communities at the very centre of all that we do.”

BVC: What services does the Corporation provide and what are the main priorities?

Mayor: “The Corporation is the premier provider of local government services – providing vital services for the people and communities in the Borough of Chaguanas. The Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) employs over 700 workers who collectively provide a range of services to our Burgesses. These services include public health matters; street and building development; physical infrastructure issues; disaster management; and vending and market matters.

“The main priorities of the CBC are to ensure the safety and security within the Burgesses are maintained, such as ensuring water ways are cleared from debris, roads are patched /paved, rat baiting and mosquito spraying is provided for each Burgess. Public cemeteries are kept clean, and garbage collection is also a main priority of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation.”

BVC: How has your Corporation evolved throughout the years?

Mayor: “In 1990, Chaguanas was elevated from its status as County Caroni to the Borough of Chaguanas. With its rapid development, Chaguanas soon became the central hub for commerce. In the 20th century, Chaguanas began to rapidly develop from its agricultural roots into a bazaar town. With the development of housing settlements, in Edinburgh and Orchard Gardens, this lead to the urbanization of the area. Because of its proximity to both south and north Trinidad, and the lower cost of housing, Chaguanas attracted a mixture of lower and middle class families.

“Today, the CBC serves the electoral districts of: Charlieville, Cunupia, Edinburgh/Longdenville South, Enterprise South/Longdenville North, Felicity/Endeavour, Montrose, and Munroe Road/Caroni Savannah.”

BVC: Tell us about some of your most successful projects.

Mayor: “Among our most notable initiatives to support the community we:

• Distributed electronic devices to school children
• Distributed gifts and hampers to children at orphanages
• Distributed gifts and hampers to single mothers
• Donated Bluetooth speakers to the various women’s group within the Borough of Chaguanas
• Partnered with corporate entities for the eradication of the Giant African Snails and snail baiting
• Honoured the heroes of our communities – distribution of plaques
• Distributed plaques to COVID-19 Heroes
• Sanitization of police stations, public spaces and homes
• Distributed sanitization kits to schools in the Borough of Chaguanas
• Partnered with corporate entities to assist with vaccinations
• Paved 17 roads within the Borough of Chaguanas
• Built 52 box drains within the Borough of Chaguanas.”

BVC: What significant projects are in the works or planned for 2022?

Mayor: “We have a number of sustainability initiatives we are working on. I have also embarked on multiple special projects. These projects do not fall within the normal purview of the local government mandate, or the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, but rather seek to develop other aspects of the Borough.

“These include: (Ongoing) Chaguanas Muslim Cemetery, the only Memorial Park in Chaguanas. In collaboration with Corporate Entities, and residents of Chaguanas – development was started on the Lakhan Kariah Cremation site. Other projects are multi-story carparks, and upgrade work to be done on the Chaguanas Market – Refurbish Market, renovate and reopen. Reopen the Abattoir. Also working with Stakeholders to alleviate traffic issues in Chaguanas.

BVC: How have you managed to pivot through the current economic impact?

Mayor: “We have been running this Corporation with very little and doing a lot. Funding to the Corporation has been cut significantly by the government. However, we have some diligent officers who are working towards our needs at this point.

“Our local Corporate Businesses have been fully supportive in ALL of our efforts at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. I am truly blessed by Almighty God to be the Mayor of Chaguanas since these businesses are the most sincere and supportive. We will forever owe them gratitude for all of their efforts.”

Chaguanas Borough Corporation

Chaguanas Borough Corporation

Business View profiles the Borough of Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago, for our focus on Best Practices in Caribbean Business and Economic Development

The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Chaguanas was given its name by Spanish settlers in the 18th century when the community was inhabited by an Amerindian tribe of the same name. The Borough is ideally located on Trinidad’s western coast between the two main cities of Port‐of‐Spain and San Fernando; approximately 18 km  south of Port-of-Spain.

Chaguanas became a Borough in 1990, prior to that it was part of the County of Caroni. Its boundaries are the Honda River to the South, the Cunupia River to the east, and the coastline to the west. It lies north of the central mountain range. The Borough is comprised of the main town, Chaguanas, a number of rural villages, as well as some suburban areas. The large expanse of agricultural lands that fall within the boundaries of the Borough defines its rural character. However, this is  gradually changing with the increase of housing projects and the development of urban centers.

Chaguanas is a prosperous community with a population of over 128,000 persons. Over the years, the Borough has grown significantly in the area of commerce, industry, educational institutions, and residential communities. Numerous national and international companies have chosen to base their organizations in Chaguanas, thanks in part to economic development outreach from Borough representatives.

Through active dialogue and collaboration with key individual and corporate stakeholders, the Mayor’s Office creates not only day-to-day, but also long-term solutions for a variety of issues that drives progress in a growing and robust Borough. The Mayor and his team also work with businesses, government leaders within the nation, the region, as well as globally, to ensure that Chaguanas is represented, promoted, and served as a world class community. This has poised the ever-growing Borough to become the next Central City of Trinidad.

Business View Caribbean asked His Worship the Mayor of Chaguanas, Mr. Faaiq Mohammed, for his insights into the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and Council, current projects, and prospects for the future.

BVC: Can you tell about the workings of the Corporation?

Mayor: “The mission of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation is to assure and support the planned growth and effective management of the Borough through the utilization of a variety of resources to promote quality living and sustainable economic development. The Chaguanas Borough Council creates policies aimed at promoting a diverse, stable and secure environment. We also administrate numerous services and seek to provide continuous improvement in service delivery to our communities.

“Over the years, our Mission has remained: ‘To Effectively and Efficiently Utilize Resources, While Sustaining and Promoting Quality Living Through Commitment and Collaboration to Create Safer and Better Communities’. We pride ourselves in believing that our prime purpose is to assist others, by continuing to work and partner with all stakeholders and agencies to create safe and secure communities. One of our main priorities is economy, and improving the quality of life in the Borough. We will ensure that we put all our many people and communities at the very centre of all that we do.”

BVC: What services does the Corporation provide and what are the main priorities?

Mayor: “The Corporation is the premier provider of local government services – providing vital services for the people and communities in the Borough of Chaguanas. The Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) employs over 700 workers who collectively provide a range of services to our Burgesses. These services include public health matters; street and building development; physical infrastructure issues; disaster management; and vending and market matters.

“The main priorities of the CBC are to ensure the safety and security within the Burgesses are maintained, such as ensuring water ways are cleared from debris, roads are patched /paved, rat baiting and mosquito spraying is provided for each Burgess. Public cemeteries are kept clean, and garbage collection is also a main priority of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation.”

BVC: How has your Corporation evolved throughout the years?

Mayor: “In 1990, Chaguanas was elevated from its status as County Caroni to the Borough of Chaguanas. With its rapid development, Chaguanas soon became the central hub for commerce. In the 20th century, Chaguanas began to rapidly develop from its agricultural roots into a bazaar town. With the development of housing settlements, in Edinburgh and Orchard Gardens, this lead to the urbanization of the area. Because of its proximity to both south and north Trinidad, and the lower cost of housing, Chaguanas attracted a mixture of lower and middle class families.

“Today, the CBC serves the electoral districts of: Charlieville, Cunupia, Edinburgh/Longdenville South, Enterprise South/Longdenville North, Felicity/Endeavour, Montrose, and Munroe Road/Caroni Savannah.”

BVC: Tell us about some of your most successful projects.

Mayor: “Among our most notable initiatives to support the community we:

• Distributed electronic devices to school children
• Distributed gifts and hampers to children at orphanages
• Distributed gifts and hampers to single mothers
• Donated Bluetooth speakers to the various women’s group within the Borough of Chaguanas
• Partnered with corporate entities for the eradication of the Giant African Snails and snail baiting
• Honoured the heroes of our communities – distribution of plaques
• Distributed plaques to COVID-19 Heroes
• Sanitization of police stations, public spaces and homes
• Distributed sanitization kits to schools in the Borough of Chaguanas
• Partnered with corporate entities to assist with vaccinations
• Paved 17 roads within the Borough of Chaguanas
• Built 52 box drains within the Borough of Chaguanas.”

BVC: What significant projects are in the works or planned for 2022?

Mayor: “We have a number of sustainability initiatives we are working on. I have also embarked on multiple special projects. These projects do not fall within the normal purview of the local government mandate, or the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, but rather seek to develop other aspects of the Borough.

“These include: (Ongoing) Chaguanas Muslim Cemetery, the only Memorial Park in Chaguanas. In collaboration with Corporate Entities, and residents of Chaguanas – development was started on the Lakhan Kariah Cremation site. Other projects are multi-story carparks, and upgrade work to be done on the Chaguanas Market – Refurbish Market, renovate and reopen. Reopen the Abattoir. Also working with Stakeholders to alleviate traffic issues in Chaguanas.

BVC: How have you managed to pivot through the current economic impact?

Mayor: “We have been running this Corporation with very little and doing a lot. Funding to the Corporation has been cut significantly by the government. However, we have some diligent officers who are working towards our needs at this point.

“Our local Corporate Businesses have been fully supportive in ALL of our efforts at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. I am truly blessed by Almighty God to be the Mayor of Chaguanas since these businesses are the most sincere and supportive. We will forever owe them gratitude for all of their efforts.”

AT A GLANCE

WHO: Management Control Systems Ltd.

WHAT: An IT service management company

WHERE: Kingston, Jamaica

WEBSITE: www.mcsystems.com