20 August 2015 - Business View Caribbean
Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath, Minister of
Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications and
Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy
has called for greater economic empowerment to in-
crease trade relations with African countries. Senator
Bharath made this appeal during the Launch of the
Fifteenth Annual Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment
Symposium hosted by the Emancipation Support Com-
mittee of Trinidad and Tobago (ESCTT) on Friday 31
July, 2015 at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Cen-
tre.
In his Address Minister Bharath stated that ‘the theme
of the symposium “Reinventing the Triangle” calls to
mind the need for us to shift the archetype from one
which was driven by colonialism and exploitation, to a
reality focused on mutually beneficial trade between
our regions, which has the ability to harness positive
economic circumstances for all. It is essentially a call
for intensified trade and economic cooperation be-
tween the Caribbean and Africa’. He added that ‘there
is tremendous value in further improving economic
collaborations between the private and public sectors
as well as the Caribbean and African Region. With the
international community expected to inject 73.5 billion
US dollars in foreign direct investment in 2015 as re-
ported by the African Development Bank, it is evident
that there is strong business confidence in the region
and our discussions should also look at ways and
means in which Africa and the Diaspora can leverage
its combined strength, expertise, experiences and re-
sources to drive further growth in their respective and
collective economies’.
The Trade Minister noted that the African economic
reality has progressively changed over the years and
that Trinidad and Tobago can gain valuable knowledge
from exploring the Nigerian experience. He cited the
Bharath: ‘Economic empowerment needed to
increase trade with more African Countries’
