Address by the Honourable
Patrick Manning, Prime Minister
of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
at the Opening of the Waterfront Center
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
It is our good fortune to be living in these interesting times. This is the age when with increased communication, interdependence and regional and hemispheric integration, we are able to experience or witness firsthand, the effects of different forms of governance and governance structures. In the midst of it all, there is a fundamental truth that prevails.
The longevity of a government, the success of its policies and most importantly, the fortunes and destiny of a country depend on the people. The needs of the people must therefore guide the determination of government policies and priorities.
We move into an historic time in our national development with the hosting of the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain.The attention of the hemisphere and indeed the international community will be on our twin island republic. We must remember that the future will judge us, not by our plans and intentions, but by what in fact we did accomplish.
We will be assessed by how we have utilized the current circumstances and opportunities to advance the interests of the people, to improve the day to day lives of the citizens and to provide our children and grandchildren with the foundation and tools required to ensure their survival and success in this ever changing world. This awareness serves as a constant inspiration for my Administration.
Our Draft National Strategic plan was formulated to guide all aspects of development of our country. Probably the most important element of the plan is the focus it places on developing our people and society. While development has different meanings and connotations for different people, for our Government the true measure and test of development is being able to effectively improve the lives of our citizens. This is the foundation of all that we do in taking this nation forward.
We also recognize that our goals would be achieved incrementally, on a step by step basis, as can be evidenced by all the development now in train in this country. We also know that our success depends in large measure on the willingness and ability of our people and the government to adapt to changing circumstances and put national interest before self interest.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the opening of the Artist Gallery, this landmark development and also of the waterfront area to the people of this country, is just that. It is testimony, that as a people, we can put national interest before self interest and that we can achieve the little steps required to move us along towards the achievement of our goals. When you look around today, the beautiful artwork that you see gracing the buildings are the works of our people. Our own local talent, some of whom I am told are here with us today, have created and produced these magnificent demonstrations of our talent and abilities.
These two 26 storey office towers, the 428 room Hyatt Regency Hotel and the 55,000 square feet conference center, the largest in the English speaking Caribbean, were all built by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, through UDECOTT, with the use of between 85-87 percent local labour and 75 sub-contractors. I want to commend everyone on a job well done.
My friends, when we formulated the current development program, we placed emphasis on developing the necessary physical and social infrastructure of our beloved nation. It is not true, as some would want you to believe, that the development of these projects was done without consultation.
Our National Development Plan was born out of dialogue with the people in many fora and at various levels, from national consultations on some aspects, to discussions on an interactive level with the communities, through a series of cottage meetings attended by various MPs and the Prime Minister. Here we sought to ascertain the views of the citizens and benefit from their advice.
And let me emphasise that the major priority was, as always, that the resources of the country would be used to create more jobs, more amenities and facilities and that there would be increased training, development and opportunity for present and future generations.
My dear friends, as in any thriving democracy, we too have our critics. But the facts speak for themselves. The first is we have a vision. We assessed our development and our possibilities and set the realistic target of transforming our country into a developed nation by 2020. This vision has driven all our successes thus far.
Before the present global economic crisis, ours was one of the fastest growing economies in our region, growing at an average rate of 8.3 percent since 2001. During this period we attracted over six billion US dollars in foreign direct investment into our country. We also maintained fiscal surpluses whilst significantly reducing both external and public debt. However, in the present circumstances, we have found it prudent to employ very manageable deficit financing this year. Notwithstanding this adjustment, our foreign reserves continue to be quite strong and we are confident of returning to surplus when the global economy improves.
Most importantly, everyone has benefited form the nation’s prosperity. We have already attained full employment, with the unemployment level at the end of the second quarter of 2008 at 4.2%, the lowest since the attainment of our country’s independence. We have also had a one hundred percent increase in per capita income and have reduced poverty levels by half in our country, from 35 percent in 1990 to 16.7 percent at present.
Our economic progress is inextricably linked to the development of our people. In Education, we are moving towards universal Early Childhood Care; modernising the curriculum at primary and secondary levels; professionalizing all teachers in the country; upgrading or building schools; and deploying technology to the fullest extent possible for improvement of teaching and learning.
We have made tertiary education free to all nationals attending accredited institutions in our country, and increased enrolment at tertiary institutions by three hundred percent since 2001. At the same time there was also a 70% increase in technical and vocational education in Trinidad and Tobago.
The physical infrastructure of the country is also being modernised. New highways and a rapid rail system are in the pipeline; and a new water taxi service between our two major cities is in operation. Exapansion of electricity generation and transmission continues apace; and a Master Plan for water will soon be adopted for water supply for the next three decades.
I wish to remind all, that these tremendous developments in the economic, social and physical infrastructure of the country constitute both savings and investment for present and future generations of Trinidad and Tobago. Our country will be more prepared than most for the challenges of life in the twenty first century.
It should always be remembered that savings in both the public and private sector are generated in the process of economic growth and expansion. Indeed one gets more savings in the long run by growing and expanding. Point Lisas is a very good example. From a modest initial investment, it grew exponentially to occupy the central place in our nation’s industrialization process, attracting huge investments, foreign and local, and generating new wealth and sustainable employment in Trinidad and Tobago. Many were the critics and doubters of this enterprise when it started.
But we got the job done. Indeed when the question of implementation of public sector programs arose at that time, the then Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams recognized that the civil service was not geared to swift decision-making of the kind required for those high cost projects, especially with the rapidly changing political and economic situation. He took appropriate action. Ladies and gentlemen, we too face the same challenges that we faced then, and to meet some of those challenges we empowered and mandated agencies like UDeCOTT to undertake certain aspects of the development programme. While many complained about this decision, the fact remains that results are here for all to see, experience and enjoy.
In 1995, when this country threw its hat in the ring to become the headquarters of the Association of Caribbean States, this project was conceived with all its components. Even with the changing government, the project remained on the table and when UDeCOTT started the project in 2005, people said it could not be done in the required timeframe. Today here we are, celebrating this project which incidentally was the recipient of two awards. In 2006 FCIB won the prestigious Deal of the Year 2006- Trinidad and Tobago by the Financial times Group and the Banker Magazine; and recently this year,GENIVAR and UDeCOTT received an award from the Association of Professional Engineers for Quebec for the best managed projects.
But even more relevant is the fact that today, someone traveling from San Fernando can now choose to come to Port of Spain by bus or ferry and disembark here, check in for a weekend in the Hyatt or walk on the waterfront and enjoy lunch at the breakfast shed. They said it could not be done, but we have done it.
We have in our country the largest conference center in the English speaking Caribbean, a new Hyatt hotel, which is the third best performing Hyatt in this hemisphere, a water taxi service that brings you to the breakfast shed, parking on site, and a bus service that takes you to and from the terminus throughout the city. Remember that these facilities are for the enjoyment of all of us and therefore we must ensure that we pay due regard to the observance of high standards
Ladies and gentlemen, to those who complain about the use of special purpose corporations, let me take this opportunity to remind them that these agencies are 100% owned by the government and people of Trinidad & Tobago. This means that there is national ownership of these resources and the returns that they generate. This 428 Room Hyatt, the Office Towers, the breakfast shed, the land, the Waterfront and this courtyard and the other capital projects all belong to the country and our people. They are the patrimony of our people.
But what is even more reason to celebrate is the fact that our people played a pivotal role in their construction, our people will work in them, our people will maintain them and more importantly we own them. They are a national investment that has begun to yield returns of which we can all be proud and which will be showcased internationally on April 17 to 19th when we host the Summit of the Americas; and later in the year for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference.
The Government is confident that our country will experience the benefits of the Summit through increased regional and hemispheric collaboration on many matters involving the social and economic development of our country. We are confident that history and our children will commend all of us for proceeding in the face of global and international challenges and turmoil to achieve our objectives of providing a strong future for ourselves and children.
And I cannot but say how delighted I am to be able to specially acknowledge the Divine Echoes, also a part of our national pool of talent and a also a part of our vision for nurturing a developed society , They are here to celebrate with us today after having returned from a developmental quest of their own, a musical study tour in Cuba. We anticipate scintillating entertainment from them this evening as is their custom.
As we come together today to celebrate this important event, let us give thanks to Almighty God for our nation’s continuing development. Let us vow to continue our work with commitment and creativity, building on our foundations, and having the conviction to persevere in the face of obstacles and distractions.
Let this outstanding achievement serve as an inspiration for even greater success in the future as we increasingly enrich our legacy to future generations of our beloved nation.
Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen.