The Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce held their Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony under the theme “Celebrating Excellence, Building Tomorrow’s Legacy.”
While delivering opening remarks, Chamber President Baldath Maharaj noted that challenges like traffic, crime, and forex are “significant but not insurmountable,” and that 2024 brought many successes.
“In February, the Chamber organised a successful Trade Mission to Guyana, where we were accompanied by more than fifteen businessmen to meet with Government officials as well as SMEs. New partnerships were created, and, with this, new opportunities for local business to expand to a growing market.”
Past President of the Chamber and Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Richie Sookhai, addressed one of the main challenges facing Chaguanas as it expands – traffic.
He highlighted one possible project near the Medford Gas Station.
“At the Ministry, we’re proposing to filter the traffic through Mulchan Seuchan, where, if you all who are familiar with Chaguanas, there’s an empty lot or a parking lot there that was the Clico’s parking lot. The Government is in the process of acquiring that lot and making a roundabout that will now cut under the highway.”
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Acting Prime Minister, Stuart Young, reassured that the Government is working to boost the energy sector to secure the future of Trinidad and Tobago, and the forex streams businesses depend on.
“Right now, as I speak to you, there are two survey vessels surveying the Dragon field that are being paid for by us and Shell. These types of monies would not be expended if we did not have a belief, and especially Shell, that the project would be taking place.”
Feature Speaker and Chairman of S.M. Jaleel & Company Ltd, Dr. Aleem Mohammed, highlighted that business success in an uncertain but promising future, relies on radical innovation, resilience, reinvention, and spirit-centred leadership.
“Every human being with a unique talent. If we could find that talent and serve humanity, we will be like nature – we will have eternal bliss. Let us dream big. Let us believe in ourselves.”
With awards going to the Robotics Team of Presentation College and innovative leaders like Dr. Aleem Mohammed, Mayor of Chaguanas, Faaiq Mohammed, added that Chaguanas continues to be a place where “dreams are turned into legacies.”