South
Chamber still radiating at 50
By
Louis B Homer
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
07 02 06
IN
50 years it has blossomed from an idea by a group
of southern businessmen into the leading energy
chamber in the Caribbean and it shows no sign of
slowing down.
This year, the South Trinidad Chamber
of Industry and Commerce Inc. will celebrate the
historic achievement with an award ceremony at Paria
Suites, La Romaine, at which it will honour its
past presidents.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning will
deliver the feature address at the ceremony.
The chamber, often referred to as
the Energy Chamber, started in 1956 with a group
of 35 southern businessmen. The meeting was held
at Industrial Agencies offices in San Fernando.
"There were no dissenting voices
for the proposal," said Robert Montano, a leading
southern businessman and the man behind the formation
of the chamber.
During the past 50 years, the chamber
has elected 27 presidents. Only one was a woman,
Diane Seukeran, who now is Minister in the Ministry
of Trade and Industry. The first president was P.E.T
O'Connor, an oil man.
The current president is Rampersad
Motilal, chief executive officer of the Methanol
Group of Companies.
Montano told Business Express that
many of the businessmen who pioneered the movement
were proud to see it grow from "scratch to
an energy force in the business world."
Recalling the beginning of the organisation,
Montano said the idea of forming a chamber came
after years of businessmen having to deal individually
with problems in their environment.
It was agreed that the best way
forward was to form a chamber.
Montano, now retired from business
activities, will be among the past presidents who
will be honoured for their contribution to the chamber
and southern communities over the years.
He said the biggest achievement
of the chamber to date was the creation of the Point
Lisas Industrial Estate.
"I think the chamber should
be proud to be a part of the decision to establish
an industrial estate that has turned out to be a
successful investment," said Montano.
He noted that many businesspeople
who had pioneered the efforts at Point Lisas were
still around.
"It was not an easy task for
them. Many thought it would have failed, but we
persevered," said Montano.
Now the Point Lisas Industrial Development
Company (PLIPDECO), which has its own port, energy
and manufacturing industries, is one of the largest
industrial estates in the Caribbean and recently
celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Commenting on the condition of the
area before it reached the present state of development,
PLIPDECO's acting president, Captain Rawle Baddaloo
said, "In the early days you had to be prepared
to wash the number plates of your car when you came
out of the area, because it was totally covered
in mud."
The chamber has continued to be
in the forefront of industrial development in the
South, with emphasis on energy.
Its chief executive officer, Dr
Thackwray Driver, said the chamber has been active
in lobbying for the general development of the southern
region.
He said: "[We have] decided
to concentrate on the energy
and manufacturing sectors. Our plan
is to diversify our operations within the energy
sector. We are looking at downstream activities
and diversifying energy into petrochemicals products
and serving the sector in a viable way."
Driver said the chamber's monthly
energy luncheon has provided its members with "the
best opportunity to interact with the important
people working in the energy industry."
He said it also gives its members
the type of information needed to improve their
performance.
Driver said that since the formation
of the chamber it has had a close relationship with
the sector. In addition to the promotion of downstream
industries, the chamber has frequently lobbied Government
on other oil and gas industry issues, such as fiscal
and legal regimes for the sector and the promotion
of local content, he said.
Driver said the chamber has made
great strides in its first 50 years and what was
on the front burner for the coming years is to find
a permanent home for the organisation.
He said: "We have leased one
acre of land from Caroni (1975) Limited, near the
stadium facilities at Tarouba and we are now in
the process of getting planning permission from
Town and Country Planning to construct a building."
Driver said the chamber was in a
growing mood. "The present membership stands
between 150 and 200 with 35 per cent of that number
based in San Fernando, while 31 per cent is from
Port of Spain."
Driver
said the Chamber continued to be the medium in which
businessmen will depend on for protection. It sees
sustainable employment as a function of business
and in this regard it is in support of the development
of the southwest peninsular since it would bring
employment and other benefits to the area, but the
chamber was also mindful that development should
take place strictly in accordance with prevailing
laws, Driver said.
Trinidad & Tobago Express
Wednesday, June 28th 2006
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