PM Persad Bissessar Confident In Funding For National Revitalisation Blueprint
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC is not concerned about the funds required for the full actualisation of the Trinidad and Tobago National Revitalisation Blueprint.
Reinforcing her confidence in the government’s ability to deliver on its ambitious development plans, she assured citizens that financing the initiative will not be an obstacle.
« The question that reoccurs is where are we going to find the money, where we will find the money. I told you then and I will tell you now: we will find that money. »
The key to ensuring that the plans outlined in the Trinidad and Tobago Revitalisation Blueprint are realised is the injection of foreign direct investment. Speaking directly to stakeholders at the launch, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed confidence in the project.
« That is why we are rolling out these projects together. To advise you, so you and your various organisations can help us find the money for investment and it will give you money to return back to your own country, back to your own organisations. »
With the first phase of construction carded for 2026, Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John said every effort has been made to ensure the government’s plans reach a wide and varied audience through in-person and online channels. She noted that Trinidad and Tobago is in competition with the best in the world.
« We have been speaking to them kind of one-on-one. So basically they came together en mass because they have been expressing interest even prior to now. In addition, we were beamed across the globe to several chambers of commerce across Europe, across Saudi Arabia, as a matter of fact, very soon I’ll be going on a road show to the Middle East. So you see the quality. We come out to compete. It’s competition. We are not the only game in town but we wanted to be the game that people want to participate in. »
She said government funding is not the main objective.
« There are different models of finance, public-private, governmental to government. You can’t put everything against the public purse. That doesn’t make sense. So we are looking as much as possible for private sector participation. Forty percent of that room today were people from the captains of society, the corporate arm, the investor class were in that room. There’s a reason for that. »
The Minister dismissed suggestions that regional tensions will play a part in attracting foreign investors. She said citizens should take an all-in approach to the plans as outlined in the blueprint.
