The Sail Clear System, a government initiative designed to streamline and modernise vessel clearance procedures, is showing positive results.
That’s according to Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism Satyakama Maharaj, who lauded his Ministry’s implementation of its most recent Ease of Doing Business initiative to remove delays for yachts entering Trinidad and Tobago.
“I saw the first yachties coming in, and I was so pleased to see that four hours average processing time for a yacht coming in being reduced to 15 minutes.”
While encouraged by the progress so far, Minister Maharaj stressed that the initiative remains in its infancy.
“It ain’t even fully implemented yet, eh, and arrivals double. Restaurants up there are Whatsapping me, ‘Thank you very much. We full. We fully booked.’ And we could bring marine facilities down in South, it’s a monopoly you have. Put together your resources.'”
He also noted that there are more opportunities on the horizon as international investors have shown interest in Trinidad and Tobago.
“There are opportunities for hotels. We turned the sod for the new Hilton in South Park, right. You all saw that, right? First international brand coming south, and more coming, eh. We’re supposed to turn the sod two Hiltons in Tobago, right. One in Roxborough. Just yesterday somebody wants to come, a car assembly plant here.”
The Minister made his remarks as he opened the Private Sector Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago consultation series in South Trinidad on Tuesday.