…T&T economy stable, says UTC chairman Mottley
Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) chairman and former finance minister Wendell Mottley said “the Trinidad and Tobago economy is stable”.
He made the comment after a ceremony hosted by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) of Trinidad and Tobago at Hyatt Regency hotel, Port of Spain, on Saturday, when the feature speaker was Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran.
Mottley, an Olympic medallist, Carl Hiralal, Suzanne Roach, Andrea Taylor-Hanna and Dr Dorian Noel were conferred with fellowship awards for their contributions to finance.
Asked to give an update on the economy, Mottley said: “Caribbean economies are fragile and Trinidad and Tobago stands leaps and bounds above the rest of them. Our economy is stable and growing and, hopefully, the pace of growth will pick up. I think the energy sector has always been the driver. I am looking for a lot of projects in the downstream energy sectors coming back on stream.”
Asked to share his sentiments on being conferred with the fellowship award, Mottley added: “I am deeply honoured. I have been in economics before, but finance seems to be a trend through my life, but especially when I was at Wall Street (New York). I learned that deeply over those 14 years I spent there. And now I am back at UTC I am deeply involved there. We just got the (annual) report and it is going from strength to strength and I am proud to be involved with them.”
Hiralal said: “Every year you think it will get easier. I am finding the challenges are increasing daily…but I certainly don’t do it grudgingly, but I do appreciate the recognition. At some point in time, I need to pass on the baton to somebody else.”
And Roach said: “I am very honoured. It has been a lot of work, but it gives you a feeling of accomplishment.”