TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS FOR JULY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000361

SIPDIS

SANTO DOMINGO FOR REGIONAL COMMERCIAL OFFICE
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON EFIN ELAB ELTN ETRD TD

SUBJECT: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS FOR JULY

Notable economic developments in Trinidad & Tobago in July:

1) Airline boss quits
2) Inflation plummets and Repo rate falls
3) Central Bank: T&T not in recession
4) Central Bank injects US dollars into economy
5) Positive credit rating from regional agency
6) Unemployment rises
7) T&T doctor shortage ... Cubans to fill vacancies!!
8) Highway network and rapid rail system in works
9) T&T hosts trade delegations


1. Airline boss quits
--------------
State-owned Caribbean Airlines'(CA) CEO Philip Saunders recently
tendered his resignation citing personal reasons. Saunders joined
the airline in October 2007, and his resignation comes amidst
reports that the airline has been unable to turn a profit since it
began operations in January 2007. CA reportedly is losing some USD
2 million a month, though Saunders said he hopes the airline will
soon turn profitable on an annual basis. Until a replacement is
named, the airline's Operations VP, Captain Ian Brunton, will serve
as interim CEO.


2. Inflation plummets and Repo rate Falls
--------------
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) announced headline
inflation fell sharply to 8.4 percent down from 10.3 percent in May.
Food price inflation dropped from 19.6 percent in May to 16.5
percent in June. Core inflation also slowed to 4.5 percent
(year-on-year) in June down from 5.8 percent in May. CBTT
attributes the reduction in inflation to lower commodity prices on
the international market and a reduction in local demand for goods
and services. To address slowed domestic economic activity,
sluggish credit growth, and the slow global economic recovery, the
Bank reduced its Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 7.25 percent. The
next Repo rate announcement is scheduled for August 28, 2009.
The full text of the Central bank announcement is posted at
hppt://www.central-bank.org.tt/.


3. Central Bank: T&T not in recession
--------------
The Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) Ewart
Williams told reporters recently that T&T's economy is "stagnant,"
but not in recession despite two successive quarters of negative
real GDP growth. Williams predicts recovery will be slow and take
time.


4. Central Bank injects US dollars into economy
-------------- --
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) injected USD 824
million into the economy in the first five months of 2009, almost
equivalent to the amount injected in all of 2008.


5. Positive credit rating from regional agency
-------------- --
Regional credit rating agency Caribbean Information and Credit
Rating Services Ltd. (CariCRIS) recently reaffirmed the triple "A"
rating for GOTT. According to CariCRIS, the ratings on T&T continue
to reflect its strong, resilient and well diversified economic
structure, strong external liquidity, and a healthy net foreign
reserves position. The statement continued that sound fiscal
flexibility, low public debt, stable monetary and exchange rate
policies, and a relatively well regulated financial system support
the rating.


6. Unemployment rises
--------------
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago's June 2009 Summary Economic
Indicators Bulletin states that unemployment rose to five percent as
of March 2009. Between December 2008 and June 2009, more than 5,000
jobs were lost in the construction, energy, distribution and
manufacturing sectors. The report indicates that although the
unemployment figure increased, the labor force participation rate
also moved upwards in the first quarter of 2009 to 63.6 percent,
compared to 63.1 percent during the same period in 2008. CB
Governor Ewart Williams indicated that unemployment could reach six
percent this year (not counting government make-work projects).


7. T&T doctor shortage... Foreigners to fill vacancies!!
-------------- --------------
GOTT Minister of Transport Colm Imbert told Parliament there is a

PORT OF SP 00000361 002 OF 002


shortage of at least 1,200 doctors in Trinidad and Tobago's public
health service. To facilitate the importation of foreign doctors,
from Cuba, the Philippines, St. Lucia and elsewhere, the GOTT set up
a parallel public medical board to the current privately-run board.
The private board had balked at allowing Cuban medical personnel to
practice here absent their passing an English language exam. The
new government board has granted the Cubans a year to pass the
English exam.


8. Highway network and rapid rail system in works
-------------- --
Addressing a breakfast meeting recently, GOTT Transport Minister
Imbert advised that plans were in the works to improve the country's
transportation system. He indicated that a network of highways
would be constructed to connect all major towns and cities in the
country. The first phase of this project would cost USD 2 billion.
Minister Imbert said that international management consultant,
AECOM, completed the designs and was putting together 13 packages
for tenders to begin later this year. Imbert also noted that plans
for a rapid rail system continue to advance, with planning in the
preliminary engineering stage.


9. T&T hosts trade delegations
--------------
In June 2009, the GOTT Ministry of Trade and Industry hosted a
number of trade and investment delegations. This is in keeping with
its mandate to encourage business development, foreign investment,
and economic diversification. While in T&T, the delegations met
with government representatives, state agencies, local businesses
and Trade and Industry Minister Mariano Browne. A U.S. delegation
from Washington, D.C. was led by attorney John Woods from the NS&J
Advisory Group. The delegation included representatives from the
city government, and the construction, manufacturing, tourism and
ICT sectors. Delegation members are interested in developing
strategic partnerships with T&T businesses. Other trade delegations
were from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

KUSNITZ