Investors Worried, But Not Yet Deterred By Alarming Crime Rates In Trinidad & Tobago

Trade and Industry minister for the twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago, Minister Vasant Bharath, recently reported that the significant presence of crime in the country’s society has not deterred foreigners from investing in the nation’s development.

“I believe there are many countries in the world with high crime rates and that doesn’t preclude them from getting and attracting business. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter because clearly it does and is brought up by foreign direct investors, but we have many other pluses. We haven’t encountered any investors who say they aren’t coming because of crime, so it’s not the militating factor. But the issue is how we can deal with it,’’

The country’s capital, Port of Spain, is currently being evaluated by Chinese engineers to determine the feasibility of an upgrade that will facilitate greater trading opportunities.

Crime and violence is no doubt a menace to any country’s development and growth. How long do you think it will take for crime to start scaring foreigners away from investing in a diversified economy such as Trinidad & Tobago?