While Tobago continues to position itself as an attractive destination for investment, the THA’s Secretary of Finance, Trade and the Economy, Petal-Ann Roberts, says reducing the cost of doing business remains one of the island’s most pressing challenges.

Speaking to reporters at the Trade and Investment Convention, Ms. Roberts noted that investors and entrepreneurs in Tobago continue to face higher operating costs than their counterparts in Trinidad, along with limited access to business services, raw materials and capacity-building opportunities.

“The cost of doing business in Tobago is very expensive. I don’t know if you know that, more than Trinidad. Even accessing raw materials and services in Tobago, Trinidad is like the mecca of business and commercial activity, whilst Tobago focuses on tourism and the public sector actually has most of the business in Tobago. The state sector has about 70%. So, the opportunities to access services, raw materials and just capacity building is actually lacking in Tobago. It’s something that this administration is actually working on right now.”