(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday met with United States Deputy Secretary of State William Burns to discuss ongoing bilateral issues.
According to a release from the Prime Minister’s office, the PM and Burns addressed several important matters affecting Trinidad and Tobago and the region, among them the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which was enacted by Congress in 2010 and is part of the US effort to combat tax evasion by US citizens holding overseas investments.
The Prime Minister also referred to the need for the US Government to do more to assist Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, in the fight against the illegal drug trade.
Both agreed to the need to improve information sharing between government agencies and to do more to inform regional authorities of the criminal background of deportees from Caribbean countries.
Persad-Bissessar also discussed with Burns the feasibility of convening a Caricom-US Summit.
As incoming chair of Caricom, the Prime Minister discussed the progress towards determining the preference of member states in respect of an appropriate inter-governmental agreement with the US.
Persad-Bissessar expressed her vision to expand the regional architecture to the benefit of all Caricom member countries.
The PM also met with the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luis Alberto Moreno, to discuss issues relating to T&T and the Caribbean region.
Trinidad and Tobago has enjoyed a long relationship with the Inter-American Development Bank over the last four decades, having received support in the areas of education, health, housing, poverty alleviation, roads and highway development, agriculture, refinery upgrade and the investment environment.
Persad-Bissessar indicated that the “current portfolio for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the largest-ever with 30 operations valuing US$460.1 million”, which the Prime Minister stated “attests to the bank’s continuing support for the Government’s development efforts”.
The Prime Minister also raised several issues of concern, including the decline in the number of Caribbean nationals serving in senior management positions of the bank and Trinidad and Tobago’s continued concern for the economic well-being of the Caribbean.
As the private sector is being targeted to play a major role in the growth and development of Caribbean economies, the PM expressed concern over the limited presence and contribution of the private sector arms of the bank in the wider Caribbean community.
Persad-Bissessar also thanked the president of the IDB for his commitment given to the governor for Trinidad and Tobago, to support T&T’s hosting of the VIII Americas Competitive Forum 2014.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar will address the OAS Africa meeting today in Washington DC.
The Prime Minister’s official visit to the US continues with the Americas-Africa Business Forum to discuss “New Commercial Partnerships for Economic Growth” today.
On Monday, the Prime Minister met with Trinidad and Tobago Ambassadors to the UN, Rodney Charles and Eden Charles, on issues regarding replacement candidates to the International Criminal Court.
