Trinidad launches Belt & Road industrial park

The Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, a flagship project of China-Trinidad and Tobago cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, was officially inaugurated recently in the Caribbean country. 

T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley officially opened the state-of-the-art eTecK Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

The Park was built under the Belt and Road Initiative with the People’s Republic of China, with financing from the China Export Import Bank at a cost of US$104 million.

Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee Scoon said the construction phase was a substantial undertaking and they experienced some delays because of the Covid-19 pandemic, weather conditions and squatter challenges.

"Today, the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate stands poised to become a hub of economic activity, innovation and employment opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago. This is as a result of the coordination and hard work by E-Teck and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, executed by the Contractor, Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG), including several local sub-contractors,” Minister Gopee-Scoon stated. 

“This first-rate Industrial Estate with 144 acres, sub-divided into 78 leasable lots has all the required infrastructure and services. There are also five modern factory shells—approximately 5,000 square metres—which now have committed tenancy arrangements," she added.

She said to date, 18 investments have been committed for the estate, which amount to a total investment of $485 million.

“This, with an expected job creation of 861 jobs already, in addition as well to a data centre, which will be built with the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Collectively the investors will occupy two thirds of the lots and leasable space on the park." she said.

The trade minister pointed out that Summit Luggage—the producer of Samsonite and other well-known brands of luggage—currently is operating at the park with a container already exported to Canada.

Noting that the industrial park is a symbol of the strong and blossoming relationship between the two governments, the Prime Minister said this year marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Trinidad and Tobago and China.

He recalled that in 2018, during his official visit to China, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, making Trinidad and Tobago the first Caribbean country to officially sign on to the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Today, following years of hard work and commitment in the face of the pandemic and other setbacks, we are witnesses to the tangible results of our efforts,” he said.

Also speaking at the event were eTecK's chairman Imtiaz Ahamad, Beijing construction's Deputy General Manager He Haiqi, and China’s Ambassador to T&T Fang Qui.

Several government ministers and foreign dignitaries also attended the official opening of the new Industrial Estate.

(Sascha Wilson -Trinidadian Guardian)