The slow roasting of a perfect creamy breadfruit is a wonderful example of traditional cooking techniques from the countryside that speak of living off the land, agricultural self-reliance and true indigenous sustainable living, even in times when things can get tough. In these photos by Edison Boodoosingh at Charlotteville’s Natural Treasures Day, held on Monday, July 20, Charlotteville resident Kerron Eastman demonstrates in an entertaining yet educational way, how it is done, Tobago-style. 

Roasting breadfruit, making chocolate tea and dancing the cocoa are all part of Tobago’s folk culture, now ritualised in the Tobago Heritage Festival which began on July 16 and continues until August 1. The festival is an annual celebration of the dance, song, music and cuisine of Tobago, and strives to preserve Tobago’s unique cultural heritage.

Charlotteville’s special day included a morning village trek, a treasure hunt and an evening stage production at the Charlotteville Recreation Grounds. 

Kerron Eastman is a Charlotteville cultural activist who sings, acts, and has played many roles in the Charlotteville Heritage activities for more than a decade. This year, he not only demonstrated how to roast breadfruit, but he also acted in the evening show and was one of four people to demonstrate the dancing of the cocoa by the Cocoa House in Charlotteville.

“Our theme in the Heritage Festival changes from year to year,” explained Eastman, “and this year, for the evening show, I played the part of Tom in the play called Recognition. In the play, Tom comes to a thanksgiving held by his grandmother, after he has been away for many years. At first, Tom is not welcomed, but eventually, he is embraced by his family.”

Eastman said a highlight of Charlotteville’s annual Heritage Festival is always the spectacle of the dancing of the cocoa.

“For the past 12 years or more, I have been involved with dancing the cocoa, polishing the beans to make sure you have a good-looking, shiny product. After sweating the cocoa for six to eight days, the clammy part of the cocoa will dry, so you remove it by adding a little water and then dancing on the beans. Churchill Cordner, John Price, Keith and myself all danced the cocoa this year.”

He said often, labourers who came to harvest cocoa worked long, sometimes irregular hours, and so to keep themselves going, they might pick some local corn or breadfruit and roast it for a humble but filling meal. 

“I demonstrated the roasting of the breadfruit in the Cocoa House yard, as an added enhancement to the dancing of the cocoa demonstration,” he said, noting that another lady also demonstrated how to make a traditional “roast bake” in a cooking pot, “with fire on top and below the pot,” he said, to make a kind of improvised oven.

“Long ago ago we used to eat breadfruit and saltfish, or breadfruit and butter, so this reminds us of those times. It takes about 25 minutes to roast the breadfruit, depending on how much fire you have. You can mark the skin first so that some milk can run out. After you roast it, you scrape the outside burnt part so clean that you could eat the skin as well.” So nothing went to waste.

Annette Alfred, longtime resident of Charlotteville, spoke of another aspect of the Charlotteville heritage festivities: The Washing of the Dead Bed, which referred to the old ritual of washing in the river all the sheets and “everything in the house” after someone’s death. As they washed, they would sing happy songs because they believed it was a way of honouring the life that had passed.

Alfred said the ritual’s purpose was “to wash away the spirits, to cleanse the house...and people would use blue soap with their scrubbing boards and basins.” An important secret of the ritual washing, she shared, was that “they must come out of the river backwards.”

Former National Calypso Monarch and defending National Political Calypso  Monarch Cro Cro who expelled in song all the frustrations he has bottled up for the last five years, placed first at last Saturday's mammoth National Political Monarch semi-finals held at Skinner Park, San Fernando.

Performing a song titled Poor Pious And A Very Proud PNMite, Cro Cro had the 8,000-strong crowd, mainly opposition party  PNM supporters, decked in red, calling for more when he was finished. 

Placing second was another former National Calypso Monarch Karene Ashe with her composition  Every Knee Shall Bow. Devon Seale with My Humble Plea placed third, with fourth place filled by the most recent National Calypso Monarch in this competition, Pink Panther .

At the finals on August 22, at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, each singer will be required to perform two songs back to back; on politics only. One song must be a 2015 composition and the other, a song of any year altered to deal with modern day political scenarios.

Over $625,000 in prize money is at stake with the winner receiving $150,000.

THE FINALISTS

The finalists  and title of their songs performed at Saturday's semis are:

Bunny B - Multi Crisis

Brian London - Doh Complain Come Plain

Cro Cro - Poor Pious and A Proud PNMite

Devon Seales - My Humble Plea

Pink Panther - Kamla You Have Too Go

Karene Ashe - Every Knee Shall Bow

Delamo - PNM Coming 

Peter C Lewis - We Must Believe In The PNM

Skatie - Jack Warner & Kamla

Myron B - Data Analysis 

Kenneth Supersad - The Partnership Is Working For You

Edward Ramdass - Kamla Doing Good Every Day  

Lady Gypsy - Ah Leaving D Partnership To Join PNM

Massive Gosine - Five More Years For Kamla

Impulse - Continue

ALLI: Fareeda Zin of Saldenah Drive, Curepe died on 19th July, 2015. Sister of Jean Alli, Rasheed (dec) and Dicky (dec), Zora Khabay, Rasheeda Alli and Fareed Ali. Aunt of Aleisha, Shara (dec), Abdel, Aleem, Shelly, Bryan, Annushka, Annie, Tariq, Zariah, Ryiad and Narissa.

​Great Aunt of 10. Funeral service for the late FAREEDA ZIN ALI takes place at 10:00am on Thursday 23rd July, 2015 at the Fatima R.C Church, Bushe Street, Curepe thence to the Tunapuna Public Cemetery. Enquiries, Lee's Funeral Directors, 663-1010.

CRUICKSHANK, JUDY of 7 Jacamar Walk River Estate, Diego Martin died on Thursday 16th July, 2015. Daughter of Ronald Cruickshank and Wilma Gloud (dec.). Mother of Jacqueline Sylvester. Grandmother of Keziah Lewis. Sister of Lindon, Fitzgerald, Michael, Randolph, Suzette (dec.), Anthony, Kiesha, Ann Marie, Marcia, Althea and Giselle.

​Cousin of Cindy Cruickshank and many others. Niece of Ulric Ferreira (dec.), Ancil, Cyril, Cynthia John (dec.), and many others. Aunt of many. Funeral service at 9.00am on Thursday 23rd July, 2015 at Clark & Battoo s Chapel, 11 Tragarete Road, POS thence to the Crematorium, Long Circular Road. For enquiries; call C & B: 625-1170

FRANK: Alfred 80 years of # 118 Norman Spann Crescent Barataria died on 17th July, 2015. Husband of the late Cora Frank. Father of Cheryl, Marva, Russell, Alvin, Cynthia, Pearl and the late Alva. Grandfather of Debra, Sapphire, Amanda, Rene, Rondell, Kathleen, Randy, Enoch, David, Andrew, Andrea, Jeremy, Zafar, Samuel, Nikolai, Russell Jr, Mikhail, Tanika, Elijah and Dimitri.

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Great Grandfather of Kymani and Sarah.Brother of the late Jennifer, Marilyn, Robert and Elizabeth.Uncle of Andy, Carl, Wayne, the late Patsy, Sherma, Diana, Bernadette, Shirley, Marcia, Sherwin and Ava. Cousin of Sylvia, Dolly, Mary, the late Fredrick and Richard, Clyde, Hudson.

Friends of Morris, Mr Lashley, Williams, Kim and Mark. Funeral service for the late Alfred Frank takes place at 9:00am on Thursday 23rd July, 2015 at the Chapel of Joy Church, Corner Jogie Road + 7th Street, Barataria thence to the Tunapuna Public Cemetery. Enquiries, Lee's Funeral Directors, 50 Eastern Main Road St. Augustine, 663-1010.

GITTENS: ENEZ VIOLET was the daughter of Eliazer and Augusta Niles (both deceased). Wife of the late Robert (Bob). Gittens. Mother of Merlyn, Darnley, Stanley, Robert Jnr. And Wade (deceased). Mother-in-law of Densel, Ava, Marion and Jasmine and Dianne.

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She was predeceased by her siblings, Ralph (Boysie), Vernon, Herman and Edna and brother-in-law, the late Lloyd (Manzie) Brown. She was the aunt of Clive and Courtney Niles, Lynette, Winston, Roxanne and Kelvin Brown, Glenda, Carol and Earlin Niles and Teriq, Sherry-Ann, Sheldon, Allison and Michelle.

Grandmother of Sonja, Tsara, Kevon, Leslie, Marsha, Tisha-Marie, Shane, Keisha and Avionne and Gavin, Paul and Phi Thu. Great grandmother of Victoria, Katerina, Marcus, Xavier and Elih. Adopted mother of Ivan Lashley. Funeral at 10:00am Thursday 23rd July, 2015 at St. Agnes Anglican, Clarence Street, thence to the Western Cemetery. For enquiries; call C&B: 625-1170

JOHNSON: Daphne- nee Alleyne, formerly of Riverside, San Fernando, departed this life on Friday 17th July, 2015 at the age of 87. She will be lovingly remembered as the:- Daughter of: The late Rupert & Louisa Alleyne. Wife of: The late Christopher Johnson. Mother of: Ulric, Colleen, Colbert, Camille & Natalie.

Grandmother of: Mark, Tammy, Safiya, Andre,Rene, Reynard, Devin,Khamisi, Katelyn, Josanne, Justin, Lianna& Dacia. Sister of: Errol (UK), & the late Lenora, Cecil, Petronella, Carlton & Jacob. Aunt, Great Aunt and Relative of: The Merriques, Alleynes, Flaments, Marrasts & Scotts.

​The funeral service for the late Daphne Johnsonwill take place at 11:00am on Friday 24thJuly, 2015 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church, Harris Promenade San Fernando, followed by an interment at Paradise Cemetery. Enquires can be made at Belgroves Funeral Home & Crematorium at 223- 2178. To extend condolences to the family ofDaphne Johnson, please logon to www.- belgroves.com

SOOKLAL: RAMDAS (Better known as Mr. Ram) of Corner Paul and Canton Streets, Sangre Grande, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 18th, 2015.He was the husband of the late ROSINA SOOKLAL nee SOODEEN. Father of Chandra Bhopa, Kamla Williams, Stephyn (Guya) Sooklall, Damian (Hamie) Sooklal, Leela Geelalsingh, Meela (Babe) Heerah, Judy Waterfield and Hannah Persad.

Father in law of Edward (Ahmad) Bhopa, Keshore Williams (deceased), Rachael Sooklall, Sharmilla Sooklal, Varma Geelalsingh, Ronald Heerah, Neil Waterfield and Kashi Persad Grandfather of Candace, Anderson (Eddie), Amanda, Michael, Krystyn, Kymlyn, Krysll, Kryslyn, Tiffany, Christie, Wesley, Evan, Ashley, Christopher, Timothy, Abigail, Daniel, Zachary, Ilissa (deceased) Justin, Joseph, Charissa, Elizabeth, Josiah, Hailey and Heidi. Great Grandfather of Zachary, Benjamin, Isabella, Mason, Lily and Liam.

Brother of Mohan (deceased), Somarie (deceased),Ragoobir, Son (deceased), Roopchand and Deokie. Brother in law of Rosie (deceased), Roopchand (deceased), Beena, Rookumdaie, Bhagmatie, Mohan, Rosalind (Chune), Franklin, Farrel, Cecil, Michael (deceased), Nelson and Patrick (Deodath) Relative and friend of many others.

​The funeral of the late RAMDAS SOOKLAL will take place on Wednesday 22nd July, at 11:00am, at the Sangre Grande Evangelical Church, Sukhram Village Street # 1, Ojoe road, Sangre Grande. Thence to the Turure Cemetery for burial according to Christian rites. Enquires can be made at Wight s Funeral Home Ltd.,#15-17 Toco Road Sangre Grande, 668- 2453/ 3510.

KING, Kurt died on 13th July, 2015 at the Community Hospital, Cocorite. He was the son of George & Shirley King. Brother of Keith King. Uncle of Kelly Kaz and Kristen King. Nephew of Mearle Chambers, Selwyn Legall and Jean De Freitas.

​Cousin of Joel Legall, Brent Chambers and many others. Funeral Service at 10.00 am on Thursday 23rd July, 2015 at St Agnes Anglican Church, Clarence Street, St James thence to the Mucurapo (Woodbrook) Cemetery. For enquiries; call C&B: 625- 1170

The Love Movement once again lived up to its name at its bi-annual Sports and Family Day recently on the Fatima grounds. There was great excitement as the four teams, made up of members of each group, Lights of Love, the Youth and the Senior choir displayed a true spirit of sportsmanship, a release said. 

The captains of Love Berries, Love Bugs, Love Shines and Oceans of Love worked hard at making sure that all the members of their team were given an opportunity to take part in as many events as possible, and not just showcase the best participants. 

Winning at all costs was not the name of the game, it was building family relationships through teamwork, fun and even failure. 

According to the release, some of the exciting and challenging events were the ski race, catch the water balloon race, the plumber’s mate relay and of course the tug-of-war.

The sunny day began with the playing of the national anthem by Jardell Dixon Harry, a member of the recently-formed pan ensemble—The Love Movement Kaizen Love Tones. 

This was followed by a cheerleading routine by the entire Love Movement Family, choreographed by members of the Youth Outreach to Machel Montano’s Like Ah Boss.

The competition was keen and the points separating the teams were very close. Love Shines which started off behind the other teams eventually rose to the occasion, and were crowned winners for the second time. 

Zackia Moses won the Best Female Athlete trophy, while Jardell Dixon Harry and Nathaniel Williams were tied as the top male athletes.

It was truly a beautiful, blessed and fun-filled day for everyone, where the true spirit of family was experienced by all. There was plenty to eat and drink, much laughter, and proud participants showing off their medals. A Zumba dance-off brought the day to a close.

Special thanks were made to the Morvant Police Youth Club, led by Eloy Burge and his team who provided props and personnel needed to run the events and to Richard Brown, who planned a successful family day.

DALIP NEE FUENTES SEUCHARAN VICTORIA: died on Sunday 19 July 2015. She was the wife of Clifford Dalip, mother of Denyse, Keith, Dilys and Kathy. Mother-inlaw of Louis Johnston and Dawn Dalip. Grandmother of Adam and Thais Johnston, Tian and Kyle Dalip. Great grandmother of Seth Johnston.

Sister of Frank, Wilma, Victor (dec), Morris (dec), Herman (dec), Raymond (dec), Malcolm (dec) and Elizabeth (dec). The funeral of Victoria Dalip will be held at the Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe R.C. Church, Bourg Mulatresse, Sun Valley, Santa Cruz on Friday 24th July, at 10:00 a.m Cremation follows at Belgroves Funeral Home, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a collection will be taken up for the church building fun.

FRASER, KENNETH died on JULY 21, 2015. Son of Kenneth Fraser and Neila Fraser nee Gomes (both deceased). Husband of Anne Fraser nee Solomon. Father of Sharon, Derek, Allison, Colleen (deceased), Ronald and Jacqueline. Grandfather of Gionieva and Chloe.

Brother of Michael, Leroy, Noel, Cita (all deceased), Alicia, Noreen and Donald. Father- in-Law of Elia, Ambrose and Gilbert. Brother- in-Law of Gloria, Grace, Gerald (all deceased), Yvonne, Cecily, Bernadette and Rose. Uncle, relative and friend of many.

​Funeral service of the late KENNETH EUCHARIUS FRASER takes place at 9:00 am on FRIDAY 24 JULY, 2015 at the St. PATRICK'S RC CHURCH, NEWTOWN thence to the LAPEYROUSE CEMETERY. Enquiries Lee s Funeral Directors, 663-1010

JOSEPH, Hilda nee Clarke of USA formerly of 65 Mc Bean Road, Couva passed away peacefully on the 16th July 2015 at the age of 100 years. Wife of Ernest Joseph (dec). Mother of Lenora St. Louis, Doreen Lyons (USA), Patricia Montenegro (USA) and Earl Anthony Joseph.

Mother in law of Herbert St. Louis (dec), Abel Lyons (USA), George Montenegro (USA) and Marina Paul. Aunt of Michael Harry (USA), Annette Harry, Charles Matthews and many others. Grandmother of Alana St. Louis, Avril, Alicia, Anson, Avalon, Allister, Andrea Lyons, Adriann, Arden, Ebony Cipriani, Geron Montenegro and Kimlin Joseph. Great Grandmother of 26. Great Great Grandmother of 1.

​Funeral service for the late Hilda Joseph takes place on Wednesday 29th July 2015 at the St. Andrews Anglican Church, Southern Main Road, Couva at 3:00pm and thence to the churchyard cemetery. Enquiries can be made at Clark & Battoo Funeral Home, Chaguanas @665-5266.

THORNHILL: Theresa a.k.a “T.T.” of 14 Oleander Drive, Pleasantville, San Fernando passed away on July 20th, 2015 at the age of 87. She was the daughter of the late Percy & Virginia Thornhill. Mother of Abasewolu Khalabi (Carlyle), Carol Modeste & Stephanie Davey.

Mother-inlaw of Samuel Modeste. Grandmother of Marlon & Maria Modeste, Chivon & Nihilet Thornhill, Michelle Clarke, Lesley Cooper & 8 others. Great grandmother of 15. Sister of Olga Charles, Marjorie Olliviere, Errol Thornhill & 3 others deceased. Aunt of Franka Andrews, Marva Mitchell, Annette Samuel, June Charles, Gemma Lewis & many others. Relative of the Goodridge family.

​Friend of the Williams family & many others The funeral service of the late Theresa Thornhill will take place on Friday 24th July, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Pro Cathedral Our Lady of Perpetual Help R. C. Church Harris Promenade, San Fernando thence to Paradise Cemetery, San Fernando.

WALDRON: Veronie Sebro aged 89 (originally from Mason Hall, Tobago) of Francis Street, Sherewood Park, Arima, died on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015. Wife of the late Theophilus Waldron. Mother of Sheldon and Sherma Waldron. Aunt of Ervin Dennis (UK), Milton Sebro, Dave Prescott, Verna Andrews- Adams (USA) and Velma Peters. Sister of: Hudson, Clerene, Titus and Vita.

​ (All Deceased). Relative of the Sebro's, Waldron's, Dennis', Paul's and Crooks. Sister-inlaw of Martha Thomas and Gordon Waldron. Grandmother of Shenniah Waldron. Friend of Wilma George- Paul, Agnes Clement, Marge Joseph, Geeta Bledman and many more. Funeral for the late Veronie Sebro Waldron takes place from the Tunapuna Methodist Church, Balthazar Street, Tunapuna, at 2.00p.m on Friday 24th July, 2015 and thence to the Tunapuna Cemetery

With a loan portfolio of over US$700 million in T&T, the decades old relationship between T&T and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to grow, says Tomas Bermudez, the IDB’s country representative.

“Our portfolio here in T&T is about US$739.5 million and it means the number of loans we have in execution and are being disbursed right now. Our finances are long term so it is about 20 years. The IDB has financed many things from roads to schools to health facilities. Right now our portfolio has a big concentration on water sanitisation particularly wastewater. We are also working on flooding alleviation in Port-of-Spain,” he told the Business Guardian last Friday.

Bermudez, who is a 42-year-old Venezuelan national, said the IDB is not the only option for a country wanting money for development, but there are factors that make the IDB different from other international players.

“T&T is a country that can go out to international markets and raise money fairly easily. The question is: why would you want a development bank working with T&T? The reason why we have become a good development partner with T&T is the IDB brings technical expertise and know how. If a country wants money alone it can raise money on the capital markets or get Goldman Sachs or Citibank to write you a cheque,” he said.

He said the IDB brings more than money to the country it has a relationship with.

“We have a great knowledge within the bank and if we do not have skills in a certain area we can get it. So we become, in many ways, advisers and consultants to the governments we work with. That is an important element we bring to the table and it is the reason why most governments look for our funding. In certain specific areas, they want the technical know how. The IDB has a wealth of knowledge in different areas.”

Another strength that the IDB has that differentiates it from other bodies is transparency in the way it does business, he said.

“The IDB has very stringent standards for procurement. The IDB procurement policies are close to international standards and we have several steps to monitor how the process is being done. There is also the cost benefit analysis for a project. If we do this cost benefit analysis and we think that it does not make sense to do it, we will not be able to finance it.”

Previously, Bermudez was the country representative for Panama where he was stationed for four years and he will be in T&T for the same time period.

He has been employed by the IDB for ten years and replaced Michelle Cross Fenty as the IDB country representative. She served from 2012 to 2015 in T&T.

He said one of her highlights was growing the loan portfolio of the IDB in T&T. In 2013, she told the Business Guardian the portfolio was then US$500 million.

Bermudez attributes the growth in the portfolio as an example of the successful programmes that the bank and T&T collaborate on together.

“The relationship between the IDB and T&T started since independence. Once T&T became a part of the  Organisation of the American States system, it became part of the IDB. We have been partners in development with T&T since then. Our sovereign-side client is the country and we work with the country and the different governments.”

“We have an office in every single Caribbean country and in every single member country of the IDB. We split our membership into borrower countries and non-borrower countries. France and Spain are members of the IDB but are non borrowing members. Then there are those members that borrow like T&T,” he said.

Bermudez spoke to the Business Guardian at his office, Alexander Street, St Clair.

The IDB’s member countries include Argentina, Bahamas, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Swtizerland, T&T, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Promoting diversification

He said the IDB also wants to help T&T diversify its economy and said global services is just one area the IDB can help T&T in.

“I think everyone agrees in the public and private sector that T&T needs to diversify its economy. If there is consensus about something in this country it is that. The questions are: where to do it and how to do it? I am of the view that the advantage of this country is mostly in services rather that going into manufacturing and even if it is manufacturing it has to be very niche oriented. For the most part, we think that the advantages might be in services.”

He said these global services they are examining with the T&T Government are in areas as ICT, accountancy, back office services, among others.

“T&T’s population is well-educated, speaks English, has a time zone that works well for some companies, and we think this is a niche that T&T should be exploring. We are working with the Government to set up those strategies. We already have a loan for the Global Services Project and soon we will be disbursing money.”

The IDB is also working with the Government on an innovation strategy.

“How to get into new sectors to stimulate innovation strategies. Sometimes you need to have certain things to stimulate those strategies and create the environment for innovative ideas. In the three weeks I have been here I have seen a lot of creativity. You see a lot of talent in many areas and the economy needs to bring it to where it has to be,” he said.

He said the process of economic diversification in T&T will take time.

“To create that environment and conditions will take time. The bus has already left and the Government is doing things to get into that direction. There has been an acknowledgement on every angle of the political spectrum that something has to be done. The Government needs to create the conditions for this to happen. Probably oil prices being depressed will help create that sense of urgency and broaden the fiscal base which was concentrated in oil and gas.”

He said there is no need to move away from the oil and gas sector absolutely as some of the diversification can take place within this sector.

“You have T&T being a provider of services in oil and gas. There are things that are done here that can be done anywhere in the world and this brings in hard currency which has traditionally come from oil and gas. T&T needs different sources of foreign income.”

He said T&T needs to get into non-traditional areas like culture, arts. The country has a solid banking sector that can be explored and needs to look beyond the Caribbean region. 

“T&T looks a lot to the Caribbean which is important but it needs to look at the North and South America and Central America where there are opportunities. Any trade agreements signed with these countries, there must be strategies to explore them. I just came from Panama and there is strong interest from business people in that country who wish to do business with T&T.”

He said T&T has the potential to do much better than it is doing now and one model that T&T can use is the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

“T&T has huge amounts of savings here in this country. There is liquidity in the banks and pension funds. That money can be used to work for the development of the country. If you set up a well structured project between the private sector and the public sector, you can find the sources to finance this. These are investments that can be done in infrastructure, roads, airports, and ports. Jamaica has done a lot of their projects in PPP’s. The IDB wants to get involved in this area.”

Changing world

Bermudez maintains that the IDB remains relevant in a world where there are many other options and other new development banks.

“I am confident that any of these new institutions have the level of support that we could provide. I tell my staff everyday we need to change ourselves as an institution and the way we do things and where we want to be in the next ten to 15 years. I am a believer in change management or else we will have an institution 15 to 20 years down the road that is irrelevant.”

He said the IDB continues to partner with other international and regional banks to help countries.

“We work with the CAF Developmental Bank of Latin America, we work with my colleagues from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). We have initiatives we can work on together. We alone cannot do it all. It is similar with the World Bank and the new Asian Development Bank, they realise not one institution can do it alone.” 

He said the IDB, unlike some of the newer development banks, has been around for decades.

“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the IDB are the product of a different world after the World War Two. The powers that created the corporate governance of these institutions  are not alone now in the 21st century, there are now other actors involved now. The world has changed. The IDB has to find ways to innovate.”

He added that the days of the IMF and the IDB directing countries on how to manage their economies are over.

“That is not the case anymore. You have to come and you have to earn your lunch. To earn your lunch you have to be providing something of value to your client. I cannot come here to the T&T Government and tell them what to do, they better than anyone else know what needs to be done in terms of development of the country.”