T&T Poised For Socio-Economic Quantum Leap - But surely not just poised? – (PART I of II)

If we are to believe a mere half of what was broadcast to the group invited to attend last Thursday’s London launch of the Trinidad & Tobago Professionals Network (UK) at the T&T High Commission in Belgrave Square, there is certainly reason for even premature jubilation. And why not? It would seem that within an undisclosed but implicitly short number of years, T&T is set to achieve “semi-industrialised country” status. Propelled by a concerted reclamation of our foreign-based intellectual property in the form of Trinbagonian professionals abroad and a re-energised petrodollar-fuelled economy to be used to support an impressive array of development projects, the potential here is boundless. Convinced? At best, it could be said that this projection is wildly optimistic and only partly feasible, at worst, a piece of fruitless cant destined for early relegation to the wastebasket of local history. Nevertheless, it would seem that the fire has already been lit, catching on from the spark.

The meeting was based on the launch of the TTPN(UK), the brainchild of private London-based T&T nationals supported by the Tourism Ministry and the TTHC. A reaction against the outward flow of human capital that all developing nations experience in the current global village, “brain drain”, the body’s organisers hope to combat and curb this by forging strong extra-territorial links among expats based primarily in the UK, then globally. Perhaps it leans toward the optimistic, but there is reason to believe that the strategy is bound to have at the very least a positive effect. Whether the scale on which this occurs is sufficiently large or well-timed to create a material step forward in development terms will be put to the test in the months to come.

Based on the words of the speakers who included Her Excellency Glenda Morean-Phillips, High Commissioner, and Ashton Ford, Public Affairs, Culture and Tourism Attaché, it would seem that T&T is set to become the “Silicon Valley of the Caribbean…”, with software mega-firms such as Oracle and Sybase already in concrete negotiation with T&T consortia on the subject of setting up shop in T&T. Add to that the proposed increase in domestic internet access, the goal of broadband access for 100% of the population and plans to introduce e-Government only a few years down the road, who wouldn’t be impressed? Plus a joint private/public venture with the Health Ministry for a premiere-quality rollout of Novell software for the entire sector, which, managed well with quality staffing and training, should pay for itself times over. The projected results seem impressive.

Taking the supposed scale and seriousness of the event into consideration, it was quite surprising, that there was not one prominent Trinbagonian guest speaker available on the evening to add a measure of credibility to the event. Perhaps in further planned meetings, this is still to come. For the more cynical present that evening, however, the concepts of government-run propaganda and staging may have occurred as a thought more than once. Why? Well as it was pointed out by more than a few invitees that evening, apart from the sheer nostalgic power of the idea, in the absence of a compelling incentive, networking beyond the room itself seemed a non-option. Returning to our island to setup professionally would seem like a virtual act of martyrdom.

Nostalgia for the patria for most of us tends to tug primarily on the heart-strings, the sentiment often ending there. For that tugging to act on the purse-strings, however, requires more than a mere emotional appeal. If only it were that easy! Simply put, for most, if the concept does not make practical sense, it simply will not represent a feasible option. The furthest the idea will reach is within the highly innocuous bounds of conversation. The size of any proposed remuneration package and the omnipresent threat to personal safety on our beloved twin-island republic are not matters easily sidestepped or treated frivolously. However, one of the more immediately tangible results of the TTPN(UK) meeting was the promotion of the so-called Fast Forward Program which consists of a database for nationals abroad with a focus on procuring employment within the public & private sector at home on a temporary, permanent or consultancy basis.

If we are to follow the inspired example of other nations in the Commonwealth such as Australia and New Zealand, who despite appreciably distinct histories from our own have successfully managed to withstand large-scale export of their home-grown human capital (with much smaller-scale repatriation) with a net result that, quite remarkably, yields world-beating GDP growth rates. Can T&T’s planners home and in the Foreign Office sincerely begin to hint at this direction for our economy? Will we ever merge into this category?

With its installation as a registered organisation, it can be reasonably expected that this professional network function as a powerful lobby tool used to influence public policy from abroad, much like a guild of exiled politicians who may rule by proxy. Immediately, we spot the quandaries: private vs public interests and external influence on the local socio-economic environment and increased market exploitation. How fair is it for nationals who, willingly or unwillingly, reside in T&T to have their day-to-day lives shaped according to the caprices of a group of nationals who have in their own way chosen to abandon the flag, as it were? In the same manner in which the topic of voting rights of expatriates is discussed, this should also be considered. The argument runs along that precise vein.

Trinidad and Tobago, as we are beginning to realise yet again, is poised for a quantum leap on a myriad of key fronts over the coming months. Our profile has been elevated substantially as a result of our World Cup Final qualification in Germany this year. No-one is saying that it all comes down to a few football matches, but we can ill-afford to have the momentum of this event sweep past us without taking every opportunity to harness it efficiently and all the new prospects with which we will find ourselves flooded in sectors well beyond sport. This is where the establishing of such a network can be invaluable.

The reality is that Trinidad & Tobago as a concept has been both misrepresented and underrepresented to the outside world, particularly in the regard of countries that matter, the G8 and OECD member states, above all. In our stir, we must realise that our coming “moment” can be likened to a photograph’s being taken, a snapshot that will endure on the mantlepiece of history. The crucial question is: can we afford to live with this image? All eyes are on us.

Stay tuned for Part II – The Backlash

Nigel R. Cupid for The Progressive