Optimism is returning after years of recession, despite the fourth quarter of 2017 seeing real economic activity contract by 1.2% year-on-year and the IMF putting growth for the whole year at -2.6%. The organisation forecasts expansion of 1% in 2018 and 0.9% in 2019, with the government now having the opportunity to shift their focus from tackling short-term economic problems to implementing long-
A vibrant, multicultural country, over the past two decades Trinidad and Tobago has forged a reputation of being one of the leading destinations for direct foreign investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. The twin island country has a rich democratic history and a strong commitment to the rule of law. At the base of this success is a legal system that has been integral to the development…
Viewpoint: Hadyn John Gadsby The proposed introduction of the new property tax regime in 2017, if implemented efficiently and transparently, should be viewed in a positive light due to the possible long-term social and economic value it could create in Trinidad and Tobago. It heralds a potential paradigm shift that could allow the state’s fiscal policy to be utilised more effectively in order to…
The oil and gas industry has historically been Trinidad and Tobago’s primary economic engine, but it has faced challenges in the low-price environment of 2014-16. Strategic decisions are now required across the entire value chain, from incentivising upstream production to improving refinery profitability in the mid-stream and boosting capacity utilisation downstream. After facing pressing short-
This chapter provides an overview of Trinidad and Tobago’s legal framework, covering a range of topics from civil procedure rules, to the Foreign Investment Act, free zones and public-private partnerships, among others. It also contains a viewpoint from Hadyn John Gadsby, Senior Partner, J.D. Sellier + Co.…
In its March 2016 Economic Bulletin, the Central Bank of T&T stated that after negative growth of 1% in 2014, T&T’s economy contracted by a further 2.1% in 2015, as per provisional data. Meanwhile, government revenue fell by 6.2% in FY 2014/15, with a 35% decline in energy collections outstripping increases in non-energy and capital receipts. Nonetheless, the recessionary environment is
Trinidad and Tobago is a vibrant, diverse country that over the past two decades has forged a reputation as one of the leading destinations for direct foreign investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. After the US and Canada, T&T is the third-richest country by GDP at purchasing power parity per capita in the Americas, and as of November 2011 the OECD removed T&T from its list of developing…
The recent collapse in global commodity prices, in particular oil and natural gas, has caused significant challenges to Trinidad and Tobago as a resource-based economy. As a result we are now forced to undertake a major re-evaluation of our economic priorities in light of the new energy paradigm. The government of T&T has signalled its intention to use the current situation as an opportunity to…
This chapter provides an overview of Trinidad and Tobago’s legal framework, covering a range of topics including civil procedure rules, the Foreign Investment Act, free zones and public-private partnerships, among others. It also features a viewpoint from Kenneth Vieira, Senior Partner, J.D. Sellier.…
In Trinidad and Tobago trademark rights are currently regulated by the provisions of the Trade Marks Act Chapter 82:81. A trademark under the act may include a device, name, signature, word, letter, numeral or any combination thereof capable of distinguishing the goods or services of the proprietor from that of another proprietor or competitor. The List Registration of a mark confers numerous benefits…
