By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE mining and quarrying sector in Trinidad and Tobago faces a number of challenges and is in urgent need of reform.
It is for this reason that the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI) will be hosting a mining workshop, the first in a series, to address creative solutions to some of the challenges.
Government, mining and quarrying companies, civil society organisations, fenceline community groups and donor agencies are expected to be part of the first live webinar on March 23 at 10am.
The free webinar is part of a broader mining forum where the TTEITI will unpack the major issues affecting the sector, the organisation stated.
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young will be delivering the feature address at the event entitled “Digging Deeper: Addressing Mining Sector Challenges in Trinidad and Tobago”
The TTEITI stated that participants will walk away with a better understanding of international best practice and a set of practical solutions that can be implemented or leveraged immediately, including:
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Government’s plans for reforming the mining sector and how quarry firms should respond in the short term
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How to achieve radical change in mining at the country level
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How to use technology to help improve royalty collection and quarry management
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The link between competence training and compliance, and how quarry firms can leverage their human resources to maximise profits
Apart from Young, the other presenters are Policy Advisor, Tax and Extractive Industries with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Jaqueline Terrel Taquiri, Managing Director of L&S Surveying Services, the largest company of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago and the English-speaking Caribbean Sasha Ian Addo and Head of Education and Standards at the Institute of Quarrying in the UK Richard Julian Smallshaw.
