By Sue-Ann Wayow

THE first thing newly-appointed Minister of Trade Investment and Tourism Satyakama “Kama” Maharaj intends to do is meet with his team at the ministry.

Maharaj was sworn in on Wednesday as minister at the President’s House.

He was abroad when the rest of the cabinet appointed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in President Christine Kangaloo last Saturday.

The founder of Sacha Cosmetics Ltd, known as the leading local cosmetic brand in Trinidad and Tobago admitted, “I have been waiting for this opportunity for a while.”

Speaking to the media, Maharaj said, “We have a fairly good idea how to hit the ground running. We do not have the luxury of time. By nature, I am an action-oriented person.”

When asked about the foreign exchange issue, Maharaj replied, “I have very clear ideas as to how it can be urgently addressed.”

Also on the top of the agenda was the ease of doing business.

“We have to focus on making it the easiest place in the world to do business,” he said.

Maharaj was also asked about the possibility of staff losing their jobs as the responsibility for advancing the tourism sector was combined with his ministry.

He said he does not think that persons will lose their jobs adding that he would not want that to happen.

Maharaj said the combination of trade, investment and tourism was “all geared towards an overarching objective of diversifying the economy.”

He said tourism would become a major pillar of diversification along with the manufacturing sector and was in the right place.