Ken Gordon to chair T&T Economic Development Board

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has appointed former cabinet minister and media magnate Ken Gordon to chair the Economic Development Board.

At the installation of the board Friday, Planning Minister Mary King noted Gordon's experience and expertise.

“Our Government, the Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Finance welcome you on the board as the private sector partner to implement the restructuring process of the economy. You have a diverse set of experiences and talents in crafting this economic transformation we have spoken off for the last 50 years,” she said.

Other board members are UWI economics lecturer, Dr Sonja Teelucksingh, Neal & Massy director of energy, Bruce Mackenzie and lecturer Aiyegoro Ome. King said she will soon announce the names of two other members.

The core mandate of the newly established board is to play an advisory and implementation role in the strategic management of the economy. She said the petroleum based economy presents risks to the country's economic development.

“We also have a small manufacturing sector which is limited to Caricom,” she said. “In T&T, our plantation economy offers the private sector a good living with little risks in a traditional boom-spend-bust cycle, as long as the petroleum resources last and are demanded by the world market.”