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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar cuts the ribbon at the launch of the TT Revitalisation Blueprint at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, on November 6. - Photo by Faith AyoungPrime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has launched an ambitious national infrastructural development plan which her government believes will provide more than 50,000 jobs while transforming TT.
Outlining the details of the plan, Works Minister Jearlean John said, once successful, it will make TT unrecognisable in ten years.
The plan, TT Revitalisation Blueprint, includes 129 construction projects to revamp and upgrade key areas across TT including the Port of Spain and San Fernando waterfronts, Invaders Bay, and Queen’s Park Savannah, while the Port of Spain port is set to undergo a massive expansion.
The plan also entails demolishing the prisons in Port of Spain, Golden Grove and Carrera Island and rehousing prisoners in a massive “justice centre” in Tamana, linked to a sprawling national security complex in Mt Hope.
An arts and cultural centre will be built on the Port of Spain site, Golden Grove’s 250 acre compound will be turned into a new housing community while Carrera Island will be turned into an offshore luxury resort.
John, during an elaborate presentation, revealed the blueprint also includes a 100-mile-long road network, complete with highways, connecting San Fernando to communities such as Mayaro on the south-east coast.
With rapper Jay-Z’s Public Service Announcement playing in the background John declared, “This is a chance to reintroduce TT to the world!” later adding, “Go big or go home,” as she noted the scale of the plan.
Highlighting what the government was hoping to see at Invaders Bay, John anticipated the development of four five-star hotels, a 400-berth marina and a convention centre.
Downtown Port of Spain will also see improvements with the introduction of a multi-modal transportation hub linking the capital city to the rest of the country.
Jearlean: TT 'unrecognisable' in ten years
With dozens of titans of industry, foreign diplomats, and business moguls in the room, John announced the simultaneous launch of Urban Development Company of TT’s (Udecott) electronic tender portal which went live at the time of the presentation.
She said business will be allowed to bid on projects until January, when it will be closed and bids evaluated.
John said contracts will be awarded shortly after and with construction set to begin in mid-2026, she expects 50,919 jobs to be eventually delivered.
“If we work hard, all goes well, and you work with us, by August 2026 projects will have started.”
John asserted, “If things go as planned, the country will be unrecognisable by 2035.”
A rendition of Invaders Bay which the government hopes to revamp into a economic and leisure waterfront. - ttglobalhub.gov.tt
Persad-Bissessar praised the blueprint as she noted diversification had been an elusive dream for TT for decades, and “too often a talking point with no real action.”
She committed to completing the projects by 2035.
“We have been planning and planning, today we have stopped talking… Our projects will not be white elephants or illusions of grandeur. They will be grounded in purpose and built to produce real results.”
She said the blueprint was “not just another development initiative,” and predicted it will reinvigorate and re-imagine what TT can become.
“It is not a vision. It is a declaration of intent to build iconic enduring structures that will define our national landscape.
“These projects are designed to last and inspire. They will stand as unshakable symbols of progress and permanence… We are not merely designing spaces, we are shaping the future of TT.”
She claimed the projects will become part of TT’s extraordinary legacy.
PM: Govt will 'find the money'
Persad-Bissessar, early in her presentation, addressed the question on journalists’ lips, “Where will the money come from?”
She noted the government intends to work closely with investors to “find the money,” so that both TT and the private sector can see returns.
Speaking with the media afterwards, John acknowledged the ambitious plan will not be cheap.
Asked why the projects were not included in the recent national budget given the anticipated August 2026 start date, she said the government was pursuing multiple financing avenues.
“There are different models of financing. Public, private and government to government. We can't put everything against the public purse. That doesn't make sense.”
John added the government was looking for as much private-sector participation as possible, and was not limiting itself to only local investment.
“If you notice that room had a mix of people, bankers, captains of industry and so on. But the presentation was also live streaming all across the globe.
“The corporate class were in that room. There's a reason for that.”
She said she had already received positive feedback from the business community regarding the plans.
“They said it was a very exciting presentation. So I expect that (investment).”
Persad-Bissessar, meanwhile, highlighted TT’s strategic advantages which she said are attractive to investors including its location outside the hurricane belt and in a timezone that bridges the Americas.
She said TT’s highly educated and skilled workforce, along with its reliable energy supply, stable democracy and strong legal system were also huge advantages.
“TT is open for business and everyone is welcome,” she declared.
John remained optimistic when asked if the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela could derail hopes for foreign investment in the projects.
“Today is a good day... Come with your plan and we are ready for you. That's all we are interested in.
"We are about peace and love,” she added as she flashed a peace sign, blew a kiss to the media and walked off.
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