Source: Le Nouvelliste
Translation: Naika Pichi-Ayers
In light of the upcoming Caribbean Construction Forum, which will be held on March 21st and 22nd, 2011 in Trinidad and Tobago, a delegation inclusive of the representatives of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC) have been in Haiti since Thursday. This visit was organized in order to invite the various Haitian actors working in the field of construction in participating to this forum.
Haïti: “Collaboration for Capacity Building in the Regional Construction Sector” is the theme that will be covered during this Caribbean Construction Forum, which will be held this year in Trinidad and Tobago.
“The focus will be on Haiti ", announced Mr Earl Huntley, representative of the CARICOM in Haiti, on Friday. "Architects, construction firms, consultants agencies, from all over the Caribbean, will discuss many issues, such as how to reconstruct Haiti and what kind of materials should fit best, also how to stimulate businesses in Haiti and attract new investments. The Haitian’s construction firms will benefit from all experiences and technologies used by the other companies from the Caribbean.
The debate will be centered around Haiti, pointed out the Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Facilitation Center, Mr Guy Lamothe, who underlined that many Caribbean sectors related to the construction industry will also participate in this forum, where collections of funds will be organized in favour of Haiti’s reconstruction. The Director of the Investment Facilitation Center also mentioned that a mobilization is scheduled to take place next June in Trinidad and Tobago to collect even more toward the cause for Haiti.
"We hope in future to be able to organize such a forum every year. It is very useful to share experiences, knowledge and best work practices", indicated Mr. Mark Raymond, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects of Trinidad and Tobago. This colloquium should contribute to strengthen links between English-speaking Members States of CARICOM and Haiti, because the idea beyond this forum came along further to a technical meeting held in Haiti last year.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC), Ms Carol Ayoung, declared, that this forum should allow to fix the standards of construction in the countries of CARICOM and answer the needs to create links of partnership between them. " The forum aims at concretizing a set of projects of which the caribbean fusion by concentrating on the implementation of the construction plans, the fixation of regional standards, the elaboration of functioning maps, networking of caribbean architects and engineers", explained Ms Carol Ayoung.