Due to a shortage of foreign exchange in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, Vincentians who trade between those islands have been encountering difficulties in obtaining payments.
In December of 2016, Trinidad and Tobago’s former minister of trade, industry, investment and communications, Vasant Bharath, said that the foreign exchange shortage situation in Trinidad had reached chronic proportions.
Prime Minister Gonsalves at a press conference on Monday 20th February said that the Government here is working actively to resolve the issue.
Farmers on the island for a time now have been highlighting the problem of being unable to receive money for their produce.
In January of 2017, there was pressure on the Barbados Central Bank Governor Dr DeLisle Worrell to step down, as the country’s foreign reserves were said to be at the lowest level in 14 years and the economy on the brink.
The Prime Minister told members of the media, he has been unsuccessful so far in trying to get the local Central Bank and the Central Banks of Trinidad and Barbados to deal with matter speedily.
Gonsalves said he had raised the issue at the 28th intercessional meeting of Caricom Heads of Government that was convened in Guyana from February 16-17, 2017.
