Final Report Municipality of Siparia Local Area Economic Profile 1 Municipality of Siparia Local Area Economic Profile Final Report Submitted to: Permanent Secretary Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government Kent House, Maraval, Trinidad and Tobago Submitted by: Kairi Consultants Limited 14 Cochrane St, Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago Tel: 1 868 663 2677; Fax: 1 868 663 1442 Email: [email protected] March 11, 2016 i Table of Contents List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ........................................................................................................................................ vi Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. vii 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 9 2 Area Information and Demography ......................................................................................... 10 2.1 Location ................................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 Geography ............................................................................................................................. 10 2.3 Population and Demography ................................................................................................ 11 2.3.1 Population and Household Size .................................................................................... 11 2.3.2 Population Density ......................................................................................................... 11 2.3.3 Age Profile and Dependency ......................................................................................... 12 2.3.4 Ethnicity ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.3.5 Religious Affiliation ........................................................................................................ 14 2.4 Educational Attainment ......................................................................................................... 16 2.4.1 Living Conditions in Siparia ........................................................................................... 18 ii 2.4.2 Crime ............................................................................................................................. 22 3 Land Use and Land Resources ................................................................................................ 24 3.1 Land Use and Resources ..................................................................................................... 24 3.2 Forest Resources .................................................................................................................. 25 3.3 Coastal and Marine Resources ............................................................................................. 25 3.4 Mineral Resources of Economic Importance ........................................................................ 26 4 Municipal Physical and Social Assets .................................................................................... 27 4.1 Physical Infrastructure........................................................................................................... 27 4.1.1 Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure ....................................... 27 4.1.2 Storm Water Management and Coastal Protection ...................................................... 27 4.1.3 Transportation (Land and Sea) ..................................................................................... 27 4.1.4 Water Supply and Distribution ....................................................................................... 28 4.1.5 Electricity ....................................................................................................................... 28 4.1.6 Wastewater Management ............................................................................................. 28 4.1.7 Solid Waste Management ............................................................................................. 28 4.2 Social/Cultural Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 28 4.2.1 Dwelling and Building Stock .......................................................................................... 28 4.3 Social Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.3.1 Education ....................................................................................................................... 28 4.3.2 Health ............................................................................................................................ 29 4.4.3 Disaster Management ................................................................................................... 29 4.4.4 Social Services and Community Development ............................................................. 29 4.4.5 Recreation, Sports and Entertainment .......................................................................... 30 5 The Area Economy .................................................................................................................... 31 5.1 Gross Domestic Product in Trinidad and Tobago ................................................................. 31 5.2 Key Economic Drivers (Activities) ......................................................................................... 32 5.2.1 Industrial Activities ......................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Prevalent Clusters or Value Chain Linkages ........................................................................ 35 6 Municipal MSME Profile ............................................................................................................ 36 6.1 Municipal MSME Survey (2015) ........................................................................................... 37 6.1.1 General Characteristics ................................................................................................. 37 6.1.2 Size of Enterprise .......................................................................................................... 38 6.1.3 Legal Status ................................................................................................................... 39 6.1.4 Markets and Annual Sales ............................................................................................ 41 iii 6.1.5 Financing and Investment ............................................................................................. 42 6.1.6 Use of Internet ............................................................................................................... 43 6.1.7 Technical Support .......................................................................................................... 44 6.2 MSME Focus Group Discussions ......................................................................................... 44 6.3 Partners in Local Area Economic Development in Trinidad ................................................. 46 6.3.1 Local Economic Development in the South West Peninsula ........................................ 46 6.3.2 The Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development ........................ 47 6.3.3 The National Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited ................................. 47 6.3.4 Micro-Enterprise Loan Facility ....................................................................................... 48 6.3.5 The FairShare Programme ............................................................................................ 48 6.3.6 Other Stakeholders ........................................................................................................ 49 7 Local Government System in Trinidad and Tobago and the CARILED Model ................... 50 8 Promoting for Local Economic Development – Issues and Recommendations ................ 52 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 52 8.2 Strategic Sectors ................................................................................................................... 53 8.2.1 Energy ........................................................................................................................... 53 8.2.2 Agriculture and Food ..................................................................................................... 54 8.2.3 Eco, Heritage and Cultural Tourism .............................................................................. 55 8.2.4 Commerce and Distribution ........................................................................................... 56 8.3 8.2 Proposed Projects and Implementation Plan ................................................................. 57 8.3.1 8.2.1 Establishing Institutional Structures within the Siparia Regional Corporation for LED ......................................................................................................................................