THE SAN FERNANDO and Chaguanas business chambers are calling on customers to shop early this Christmas, as freight and customs issues have caused businesses to limit the range and amount of goods they can supply.
Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Richie Sookhai said, “We know that Trinidad and Tobago citizens are last-minute buyers when it comes to Christmas, and a lot of people are looking forward to see whatever extra earnings they could be awarded for the season, and we are hoping for that surge on that last week of Christmas.”
“But for a lot of the business individuals, in terms of getting products, because of the shocks to the supply chain globally, you may not have as wide a selection of products as before. There are healthy selections in the stores, but how long they are going to last, we don’t know,
"So it is a first come, first serve basis for shoppers. So we are urging them if they can, don’t wait till last minute.”
Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce president Kiran Singh said challenges with increases in shipping costs, shipping delays and delays at the ports are affecting not only business owners but customers as well.
“We are experiencing shipping delays, which increases the cost of shipments. Apart from that, shipping costs have increased by 300-500 per cent.
“We also have a serious concern with the creeping food inflation at the grocery shelves – which goes back to supply-chain issues.
"The variety of goods that we have is somewhat lessened. Some stores such as the mom-and-pop stores, you can see the variety is less. But they are doing what they can. They are borrowing extra and sourcing funding out of financial institutions, to purchase additional stock,” Singh said.
Singh called for the ports and customs to be open for longer hours and on weekends and holidays.
“Time is money,” he said. “This is what we need to address in a significant way, with trade union representatives and the government, so that value-added products come at the best possible time and costs are kept as minimal as possible.”
Singh said when there are delays at customs it causes rental charges to go up. That also falls on the business owner and the consumer.
“We should have the ports open 24/7,” he said. “With our imports and exports, with Panama being a neighbour with their free economic zones, and with the Trade Minister looking at the establishment of our own special economic zones, the ports now have to fall in line with that to increase activity. Without that endpoint being effective, that may cause a shortfall in how the supply of imports works, not only for us, but for the manufacturing sector as well.”
Chamber heads said although some people are still waiting until the last minute to do their shopping, there is still some economic activity since covid19 restrictions were lifted.
[caption id="attachment_929495" align="alignnone" width="555"] Richie Sookhai -[/caption]
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