THE EDITOR: The current discussion about the Government's large-scale involvement in running a myriad empire of largely loss-making state enterprises needs to be further amplified in an effort to have both the public and private sector resources, human and otherwise, deployed in the most effective and efficient manner.
In this regard I must lend support to the young visionary CEO of one of our largest conglomerates who has very diplomatically advised the Government that its vital human resources will be at their most productive when they focus on macro-policy creation and implementation.
Yes, Mr Prime Minister, your best people need to be out there leading the way in national security, health, education, trade and industry policy and not running flour mills, communications and energy industries.
I know it usually proves popular to trash our private sector as risk-adverse commodity traders, even though one hapless former government's foray into the importation and distribution of potatoes and onions came to absolute grief within months.
However, the real truth of the matter is that most of the importers and distributors of foodstuff and household products in TT are some of the cleverest and hardest working citizens in the country. I worked in that sector from 1976 to 1986 and it was brutally competitive, as it remains today.
Understand that for every iconic supermarket brand, like Welch's Grape Juice, there are a minimum of 30 other brands that were introduced and have now disappeared because they failed to gain a sufficient share of the market.
The other highly erroneous concept being perpetuated is that food distributors operate in a cartel, fixing high, heartless prices for poor, hapless consumers. Just a cursory examination of any major supermarket's shelves will dispel this as arrant nonsense.
The good people who own, manage and work this difficult and competitive business should be consistently complimented for effectively feeding TT through thick and thin.
GREGORY WIGHT
Maraval
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