With hundreds of people from the business sector being vaccinated, TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TT Chamber) CEO, Gabriel Faria, is calling on the government to at least allow for digital retail services.

From July 19, the TT Chamber, American Chamber of Commerce TT, and TT Coalition of Services Industries began operating a covid19 vaccination drive for the private sector at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain. The site was later opened to the general public.

“I know there are a number of people from the retail sector that have sent their people to get vaccinated because of our location in town.

“Therefore, I was hoping to hear something more positive on the opening of the retail sector. We have actually written to a number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, several times asking when will the government allow digital retail.

“While we recognise the concern about opening up mass retail, we have recommended that there should be a focus on encouraging all businesses to conduct as much of their business activity as possible through digital channels.”

Speaking at a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s on July 17, Dr Rowley said he would monitor the country’s covid19 situation until the end of July before a decision was made on reopening the general retail and personal services sector.

About e-commerce and e-trading, buying and selling online with products being delivered to customers, he said the government was “looking at” it.

“We are not yet ready to open it up across the board to everyone. And you know in this country if we just give it to those who are ready today, we face the discrimination argument. But we are looking to see where we can facilitate that kind of business in the very near future. And once it is in the context of the level of opening up that we would want to risk at this time, we would consider it.”

Faria pointed out that people’s appliances have stopped working in the past few months but there was no way to buy replacements locally since the retail sector was shut down.

This reporter has heard complaints about not being able to access new items when they go bad or break. They include televisions, microwaves, pots, underwear, shoes, sewing accessories to fix clothing mishaps, and computer accessories such as printer ink and flash drives.

Faria said, “They are actually encouraging consumers to import these things, using foreign exchange to buy these things online from the US, air freight it into TT, send a customs clerk up to the airport to clear it, send a courier to the airport to pick it up, deliver it to a warehouse and then deliver it to your home. Whereas there are local businesses that can do this.”

He added that it was encouraging “errant” behaviour as some businesses were operating on the sly, with the compliant being the ones who suffered.

Be believed the situation was counterintuitive with the government trying to promote digitisation. He said even essential services should be encouraged to do more digital tr

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