10/06/2026
On Monday 8th June, 2026, the Honourable Khadijah Ameen, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, alongside Acting Permanent Secretaries Mr. Peter Mitchell and Mr. Stephen Boodhram, and technical officers of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, met with Senator Dr. the Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh, Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development; Mr. Ugo Blanco, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-Country Office for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaรงao and Sint Maarten; and representatives of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The meeting facilitated productive discussions on several key municipal and environmental matters of mutual interest, including strategies to address the impacts of sargassum influxes, illegal mining activities, the removal of derelict vehicles, enforcement measures under the Municipal Corporations Act, and the approval process for light industrial operations conducted from residential properties. The engagement also reinforced ongoing collaboration among stakeholders to advance environmental management, sustainable development, and the effective delivery of local government services.