Massy chairman: T&T’s underclass growing

(Trinidad Express) Chairman of the Massy Group Robert Bermudez says despite the country’s wealth, many people are joining the ranks of the underclass. To compound it, the society has to contend with high crime.

Robert Bermudez
Robert Bermudez

Therefore, it is important for the society to engage in a bit of introspection to understand socio-economic factors.

He made these comments during his feature address on the theme “Collaboration as a Strategy for the Massy Group—What does it Mean?” at the VIII Americas Competitiveness and Innovation Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad) hotel, Port of Spain on Thursday.

Among those present were Planning and Development Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie, deputy chairman Tourism Deve-lopment Company (TDC) Janelle Commissiong-Chow and Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London.

They were joined by assistant Secretary of State Economic and Business Affairs, United States Department of State, Charles Rivkin and Massy CEO Gervase Warner.

Bermudez said, “We have a group of people in this society who are falling out, falling through the cracks, thus leading to a very high and unexplained level of crime in a prosperous country.”

He added, “We are yet to understand why this happens. Why do we have three-and-a-half per cent unemployment and we still have a growing underclass?”

Zeroing in on cooperation, he said although it was a small country, it was not that easy or simple. He said there was the pressing need for corporate entities to collaborate and for both Government and the private sector to deliver solutions that were desperately needed.

Bermudez said the Massy Group had also acquired a new energy acquisition with Wood Group PSN Colombia, a company that provides operations and maintenance service for offshore platforms.

He said it was renamed “Massy Energy Colombia” and it boasted 1,200 collaborators.