Sixty Years of Independence: Achievements, Challenges and the Road Ahead for Trinidad and Tobago

All countries aim to achieve high rates of economic growth; many strive to improve living standards and quality of life for their people. However, in a world where events and circumstances often influence a country and its economy, these factors are not always fully within the control of those responsible for leadership and development.

Sixty Years of Independence examines Trinidad and Tobago’s progress since independence in 1962, against such strivings and challenges, with the aim of identifying both genuine achievements and persistent flaws or gaps. The contributors to this volume share common assumptions that it is essential to broaden and deepen democracy; that it is desirable to achieve shared prosperity through higher levels of productivity and more meaningful levels of economic development; and that the drivers of economic progress, as well as the active build out of social infrastructure to support human development, are both essential for genuine and sustainable developmental progress.

These reflections on Trinidad and Tobago’s sixty-year journey as an independent, sovereign nation are well worth reading not only for the information they provide, nor solely for the historical context they offer across various sectors, or even for the fact that the contributors are individuals who have both shaped and reflected on national development. This book is worth reading because each chapter presents thoughtful, substantive insights that encourage readers to examine their own perspectives on development, whether they live, and to consider how progress might be pursued more effectively and meaningfully. For policymakers in particular, this volume offers both inspiration and practical guidance on the way forward.

Bhoendradatt Tewarie is the former pro vice-chancellor for Planning and Development and former principal at The University of the West Indies and founding director of the Institute of Critical Thinking. 

Roger Hosein is professor in the Department of Economics at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine. He is also the coordinator of the Trade and Economic Development Unit (TEDU). Hosein is the author or contributor of several books, including Trade and Development Issues in CARICOM: Key Considerations for Navigating Development. 

Rebecca Gookool-Bosland is former lecturer in the Department of Economics at The University of the West Indies. She is coauthor of several books, including Trade and Development Issues in CARICOM: Key Considerations for Navigating Development.