By Paras Ramoutar, IANS
Port of Spain : Indian investors, who have poured in billions of dollars into Trinidad and Tobago in the last few years, are worried about the rising crime graph in the country, according to Indian High Commissioner Jagjit Singh Sapra.
“It is a matter of concern, definitely. They do raise the point of crime,” Sapra told members of the Rotary Club of the Port of Spain Tuesday.
According to police statistics, 388 people were murdered in the country in 2007, while about 25 people have been killed so far in 2008. However, Sapra said that despite the alarming rise in crime rates, Indian businessmen are still interested in investing in Trinidad and Tobago.
“We believe the government is capable of handling it (the crime) with the measures they put in place,” he added.
In recent years, Indian investors have descended on this oil-rich republic in droves. Their investments run into billions of dollars.
The major investors include Arcelor Mittal Point Lisas, Bank of Baroda, Intercommercial Bank, New India Assurance, Cantrex Limited, Essar Steel Caribbean Limited, Berger Paints Limited, Pamposh Construction India Private Limited, Caribbean Information& Credit Rating Services Limited, NIIT Limited, Tata Consultancy Services and EXIM Bank of India.
Sapra said Indian businessmen are looking at the pace of development in Trinidad and Tobago and considering further investments.