Andrew Gioannetti
BUSINESS visionaries who helped shape commerce across the East–West Corridor took the spotlight on December 4 when the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GTCIC) hosted its annual awards ceremony at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.
Each award reflected decades of achievement and the chamber’s recognition of how these individuals, through entrepreneurship, advocacy, public service and community work, influenced business activity from Tunapuna to national and export markets.
This year’s honourees included some of the most influential names in entrepreneurship and administration: early unifiers such as Harish Udharamaney and Chandricka “Chanka” Seeterram; national industry leaders including Dr Desmond Ali and Ajay Khandelwal; transformative past presidents such as Peter Kanhai, Dr Derek Outridge, Maralyne Dookeran, Melissa Senhouse and David Edwards; and innovators like Kiran Maharaj and Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, whose work continues to impact national and regional development.
Among the founding figures recognised were Udharamaney, whose work in the late 1980s brought business owners together and catalysed the chamber’s creation; Seeterram, the chamber’s inaugural president; and Dr Ali, internationally respected for his contributions to food safety, scientific regulation and industrial development.
Posthumous recognition was given to the widely respected founder of Charran’s Bookstores, Harry Charran, known for community philanthropy, and to Max Senhouse, the award-winning photographer and entrepreneur whose work helped establish national ID systems and build one of the region’s most trusted identification-services companies.
Early contributors Francis McQueen and Surindra Maharaj also received awards acknowledging their guiding roles during the chamber’s formative years.
The ceremony spotlighted several leaders whose stewardship reshaped the chamber over successive decades.
Rohan Roopnarine, credited with pioneering the Quick Shoppe convenience-store concept and strengthening business networks, was recognised for establishing new chambers and advancing anti-crime partnerships.
Khandelwal was honoured for his seminal role in championing the 1998 Dishonoured Cheques Act, which remains a landmark business-protection measure.
Outridge, a chartered quantity surveyor, attorney and academic, was acknowledged for doubling membership and raising the chamber’s national visibility.
Past presidents Ramautarsingh, Singh, Edwards and Nalini Maharaj were each recognised for contributions ranging from constitutional reform and digital transformation to sector-specific advocacy.
Kanhai, the longest-serving president, was celebrated for expanding membership above 250, introducing the annual awards tradition, and establishing the chamber’s group health insurance plan.
Former president Melissa Senhouse, now head of Pat & Max Ltd, was recognised for leading the organisation through the onset of the covid-19 pandemic and for her continued work in community safety and youth development.
The chamber honoured Kiran Maharaj, managing director of Caribbean Lifestyle Communications Media and immediate past president of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, for her leadership of influential radio brands, her work in regional media development, and contributions to creative-sector policy.
Communications strategist Maria Mohammed-Maharaj was recognised for strengthening the chamber’s public profile while serving as a director, secretary and PRO, along with her ongoing work in Rotary and academic research.
Current chamber president Ramon Gregorio also received an award, recognising his “vision, analytical leadership and dedicated service to both the private sector and the chamber, as he continues to champion growth, innovation and opportunity for the businesses of Tunapuna and beyond.”
Addressing the gathering, Gregorio said the evening belonged to the people who built and sustained the chamber over decades.
“This evening is a celebration, but it’s also a moment of reflection,” he told attendees. “Our founders and past presidents were not simply administrators; they were visionaries…Their courage, their persistence, and their belief in community are what allow the GTCIC to thrive today.”
He urged businesses to take advantage of renewed energy in the corridor and deepen collaboration. “Our region is evolving, our SMEs are innovating, our businesses are pushing boundaries,” he said. “We must champion the economic future of this corridor with boldness, clarity and unity.”
He also reminded members that the chamber’s future would depend on shared effort: “Every member, every sponsor, every partner – you contribute to this shared effort. You help us build a chamber that remains relevant, resilient, progressive and grounded in service.”
Parliamentary Secretary Colin Gosine delivered a direct message to budding enterprises that SMEs remain central to the government’s economic strategy.
“SMEs are not the supporting cast of TT’s story. SMEs are the story,” he said. “They are the lifeblood of communities like Tunapuna…This is not talk. This is direct investment into the dreams of our citizens.”
He highlighted SME grants, export-readiness programmes and expanding digital-business support, urging the chamber to partner with the ministry through targeted clinics and sector-development initiatives.
Gosine also called on entrepreneurs to think regionally rather than locally, saying, “The future belongs to those who can sell not only to their streets or their town, but their region and the world.”
“This is a time not to shrink back…it is a time to rise,” he told attendees.
The event was attended by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander and Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen, both of whom presented awards.
Alexander, in a brief address, described the region as “the safest in the country,” and pledged to maintain that standard.