Ramnarine optimistic about the future of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago’s energy minister, Kevin Ramnarine, is revitalising his country’s gas sector. Anthea Pitt interviewed him in Port of Spain

Much rests on Kevin Ramnarine’s broad shoulders. Trinidad and Tobago’s energy minister, who has held the portfolio since mid-2011, is responsible for the Caribbean nation’s most important industry. The responsibility is huge. Energy is the key driver of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy, accounting for almost half of the country’s GDP of $28 billion. In comparison, tourism - dominant elsewhere in the Caribbean - contributed just 1%. Ramnarine has not had the easiest job. The shifts in the global industry over the past five years or so have proved challenging, at best. The emergence of the US shale sector has altered the industry’s dynamics