PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago–Credit unions in this country have a message for the government and others: Don’t call us small.
With more than 600,000 members and assets now topping $10 billion, credit unions in the country say they are no longer a small enterprise, according to Trinidad & Tobago Newsday.
Alvin Stephenson, president of Palo Seco Credit Union, is advocating on the issue with the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, under which credit unions fall.
During a dinner and awards function of the Co-operative Credit Union Movement at Achievors Banquet Hall in San Fernando Palo Seco was voted the Most Outstanding Credit Union overall, for the third consecutive year.
In his acceptance speech, Stephenson addressed Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus who used that platform to announce her departure from active politics, Trinidad & Tobago Newsday reported.
A Suggestion for Minister
“I just want to suggest to our line minister, as she would have indicated to us that she is preparing to demit office, I would encourage her to pass the baton on and, when you are passing the baton, change the name of the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development to the Ministry of Labour, if you chose to maintain labour, and call it Enterprise Development,” Stephenson was quoted as saying. “I don’t like this name ‘small enterprise development’ when the credit union movement is under this ministry. We are no longer a small enterprise. We are a large institution. Our membership is more than 600,000 with assets of over $10 billion.”