A seven-member delegation from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) held discussions last week Thursday with representatives of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) on the areas of assistance the bank can offer to Tobago.

During the 30-minute meeting at the Calder Hall Administrative Complex, Scarborough it was accepted and agreed that there would be a much closer relationship between the bank and the Assembly, Chief Secretary Orville London said.

He said representatives of the Assembly and the bank will meet regularly to keep the level of communication and maintain the degree of collaboration to understand what the bank had to offer and the bank to understand the challenges and issues that were critical to Tobago. London added that coming out of that they will work out the programmes and the challenges.

He said the specific issues discussed were the funding which was now available to treat with those 500 houses that were to be connected to the Scarborough Wastewater System. They also discussed issues in relationship to the wastewater treatment plant.

London said the most important result of the meeting was the commitment of closer collaboration and the commitment on the part of the bank that they will ensure that Tobago issues were given some priority and that the Assembly received the necessary advice and the necessary information to assist in the way forward.

IDB Resident Representative Michelle Cross Fenty said her delegation was in Tobago as partners and looked forward to a very close partnership that was tailor made and covered all the specific nuances to Tobago. "It was a wonderful conversation," she added.