The Deputy Managing Director of the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Gregory Thompson, has expressed optimism about identifying investment opportunities in the country. "Ghana's economy has a lot of similarities with Trinidad and Tobago, and having had the privilege of operating in our oil economy successfully, we believe there are several areas where we can bring lessons we have learned to bear on the Ghanaian economy," he said. Mr. Thompson made these remarks when the delegation paid a visit to the Minister of Energy Dr. Oteng-Agyei. The high powered delegation was led by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Hilton John Mitchell. It also included Gregory Thompson and Mr. Robert Le-Hunte, Managing Director of Barbados National Bank. The delegation expects to interact with major players within the financial sector, including the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, as well as regulators, managing directors of banks, and the business community. The Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest and most successful indigenous banks in the English-speaking Caribbean, with a current asset base of approximately US$7 billion and employs over 4,500 people in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Guyana and Barbados. "Given that the total asset base of the Ghanaian banking sector is about US$10 billion, we have a strong enough base to participate meaningfully in Ghana's economy," said Robert Le-Hunte. The Republic Bank has proven expertise in financing Trinidad and Tobago's efficient production, processing and monetization of gas, with the country being the largest producer of methanol and ammonia in the world. The Bank also has a lot of interest in agriculture. Source: B&FT