Former trade and industry minister Ken Valley is now working for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to advise it on investment promotion and marketing of the Cove Eco Industrial and Business Park.

Disclosing this on Tuesday, THA Finance and Enterprise Development Secretary Dr Anslem London said the appointment was made based on Valley's experience and international connections.

Dr London said Valley's appointment had already resulted in some 50 Indian information technology business people coming to Tobago for discussions and to visit Cove in southwest Tobago. Some will be returning on September 11 for further discussions.

In addition, a large mission comprising the consular corps in Toronto, Canada, will be in Tobago in November to look at investment possibilities at Cove. He added that a road show would be undertaken early next year to promote Cove.

However, he said, the visit by the foreigners did not mean that Tobagonians were being left out.

"Nobody is going to accuse me of not opening up Cove to Tobagonians, but the challenge Tobago faces with Cove is to find Tobagonians to take up the opportunities," he added. "The Assembly has bent backwards to facilitate the development at Cove," he stressed.

He assured that, quite unlike industrial estates in Trinidad and across the Caribbean, Cove was going to be specially clean, green, safe and serene and in harmony with the rest of Tobago.

He said the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) was far advanced in putting down its $.6 billion power-generating plant which would also supply Trinidad and next door to this was the proposed construction of a $.5 billion natural gas plant by the National Gas Company (NGC).

Dr London said a site had been reserved for a number of plants, including desalination, fish processing, cassava manufacturing, agro-processing, as well as a chocolate factory using Tobago cocoa and information technology facilities in addition to a flagship office complex, warehousing and light industries.

He said Tobagonians had not shown interest in establishing a restaurant, landscaping of the estate and security for the park. He said the plan was to plant 860 samaan, yellow and pink poui, hog plum and swamp immortelle trees around the park to ensure it remained pristine. He said there was also space for an archaeological and recreation park and a history centre.

However, Dr London said infrastructure works at the ambitious Cove Park were lagging behind. The contract for works was signed at a breakfast meeting in December 2006 with work to start in January 2007 and to be completed within 12 to 18 months.

The initial contract for $47 million was awarded to Martineau Transport and Construction Limited of Canaan and later $17 million was added to construct an outfall drain to take waste water to a pond for release into the sea.

London said the Assembly was "unhappy with the slow pace of the infrastructural works, which is hampering visitors to the place". He said besides keeping back the construction of businesses on the 140-acre site, there were people living around the Park and some even ran businesses down there.

He said failure to complete the works was also affecting Tobagonians from standing up proud.