National Agencies

There are numerous national agencies in Trinidad and Tobago that work across many areas, including capacity-building, finance, health, education and sustainable development. National agencies are publicly funded bodies, commissions, state-owned enterprises or authorities whose establishment is backed by an Act of Parliament. They include, among others, the National Training Agency, responsible for the regulation of educational institutions and organisations; the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, which is the regulator of telecoms; and the Business Development Company (BDC) Ltd, which operates a Loan Guarantee Programme that assists businesses by providing part of the collateral necessary to secure loans from other financial institutions.