Event

The Demas-Rampersad Seminar Series honours the economist the Honourable William Demas (dec.) and Mr. Frank Rampersad (dec.), and is regularly held by the UWI St. Augustine Department of Economics.

The next seminar takes place on Thursday April 24, at 1pm, at Room 103, Faculty of Social Sciences. Dr Daren Conrad will present on “The Effect of a Recession on Tax Burden Distributions”.

All are welcome

For more information, please contact the Department at 662-2002 ext. 83231

The Honourable William Demas 1929-1998

First attended the Tranquility Boys Intermediate Government School followed by Queen’s Royal College. Dr. Demas won an island Scholarship in 1947 to study Economics at Cambridge University , England where he obtained B.A. ; M.A. and M.Phil. Degrees. In 1959 he became the economic adviser in Trinidad & Tobago’s Ministry of Finance Later he rose to the post of Head of the Economic Planning Division in the Office of the Prime Minister. In 1964 he also became a Research Fellow at McGill University in Canada. Following his academic positions, Demas held many other prestigious posts; Secretary General of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (later the Caribbean Community and Common Market); President of the Caribbean Development Bank; Governor, Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Dr. Frank Rampersad 1930 -1999

Born the son of a cane-farmer in Tacarigua, East Trinidad, he attended Tacarigua Presbyterian School, followed by St. Mary’s College. Dr. Rampersad’s first job was as a Clerk in the Government Post Office. His first lucky break professionally came in 1951 when he was selected to become the first ‘Government Statistician’ of Trinidad & Tobago, and he was sent to the London School of Economics to train for this post. During the country’s early post-colonial years, he became the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. Years later he was given another prestigious post – the first President of NIHERST, where an award is still distributed in his honour “The Frank Rampersad Scientific and Technological Award.” During his lifetime Frank Rampersad held many other prominent posts. These include; chairman of Caroni 1975 Ltd; executive of B.W.I.A; Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat; served as an economic adviser to several governments of Trinidad & Tobago