H.E. Mr. Vishnu Dhanpaul

Mr. Vishnu Dhanpaul is a recently retired Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. His exemplary service to the Government and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago spans over 34 years.  A patriot serving impartially across varying economic conditions and politics, his noteworthy contributions of national importance include:

1. Serving on and building an outstanding team at the Ministry of Finance during his tenure as Permanent Secretary during the period 2005 to 2020; 
2. Member of the Prime Minister's Road Map to Recovery Committee;
3. Chairman of the Evaluation Committee for the sale of the Guaracara Refining Company Limited and Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited; 
4. Oversight of the preparation of the National Budgets and Mid-Year Reviews -Mr. Dhanpaul has contributed to every National Budget since 1991;
5. Chairing several State Boards, including the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Investment Fund Holding Company; and the Agricultural Development Bank.
6. He recently served as a member of the Board of Directors of: Trinidad Generation Unlimited; Caribbean Airlines; Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago and National Enterprises Limited.
7. Mr. Dhanpaul was also the President of the Tourism and Industrial Development Company (TIDCO) and the first President of the Tourism Development Company (TDC).

Mr. Dhanpaul has been a significant factor in driving the Ministry of Finance to the premiere institution that it is today. Some of his notable accomplishments include:

• Assisting the successful navigation of the country through economic turbulent conditions, including the financial crisis of 2008 and the economic challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic; and
• Advising several Ministers of Finance on economic policy matters; and
• Serving as an Alternate Executive Director in the World Bank Group from 2010-2012 and in the International Monetary Fund from 1999-2001.

His expertise in economics was embedded during his studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) which consisted of an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA), post graduate studies in Economics and International Relations and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. Within this framework and years of experience, he has played a major role in developing the Government’s Spotlight on the Economy, Spotlight on the Budget and the Spotlight on Energy in 2018 and 2019. He has been able to build capacity among staff in the most challenging economic circumstances while implementing Government’s policies to enable the economic transformation of the economy.  Mr. Dhanpaul was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit Gold: National Awards 2021.