Kamla Persad-Bissessar, 58, already named by Time magazine as one of the world's top 10 female leaders, is the first woman to be elected prime minister in Trinidad and Tobago. During the campaign, former premier Patrick Manning suggested "the lady" was not strong enough to govern. Far from wilting in the face of Manning's comments, Persad-Bissessar played Helen Reddy's I Am Woman as she walked on to her campaign platforms.

Persad-Bissessar's natural warmth allowed her to lead a multi-ethnic five-party coalition of labour leaders, human rights and social activists, establishing an image as a people person that lays emphasis on transparency and accountability. Her election promises also focused on promoting development, with the benefits spread more widely around. Will she be able to deliver?

Her optimism stood out on the closing night of a CARICOM heads of state meeting in Jamaica when she grabbed the microphone and ripped into Bob Marley'sThree Little Birds – "Don't worry about a thing, oh no! 'Cause every little thing's gonna be alright!".

The former Attorney General and education minister holds a Master´s Degree in Business Administration and her studies included Norwood Technical College in England, where she also worked as a social worker with the Church of England's Children's Society of London.

An MBA with street cred, the Prime Minister received us in Parliament wearing an elegant bright red suit and spoke with passion about her vision for Trinidad and Tobago.

The Report Company: What are your thoughts on the single most significant decisions you have taken since May 2010 and what are the 'non-negotiable' goals that you aim to pursue and achieve during your mandate?

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar: For too long citizens had lost a meaningful say in what was happening to their country. That has changed. There is today a freedom among the populace to voice their opinion and objections without fear of recrimination of one kind or another. The autocratic style of leadership has given way to one that is people centred and value based. Commitment to developing a country is best achieved through participation in decision making and genuine collaboration. The most enlightened democracies are those that allow for freedom of expression and the right to self determination. The days of political dependency and patrimony are over. I quite frankly do not care which political organisation any citizen supports as it relates to their making a contribution to nation building. If we are to progress as a small island nation, we must set aside the difference that have retarded our growth and create a more enabling, humane and civilised nation.

I am proud to state that every one of our party's election platform promises enunciated in the 120-day action plan has been implemented. And that is consistent with my intention to ensure that the government is always accountable to the people. This is the very basis upon which we were elected and the former government rejected.

Crime is another area towards which the government has allocated a lot of resources. The hiring of a foreign Police Commissioner and Acting Police Commissioner to deal with the unacceptable levels of crime as well as the firing of the Head of SAUTT were hard decisions but necessary ones. Nothing that was in place before seemed to be making a dent in crime and tough decisions had to be made, even unpopular ones. In addition, I have had the Attorney General prepare important legislation to combat crime including anti-gang legislation. I am only interested in results. I believe the population at large has had enough of politicking.

I want a government and administration which is accountable and transparent. I will not tolerate corruption. As such, one of the most significant decisions I have taken within 30 days of coming into office was to lay in parliament the Procurement Bill to regulate and make transparent the acquisition of goods and services.

Government now has a heart and a conscience. On the one hand we have increased pensions to $3,000 as promised and introduced the Children's Life Fund for underprivileged children who are in urgent need of medical care. 

In the area of education, every child entering secondary school will be given a laptop computer. We will deliver a total of 20,000 computers to first formers in secondary schools. We must create a level playing field in the area of education and ensure each child is given the same opportunity and equal treatment. In 5 years, every secondary school child will have a laptop. 

Health is another critical area upon which we campaigned and by which our government will be assessed. Basic needs are not being met, such as hospital beds, yet we have hundreds of billions of dollars squandered in grandiose projects. A realignment of values and priorities will determine that these precious resources are redirected towards better medical facilities and improved working conditions for doctors and nurses. This investment has already begun.

In what is a unique move, a Ministry of the People has been established. The intent of this is to provide citizens with a resource dedicated to representing their interests after the relevant channels of authority have been explored without success. It is already achieving results by creating greater accountability and making government more responsive and less bureaucratic.

These are merely some of the measures taken by the new government in its first 120 days. I have not mentioned our environmental programme, Clean and Beautiful T&T, our anti-crime initiatives, the cancellation of the environmentally unsound smelter plants and wasteful Rapid Rail projects, among other initiatives. We have hit the ground running from day one.

And yet there are many urgent needs still to be looked after, such as the recreation of the image of Trinidad and Tobago as an ideal place to visit, live and do business. This is a re-branding process for which I hold personal responsibility. Poverty reduction stands out as another critical point that cannot be overlooked and we have benchmarked a level of 2% reduction per year.

TRC: How is Trinidad & Tobago to be perceived by domestic and international investors, local and international political figures and communities and partners within the CARICOM region? 

PMPB: Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural society. We feel that our strength is in our diversity. Diversity allows for a fuller expression of a variety of views and approaches to problem solving but it does not detract from nationalism and citizenship. I would like Trinidad and Tobago to be a living example of how diverse communities can live side by side, be their cultural selves and yet coalesce around the goal of nationhood. It is for this reason and to both promote and respect diversity that we have created the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism. In addition, we have named a Cultural Ambassador to CARICOM.

In Trinidad and Tobago, whether you are Indian, African, Chinese, Syrian, European or Amerindian you can equally enjoy the authentic cuisine and culture of our diverse population.

For the investment community Trinidad and Tobago must be seen as a safe and preferred place for investment, a place where there is confidence in the legal system, where laws protect investors and their investments, where they will feel welcome, where there is an enabling environment for doing business. The domestic and international investors must see themselves in a partnership with Trinidad and Tobago, partnering the development of the country, its people and its resources and at the same time being able to make a just return on their investments.

With respect to leadership in Trinidad and Tobago, it must be seen as a global leader and be respected for its determination to affect the outcome of discussions on climate change, small arms trade and the adoption of an Arms Trade Treaty. As well, Trinidad and Tobago must become a leading voice articulating the vulnerability and concerns of SIDS as well as middle-income countries. As Chair in Office of the Commonwealth countries, we are aware that the greater numbers of SIDS are among Commonwealth countries and also located in the Caribbean. An arrangement has to be struck where they do not remain in perpetual poverty. A lot of these countries continue to be primary producers and they have been the resource foundation upon which many developed countries have progressed. This must not go unnoticed in the new arrangements which are to be negotiated.

Specifically with respect to CARICOM, Trinidad and Tobago will continue to support the integration process as well as deepen functional cooperation in Health, Education, Security of the Region and Agriculture, among others. We recognise that we form a significant block of votes with other multilateral agencies, whether at the UN or elsewhere, and that we are in a better position to negotiate for the benefit of the people of the Caribbean when united.

TRC: What are the specific actions that you have taken towards increasing levels of transparency and 'getting the Governance right'?

PMPB: Good governance is symbolised by the extent to which the processes used to make decisions are transparent and can stand the test of integrity. In addition, good governance adheres to the rule of law. In a democratic society good governance allows for maximum participation in decision making. Good governance establishes systems which are designed to prevent corruption.

Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus, oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimised, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

TRC: Is oil and gas a blessing or a curse?

PMPB: Oil and gas has been more of a blessing than a curse. The problem with oil and gas is the way in which the revenues have been used to transform the economy and as well to improve the quality of life of citizens. The reality is that after two oil booms the country is still deficient in terms of public utilities, health and food production. This has come about because the strategic intent of the previous government has not been in synchronisation with the needs of the people. As such, infrastructure of roads, drainage and public institutions leave much to be desired.

Because of the heavy dependence of revenues from oil and gas, the economy has not been transformed in a way that makes it immune to the vagaries of energy prices.

Further while there is a reported 5% rate of unemployment, the existence of substantial "make work" programmes may mask the real unemployment figures.

Economic diversification will include wellness and ecotourism, cultural tourism, downstream industries from the oil and gas sector, export of energy services (e.g. gas and oil services to Africa, such as Ghana for example). The use of our teak reserves to create a high-end furniture market is also a real possibility for diversification. ICT provides yet another area for diversification.

TRC: What concrete objectives will you pursue during your mandate to spur fair and balanced regional integration?

PMPB: The vision of CARICOM must always be to add value to the lives of the people of the region, whether it be in trade opportunities, education, health, crime prevention, gender issues, etc. It should be a vehicle to facilitate the transformation of the lives of our people. There can be no doubts that CARICOM is a viable entity. It fosters deeper functional cooperation between member states as well as a common front in our relationship with the external world. This common front is critical given the similar plight of small island states and such areas as climate change, rising sea levels and, of course, poverty reduction.

We will note that significant time and resources have been spent on deepening CARICOM through the CSME initiative. The CARICOM Single Market is being implemented. Our concerns lie with the slow pace of implementation. In this regard, a Permanent Council of Ambassadors has been proposed to fast track implementation of decisions.

In a sense, we have already indicated our position on foreign policy as well as regional integration. In addition to the traditional objectives of promotion of the image of Trinidad and Tobago and sourcing greater opportunities for trade and investment, it is about providing leadership to human development issues of the people of Trinidad and Tobago as well as the region.

TRC: What, in your opinion, are the main intersections of economic interest between Trinidad & Tobago and UK investors and how will your administration create the right environment to encourage closer cooperation?

PMPB: The UK is home to thousands of nationals from Trinidad and Tobago who contribute to the economies of both countries. Through repatriation of funds to families in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean they also contribute to the quality of life. Furthermore, Trinidad and Tobago has always been an attractive destination for UK investors, among them BP, BG, Centrica, Woodgroup, Worley Parsons, Wimpey and Carillion, to name just a few. My government is of the view that business must be left as far as possible to the private sector. This might therefore mean divestments of state business and this would be a further opportunity for UK Investors. Finally, Trinidad and Tobago is bent upon being part of the green revolution, with emphasis on renewable energy products. In that sense, the UK has done research in these areas, which in turn could be mutually beneficial.