Tuesday, February 9, 2010

OPSR launches new programme to support the development of businesses in St. Lucia!

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

St.Lucia has to position it’s self as cultural and commercial hub within the Caribbean basin, with the reputation of providing systemic value-added service to ensure success and integration within the local business community and as a reliable place for trade and investment. We need to package the Island in a holistic framework in terms of ease in doing business, tax holidays, taxation treaties, duty exemptions, concessions, resource capabilities, infrastructure and other favorable incentives.

One primary tool is a facilitatory agency primarily for trade and investment in the global markets targeting niche markets for FDI flows.

Such areas for FDI flows include the following opportunities:

1. Retirement village communities
2. Eco – Tourism
3. Informational Communication Technology (ICT)
4. Human Resource Development
5. Agro-processing/ Agribusiness
6. Energy Generation
7. Housing and Social services
8. Export Promotion
9. Manufacturing – ( agro-processing, furniture manufacturing, production of chemicals and chemical products)

Other sub-sectors include, our music, craft, fine arts, cuisine, fashion, publishing, film, video, architecture and advertising are all revenue generation. This requires a modernization of programs and policy along with a Private Sector Development Program with a capacity building scheme to facilitate sustainable socio-economic support.

St Lucia, I believe have the right environment for trade and investment and development, however it needs to position it self for global recognition as a reliable place to do business.

Further we need to begin formulating and prioritizing the areas in which the new jobs, the job of the future will come from. These include Health Service, Information technology, physical and super infrastructure development for the delivery of commercial services. Education, culture and the transportation sector.