St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

Life isn’t easy these days and it is even more difficult for persons who have to meet a payroll. It is bad news and what makes it even worse is that there seems as though there is nowhere to turn. However, that is if you continue to look down the path that has been travelled over and over and leads to nowhere. We must now explore new pathways and find our pot of gold. The old gold fields have all been worked out, there is nothing left. New discoveries will bring new fortunes and new hope.

The greatest travesty perpetuated by one administration after another is the failure to convert the vast potential of the “family silver”, the West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISICA) industry and its value added and fashion design linkage potential, into commercial reality as a major industry with markets throughout the world.

At this time of the year, I am reminded of the anniversary of my weekly column which started in July 1993 after a visit to Singapore. I returned to Barbados with a clarion call “Barbados – the Singapore of the Caribbean”. On this occasion, I am fresh out of a visit to Malaysia where development has taken place so rapidly in the last 25 years that I am tempted to make similar sentiments. Singapore’s mantra is “People are our greatest resource. We must develop them to the fullest.” Malaysia plans and executes in similar vein.

Guyana – Saint Lucia Association AGM. The elections produced the following results: Edward Harris – President, Sunil Persaud – Vice President, Sherlon Parks – Secretary, Winston Setal – Treasurer, Orrette Thomas – Public Relations Officer, Committee Members – Dawn Ogle, Horace Fraser and Abdool Khan.

I am fully convinced that I am correct in my constant plea to business persons to come together to seek alternatives to dealing with the current economic crisis and general changes in the global business environment.