St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

We must not shy away from the many reasons why employees are not returning to work in the expected numbers. Many have found better ways that fuel their passion and create new opportunities for establishing home-based businesses. Another reason is spending quality time with family. Sober minded families are enjoying this period very much. Things they never did are being done. Many are experiencing life in a manner, they never thought possible. There is a higher meaning to life.

Let us change our thinking from CARICOM (18m population) to Caribbean (40.5m population) distributed over four heritages – English (6m), French (11.2m), Dutch (0.8m) and Spanish (22.5m).

My maternal grandfather, circa 1900, entered the job market as a teenager. He got married and started a family in his late 20s and soon after fulfilled his passion and became the owner of a hardware store and the builder of bungalows to generate revenue, make a profit, build projected cash flow, and net worth (represented by a projected balance sheet) which defined his pension plan. 

A whole new breed of politicians now represents the citizens of the United States of America. In the past, many of us admired politics, and democracy as applied in the USA. That was until President Donald Trump arrived on the political scene. In the four years of his presidency, he changed the way business is done in Washington. His legacy is being continued in the House and Senate by his GOP colleagues who are doing everything to make it possible for his return to the White House in 2024. Voters’ rights are being trampled upon by State legislation that will see his supporters taking over the administration of elections in several states.

If there is ever a time that SLISBA is needed, it is now. SLISBA has always been an important voice of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. This voice has been silent for several years with small business persons left to fend for themselves. It has been almost three years of very little representation of the sector, with business persons relying on the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to know what is going on in the Private Sector. There was a time when SLISBA’s members were vocal and visible, making their presence felt. As a past Secretary/Treasurer and President of the Association, I have an interest in the Association and will like it to be a viable and vibrant entity where its members can prosper and grow.

In spite of all the crazy things happening in our world, with every passing day, we see things that we thought were impossible to happen in our lifetime. However, there is still hope. Every corner of the globe has been affected by COVID 19 which can be seen as the great equaliser. As I look around and take note of the exciting possibilities that are before our very eyes but so few are noticing them, this moment presents fantastic opportunities to build back better.

This holiday weekend, we have an extended No Movement period and going forward the curfew will be 6.00 pm to 4.00 am. This is all in an attempt to keep people in their homes. Follow the protocols and let us assume control over the virus. It is amazing what one person with the virus can do. We have to exercise all necessary precautions to stay safe. Let us support the government in its efforts to control the spread of this virus. Together, we can do it.