St. Lucia has a lot to offer to investors and vacationers. We surely have more restaurants, bars and entertainment options than any other OECS State. We should be advertising in every OECS newspaper inviting Entrepreneurs to invest and headquarter their operations in St. Lucia – An ideal location for Business and Pleasure. I love St. Lucia! Can I help?
I had the privilege of a meeting with Hon. Denis Kellman Minister of Industry, Small Business and Rural Development and his Permanent Secretary, Ms. Ruth Blackman, only days after they recently assumed responsibility and management for this new portfolio. This Ministry is inextricably linked to entrepreneurship and the purpose of my visit was to share the visions of BIM Ventures (Shepherding and Venture Capital), which currently is the focus of my day-to-day activity, and the BEF vision (Entrepreneurship and the entire enabling environment).
Whether you are energized, fatigued or broke after Carnival 2K11, it is now reality time. You have to face the challenges. Regardless of whatever state you find yourself, you can be assured that many persons are already planning for next year’s carnival. Life goes on!
August 4, 2011Â Harris At Large! Â WHERE ARE THE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTORS? Â Ease of Doing Business, a World Bank Group Report ranked Saint Lucia as #53 from among 183 countries in 2011. In the Latin America/Caribbean Region, St. Lucia is ranked #6 among 32 countries and #1 among CARICOM countries. Â It is important to note […]
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.
In parallel, other participants were engaged in a Smart Partnership “Dialogue in the Field – Economic Transformation in Action”. The visitors were divided into five groups as follows: (1) The Business of Agriculture; (2) Competiveness in Manufacturing; (3) Promoting ICT Enterprises; (4) Nurturing SME Start-Ups in Biotechnology; and (5) Climate Change and Sustainable Development.