St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

We must be innovative in accessing the money that is available not only from Foreign Direct Investment and Diaspora sources but we must also unleash the sources of funds in the private sector for use in the development of the country for everybody to benefit. If Barbados wins we all win!

The 2014 St. Lucia Business Awards was another excellent event with live radio, internet and television coverage, exceptional pizzazz on the Red Carpet and superb entertainment celebrating corporate St. Lucia’s success culminating in a high spirited Digicel After Party

My time each day is classified in three categories: (1) sleep and exercise; (2) work related activities; and (3) private (personal, family and recreational) and community service activities. Historically, I aimed to average eight hours per day per category, but there is evidence to show that the average for category 2 has diminished with the passage of time. Each individual is obviously in control of the management of his/her own time and we should effect a distribution over the three categories to create maximum happiness for us and those with whom we are in constant contact. I shall have to make a paradigm shift to manage my time to include my expanded interests alluded to above.

Given this background, the Government, in collaboration with the private sector in each Caribbean country, needs to create the right environment for enterprise development to make a significant contribution to growth in the Caribbean. The retrenched staff in Barbados will then be able to access an enabling environment to foster their interest in becoming entrepreneurs.

SEASON’S GREETINGS to all our Readers! May your every wish come through.

Melissa Marchand, publisher of Global News Matters which produces the fortnightly Market Dynamics Caribbean newsletter, observed that: “This is the second time in four months S&P has lowered Barbados’ rating, this time from BB-plus to BB-minus, which is not a horrendous reduction, but we want to keep watching to see how the government responds to their new ratings and how their moves might affect business and individuals in the country and beyond.”

When this global trend is set then the foundation of entrepreneurship, the youth, economic empowerment and recognition, as exemplified by the following events, will have been nurtured to bring peace to us all. The 38th annual Sir Winston Scott Memorial Lecture by Dr. Victor Gooding at the Frank Collymore Hall, Central Bank of Barbados on Monday, November 25 at 8.00 p.m. on the topic “View from 45 years North – A Barbadian Living in Canada” will explore entrepreneurship.

The President of the Chamber, Mr. Gerard Bergasse in his address maintained focus on the Chambers’ “Making it Easier to Do Business in St. Lucia” agenda and challenged the Prime Minister, in absentia, to take responsibility for having “one” reform implemented within the next year. Since 2007, St. Lucia has descended from number 27 in the World to number 64, in the 2014, report.

Tourism is the major industry in the Caribbean. The diversity of the tourism product is one of the strategies for change which will enhance the rate of growth of tourism, indeed it will beautify the industry. Community Tourism is one such intervention. Please note that Mandeville in Jamaica will officially become the first Peace Town for Community Tourism in the Caribbean on November 19, 2013 at 10 a.m., when Louis D’Amore, President, International Council of Tourism Partners, USA will preside during the official ceremony. The IIPT Caribbean Community-based Tourism Study Tour and Conference will be staged November 18-23, 2013 at the Mandeville Hotel in Manchester, Jamaica.

Shepherding has recently been introduced in Trinidad and in the just concluded Bank on Me TV Reality show in Barbados. Based on the qualitative feedback from the shepherds that were assigned to each enterprise and the enterprises themselves, indications are that the hypothesis that “shepherding reduces the risk of business failure” will be upheld. I repeat, the major constraint arising from these three initiatives is the continuing difficulty to access quick response investment capital for the enterprises.