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| (L-R) Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development on Nevis Mr. Alstead Pemberton and OECS EDU officials Ms. Athenia Henry and Mr. David Edwards |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 04, 2007) -- A number of business establishments on Nevis stand to receive technical and financial assistance from the Organisation of East Caribbean States (OECS) Export Development Unit (EDU), an opportunity a top official in the Ministry of Social Development on Nevis said, was important to business development.
Word of the assistance came late last week, during a two day visit by a four member delegation from the EDU based in Dominica.
While on Nevis the team conducted a number of human resource audits of business places, a new initiative with a view to re-establish links, to field out the Organisation's client companies, to find out what their needs were and to develop a work programme for the next financial year 2007/08.
"I think the idea of trying to assist the local businesses by providing technical assistance is very important to the overall development of these businesses as most of them are seeking that type of assistance to get their businesses off the ground.
"Some of these businesses were not aware of this assistance programme and were happy to embrace the guidance and information provided by the personnel," he said.
Ms. Athenia Henry, EDU Business Development Officer, in a previous interview explained, that the visit was in keeping with a mandate from the governments of the region to increase the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector and to ensure that member states were able to compete on a level playing field to stand their ground on the international and regional markets.
She said the visit our to Nevis was three fold, to conduct three separate audits: an audit of human resources among the manufacturing sector; a general audit and an audit along with a consultant, of the services sector more specifically film and music. ~~Adz:Right~~
"So we are really here to touch base with our client companies and to introduce ourselves to the new companies that have been identified to us through the Department of Trade to find out what is going on with them, how we can be of assistance to them and to make some reconnections since we have visited the island," she said.
Mr. David Edwards, Research Assistant said while they looked at companies that produced locally emphasis would be placed on those who had been in existence for two years, that had been exporters or would like to export their products.
The team's target sectors included businesses involved in agribusiness, arts and crafts, afro-processing, furniture and wood, food and beverage, garments and textiles, information technology, metal, glass and ceramics and knowledge based services sector.
