CSI reveals plans to improve service sector in Federation

By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING lengthy discussions and numerous consultations with various business personnel in early September, the St. Kitts-Nevis Coalition of Service Industry (CSI) has committed itself toward enhancing the service sector in the nation.

The CSI serves to educate and prepare service providers to the challenges and opportunities under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Cariforum/EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and is geared to provide them with export opportunities. It will assist in organizing individual service providers into associations while strengthening existing ones.

CSI Trade Policy Officer Cosbert Woods, while addressing the opening of Kittitian Expo (Nov. 7), explained that various factors have negatively affected the development of service providers in the Federation and as such government has been given a mandate to correct the movement and strengthen the services sector.

He noted that the Ministry of Trade in collaboration with a private sector steering committee has been working assiduously over the last few months to establish the CSI.

“This government recognizes that the services sector contributes significantly to the overall GDP and must therefore organize itself to more effectively feed into government policy.

~~Adz:Right~~It is very important at this time that the service sector appreciates the importance of what is happening multilaterally and can use such a forum to create and influence policies. However, this must not be taken to infer that the CSI is a government or political entity. It is a private sector-driven organization with its own management structure and it own missions and goals.

“The CSI is intended to benefit all its members, developing all areas of service in the Federation from professional services to vocational service providers as well as young and budding entrepreneurs with new and innovative ideas.

It is also intended to offer incubation space for meetings, document printing and temporary office space for its members. A resource centre will also be established to supply service providers with a wealth of information and knowledge needed to expand their provision of services locally, regionally and internationally.”

Woods noted that linking service growth to development planning is a major step to reducing poverty and strengthening the country’s economy. He added that the exportation of the services could blaze a path to national development and stressed that service providers must first be aware of their exporting potential.

He further informed that the coalition will provide networking opportunities to access pertinent resources such as trade shows, workshops and training for members to “attain a credible reputation as providers of high quality services”. It will also promote national branding of services to improve the image of the Federation.