Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 21, 2015 (SKNIS): His Excellency Acting Governor General S. W. Tapley Seaton Q.C. noted that banking institutions have a role to play in the strengthening of youth entrepreneurship.
His Excellency said this during his first public engagement in delivering the welcome address at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Opening Ceremony of the Board of Governors’ Meeting yesterday (May 21.)
“The issue of youth entrepreneurship and employment will become more and more of a central debate as Caribbean leaders ponder the future of our Region,” he declared. “One valid question is, what will the face and shape of Caribbean entrepreneurship look like in next 15 to 20 years? We need to ascertain what we are prepared to do now in order to adjust to the shifting paradigm in education, in our investment climate, and the enabling legislative, and the regulatory environment so as to prepare our young people, even from primary school for careers in innovative entrepreneurship and job creation – rather than sustaining the age-old system of teaching them to pass exams, find jobs and practice risk-aversion throughout the most productive years of their lives.”
His Excellency went on to project that the Region cannot wait when it came to charting our course in “matters of development, competitiveness and business development and practice.”
“Our Region’s entry into the world of investment and opportunity in information communications technology (ICT) has opened up vast possibilities for creative young investors who are not bound by the norms of convention but are challenged by finding ways and means of vaulting over traditional barriers through the use and manipulation of technology,” Acting Governor General Seaton said.
Matters of intra-regional travel and the strengthening of human resources were also mentioned.
“The body of evidence continues to grow in support of the fact that true development lies in the advancement of our people, our most precious resource,” His Excellency said. “Such advancement cannot happen unless there is an environment of trust, shared responsibility and tolerance between the public and private sector entities of our member-states. Such partnerships however are not automatic, they result from a mutual respect for the other partner and an acknowledgement of the relative strengths and weaknesses and errors on both sides.”
The Acting Governor General also noted the importance of civil society which he described as “a voice that must be heard and respected” and noted that functional mechanisms must be put in place to ensure its involvement. Reference was therefore made to a Charter of Civil Society of 1977, one of the matters that will be addressed during the CDB Board of Governors’ Meeting.
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