Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 01, 2015 (SKNIS): Nationals at all levels are encouraged to learn more about financial issues through activities being held in October as part of Financial Information Month (FIM).
On Thursday (October 01), Acting Prime Minister, Honourable Vance Amory, delivered the traditional address by the Minister of Finance to mark the occasion and noted that the financial services sector is becoming even more integrated and competitive globally. This, he said, increases the vulnerability of local markets.
“We should therefore seek to understand the ever changing developments at the domestic, regional and international levels and how they affect the sector and our everyday lives,” Amory said, while highlighting recent development such as the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
FIM is organized by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and observed in the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The theme for the 2015 observance is “LEAD – Learn, Empower, Achieve, Develop.”
“To LEAD we must be able to set financial goals, manage our financial resources and invest wisely,” the Acting Prime Minister stated. “Financially strong families build financially strong communities and by extension, wealthy nations.”
The message is being taken directly to the community. Several outreach projects have been organized including workshops that explore: How to save and invest wisely, Budgeting, Best practices in developing a business plan; and Record keeping best practices.
Other activities organized specifically for the general public are newspaper and internet-related articles, media discussions and public presentations that will highlight important financial, economic and business information.
Officials will engage secondary school students through various presentations. A quiz targets primary school students, while a workshop, business symposium and innovation forum are planned for the business sector.
“Let us, for this month and beyond, strive to LEAD – to Learn what we can in this area so that we may enhance our business and personal lives; to Empower ourselves and others as we increase our knowledge in financial matters, so that we may Achieve financial and economic success as we Develop ourselves, our communities, our economy, our nation,” Acting Prime Minister Amory stated.
Congratulations were extended to the ECCB officials as well as representatives of the public and private sector for their continued contribution to financial literacy.
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