 |
| Vance Amory |
Charlestown Nevis (May 10, 2005) Premier of Nevis the Hon Mr. Vance Amory while addressing the gathering at the launch of the Ministry of Tourism Workshop on Monday May 9, said that the level of employment had seen significant improvement over the last ten years.
He said that the government had a responsibility to provide opportunities as well as to seek investment and to continue the economic growth and development of the country. Amory pointed out that it was the governments duty to establish policies which would be so attractive that persons who have money to invest and who have an idea for investment would see Nevis as a place or one of the places to make that investment.
We also see ourselves as a government being responsible for the quality control of the tourism product in Nevis, expressed Premier Amory. We do not just jump into a development because somebody is offering to purchase the estate (Pinney Estate) for twenty thirty million US dollars. Thats not the objective. We are not in any real estate business; we are in the business as a government of managing the development, the economic, social and political development of Nevis.
The Nevisian Leader told the gathering that included a cross section of persons within the private and public sector as well as entrepreneurs that, the good thing is, we are not at the critical point where if we dont have a large hotel in the next year, the people of Nevis will starve.
The levels of employment and jobs created have increased in the last ten years by 50%. We moved from a number of 3670 in 1994 to at the end of last year, 2004, we have moved to a number of 5460 which gives you an increase roughly of 1800 jobs in ten years and in a small country, thats a commendable effort, intimated Amory.
According to the Premier, What we need to say is that we position ourselves as a small country at the point where, when the investment is made, those who come to invest will feel comfortable that they would be satisfied that their decision would be rewarded in terms of return on their investment and I have no doubt in my mind that we are at the point where we are now seeing growth in the economy, especially in the tourism industry.
 |
| A cross section of the participants during the opening ceremony of the workshop |
The Premier, in declaring the workshop open, echoed sentiments to persons who accepted the invitation to be a part of the workshop and wished that more persons had taken up the opportunity. The workshop is being facilitated by Dr. Barrington Browne under the theme Presentation Skills & Professional Guiding Techniques at the Nevis Co-operative Credit Union Conference Room.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Tyrone OFlaherty formally welcomed all to the workshop and expressed that the next few days will be full of exciting and rewarding information. He urged all the participants to be attentive, curious and above all participate and, Im sure that at the end of it all you will find not only is your money well spent but your time well spent, he said.
Facilitator Dr. Barrington Browne gave a brief overview of the workshop. He noted that the Caribbean Tourism Organization was instrumental in being apart of the module that will be used during the workshop. He observed that at the end of the workshop the participants would be up to international standard, be able to speak the same language as any tour guide anywhere in the commonwealth and even countries outside the commonwealth.
