BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OVER 25 businesspersons walked away enlightened and empowered to improve the business community in Sandy Point after last night’s (June 2) roundtable discussion with the area’s Parliamentary Representative, the Hon. Shawn Richards.
The business forum brought together a wide spectrum of businesses including store operators, street vendors, caterers, contractors, agronomists, aestheticians, realtors and a small number of prospective entrepreneurs. Discussions covered professional training for farmers, a certification board for barbers and hairstylists and incentives for young and emerging entrepreneurs.
One of the major concerns for the businesspersons was accessing land for starting and expanding businesses, as many of the individuals identified expansion as a critical part of their continued service to the people of Sandy Point and surrounding communities.
In addressing the forum, Richards acknowledged that businesses have varied objectives and challenges and require a collective approach to derive a plan for the way forward. He underscored the importance of a thriving business sector.
“What we need to recognise is that small businesses often build the economies in developing nations. They are the backbone of any community and so it is extremely important to get an indication from the business community to know its current position, where it is planning to go and how it can be assisted to get there,” Richards said in his introductory remarks.
Richards, recently announced Shadow Minister responsible for Finance, Economic Planning and Industry and Commerce, said he was satisfied with the level of discussion and the interaction that was engendered in the forum.
“We had a diverse group of businesspersons from the community who were honest and frank in highlighting their concerns and opportunities and recommend how problems could be resolved. “Many of them had similar experiences which they were able to share and which would help to formulate policy to assist them in the community,” Richards noted.
Information from the business discussions is expected to guide the Representative in discussions with the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) and would assist him in advocating on behalf of the business community in Constituency Five.
