26th
January 2012
The SLCSI
Meets with New Minister for Commerce, Business
Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs
(Photo)
SLCSI directors pose with minister (Second from
left).
The Board of
Directors of the St. Lucia Coalition of Services
Industries (the SLCSI) along with its Executive
Director, Ms. Yvonne Agard, met with the Minister
of Commerce, Business Development, Investment,
Consumer Affairs, the Hon. Emma Hippolyte and
Junior Minister, Ulbadus Raymond, on Friday
9th January 2012. Also in attendance was Permanent
Secretary, Ms. Brenda Yorke. During this meeting,
representatives of the SLCSI presented the Minister
with a broad overview of the mandate of the
SLCSI to serve as the national umbrella body
that brings together service sector organizations
in Saint Lucia to address trade in services
issues which are critical for the sector to
thrive.
Particular emphasis was placed during the meeting
on the areas for collaboration between the Ministry
and the SLCSI and the SLCSI project “Developing
St. Lucia’s Services Sector”. Ms.
Agard pointed out that this Caribbean Development
Bank funded project was only made possible through
counterpart funding provided by the Government
of St. Lucia. The SLCSI representatives highlighted
key outputs of the project including the roll
out of a Services sector profile survey, a Services
Export Market Intelligence report and a Services
Export training programme which would culminate
in a trade mission comprising over twenty services
providers, to key export markets identified
through the Services Export Market Intelligence
Report.
During the meeting, representatives agreed that
there was an urgent need to develop and implement
a comprehensive National Services Policy to
regulate the sector.
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