28th
January 2012
An Introduction
The
decline in the competitiveness of our agricultural
and manufacturing sectors has thrust the Services
Sector into the limelight as the sector having
immense potential for creating employment and
spurring economic growth. In fact, the CARICOM
Heads of government in recognition of the rising
importance of the Services Sector mandated in
2001, the establishment of National Coalitions
of Services in each member state with a view
to support the development of CARICOM’s
Services Sector. The Saint Lucia Coalition of
Services Industries was relaunched in 2009 under
this mandate through a public private sector
partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry
and Consumer Affairs.
As the umbrella organization for the Services
Sector in Saint Lucia, the mission of the SLCSI
is to facilitate the growth and development
of the sector through the adoption of high standards,
fostering activism and education on trade issues
and the pursuit of strategies to sustain competitiveness
in the global marketplace. The SLCSI supports
the work of Sector associations on the island,
represents the interest of the Sector locally
and internationally, and advocates for domestic
policies and actions that will increase the
competitiveness of Services providers in the
global economy.
With the signing of the CARIFORUM EU Economic
Partnership agreement (the EPA) in 2008 came
much promise by way of access for service providers
to the services market in the European Union.
Three years later we are now in negotiations
with Canada for a new Trade and Development
Agreement which will amongst other things, formalize
services trade between CARICOM and Canada for
the for the very first time. More recently,
the implementation of the OECS Economic Union
has also been heralded as presenting major business
opportunities for the Sector. With these developments
in mind, we believe that these are interesting
times indeed for the Services Sector .
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