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31st January 2012
FICS WINS BIG
Stan Bishop

(Photo) The FICS team with their three trophies last Saturday evening. (INSET: The big three for FICS.)

Financial Investment and Consultancy Services Limited (FICS) was the big winner at last Saturday evening’s St. Lucia Business Awards.
The awards ceremony, held in the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort, was broadcast live via Choice TV Channel 39, Spectra, LIME and Karib Cable.
The awards ceremony, now in its third year, was preceded by a welcome reception, a Digicel Welcome Cocktail Reception, and a Red Carpet affair, and brought together key players of the local business sector.
The St. Lucia Business Awards is an annual event that celebrates excellence in the local business community and recognizes the key players in that sector. The awards initiative is hosted by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.
FICS won three of the eleven awards up for grabs on Saturday, namely Exporter of the Year, Corporate Leadership Award (won by Sharmaine Francois, FICS’s managing director), and Business of the Year Award. 1st National Bank copped two awards, namely the Service Excellence Award and Excellence in Human Resource Award. Consolidated Foods Limited also took home two awards, namely the Idea of the Year Award and Entrepreneur of the Year Award (won by Andre Chastanet, CFL’s managing director).
Other winners on the big night for the business community were as follows:
Green Award: Windward and Leeward Brewery Ltd.
Marketing Excellence Award: Accela Marketing Ltd.
Corporate Social Responsibility: St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd.
Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation: St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies
Former president of the Chamber, Ornan E. Monplaisir, O.B.E., was presented with the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Monplaisir, who served as president of the Chamber from 1976-82 and 1991-93, was cited for his superb contribution to the organization.
Incoming president of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Gerard Bergasse, told the audience that the Chamber remains committed to its 126-year-old mantra.
 
 

“(This Chamber) has stood the test of time, weathered many economic and social crises; we are well-placed to play a vital role in the development of our country,” the new Chamber prez said. “The Chamber’s raison d’être is to promote and sustain a healthy political and economic and social environment in which free enterprise and ethical business practice can flourish in harmony with the development of the Saint Lucian economy.”
Bergasse also signaled the Chamber’s readiness to work in closer partnership with government to improve on Saint Lucia’s profile, especially in the wider business world. Such a partnership, Bergasse explained, will redound to a more improved business climate.
“The Board of the Chamber has agreed that our every action, our every intervention and most important, our relationship and composition with government will take place under the theme of improving the ease of doing business,” Bergasse said. “We invite government to work with us to improve Saint Lucia’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report. The Chamber intends to work with government to use this independent assessment to guide our efforts, our conversation as it relates to legislation, policy, investment and trade facilitation in order to improve the ease of doing business.”
Musical performances at last Saturday evening’s awards ceremony came from Michael Robinson (Youth Fest 2010 teen category winner), the Blaise Pascal Project, Yannick and Martin James, and Shirley-Ann Cyril-Mayers.

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