Representatives of financial institutions, various other businesses and youth development organisations in Anguilla, joined their colleagues in the eight-member Eastern Caribbean Currency Union at a one-day Consultation on Entrepreneurship on Tuesday, April 17.
The consultation was held by video link from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s Headquarters (inBasseterre, St. Kitts) to the ECCB’s offices in the member territories.
The participants were welcomed by Mrs. Ingrid O’Loughlin, Senior Director, Corporate Relations Department, on behalf of Governor, Sir Dwight Venner, and the Management and Staff of the ECCB. “We all share a common vision which is the sustainable growth of our economy through the development and advancement of our respective businesses, institutions and peoples,” she stated.
“Entrepreneurship development is unanimously considered to be a critical component of economic growth and wealth creation. However, the plan of action on how to best create a vibrant entrepreneurial private sector, which can be leveraged to drive sustainable economic growth, is not always clear. Today’s consultation on entrepreneurship, seeks to draw on our collective wisdom and experience, to broaden our understanding on the role we can play in assuming our growth agenda, and develop templates for guiding and evaluating our efforts.”
She noted that the region’s long-term success could not be achieved through solo acts and for this reason the consultation was timely, necessary and important.
The consultation was chaired by Governor Venner who introduced the various presenters.
The presentations and discussions during the day included the following topics: Entrepreneurs Play A Critical Role In The Economy But Are They Born This Way Or Can They Be Taught?(Presented by Martin Satney, Technical Adviser, St. Lucia Small Business Association); The Face Of The ECCU Entrepreneur – Born Out Of Opportunity Or Necessity? (Presented by Kent Victor, Business Development Specialist, Grenada Industrial Development Corporation); and Developing An Entrepreneurship Campaign Framework For The ECCU (Presented by Sybil L. Welsh, Adviser, ECCB).
There were also short presentations on key topics for exploration during the working session. These were: Nurturing Entrepreneurial Activities Through Exposure, Training and Mentoring by Professor Delroy Louden, President of the Anguilla Community College; Financing Entrepreneurial Activities – Exploring Traditional and Non-traditional Approaches, by Debra Lewis, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Finance, Montserrat; and Supporting Entrepreneurial Activities through information, business advisory, technical assistance and networking, by Juanito Jose, General Manager, Eastern Caribbean Enterprise Fund.
The consultation sessions continued until about 4.00 pm when the closing remarks were delivered by Sybil Welsh, Adviser, Corporate Relations Department, ECCB.
