Board Members of Chamber of Commerce
An initiative, conceived by Governor Christina Scott, to bring public and private sector representatives together to discuss ways and means of developing Anguilla’s economy, has met with much response and appreciation. The largely-supported meeting, at Government House, on Tuesday evening, May 26, followed the recent coming into office of a new Government formed by the Anguilla United Front.
“This is an opportunity for a set of conversations between Government and some of the key people on the island,” the Governor told the representatives of the business community, comprising members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other private sector persons. “You are the people who keep the economy moving; the people who pay the salaries for everybody in Government and without you we stand no chance.”
Governor Scott also said that the meeting was an opportunity for the business persons to speak about “the things that the Government needs to do to help them to make Anguilla a better place to do business; and to attract inward investment to help to support any of your talents and skills elsewhere in the region.” She added: “We need your help to make sure that Government is open to business and that we are listening to what you are saying…”
Mr. Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary, Economic Development, spoke on behalf of Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, who was addressing another important meeting on financial matters.
Mr. Rogers hoped that there would be further social and official events so that the private sector could share its views on various matters affecting the economy, including taxes, from a business standpoint. He thought that the Government should spend more time working with agencies like the Chamber of Commerce and the Anguilla Development Board so that certain economic programmes, policies and initiatives, driven by the private sector, could be put in place.
The Permanent Secretary continued: “Government needs to create an environment where wealth can be achieved and this is done through the private sector, while Government reaps the reward of that wealth through taxes and other mechanisms. If we can create an environment where businesses can flourish, and where young people leaving school can be entrepreneurs, and be successful, then in the end everybody wins. I think it will create an environment where persons would not have to come to Government or go to a bank to get a job, but can create employment for themselves and other persons. Yes, Government has a role in ensuring that environment is in place and to work steadily with the Chamber of Commerce and other persons in the private sector to ensure that this is done.”
Mr. Rogers stated that the Government was looking at following the World Bank’s way of doing business as other territories in the Caribbean region and beyond were engaged in. “We want to be able to see how we can fit into that grand scheme of things and the ease of doing business. The approach of the private sector is that Anguilla is not an easy place to do business and Government needs to change that because Government needs to be a mechanism that facilitates business in a way to [move forward] rather quickly.” Rogers pointed to several issues “which Government needs to look at to ensure that Anguilla is competitive not only with the people in the Caribbean region, but with competitive countries all over the world.”
Mr. Keithley Lake, President of the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made the point that, for a long time, his organisation wanted to be part of the discussion about business in Anguilla, as one of the principal stakeholders in policy-making. He stated that there were a lot of issues immediately affecting the Chamber in a very great way which he thought should be dealt with.
Mr. Lake noted that there was a big crowd of business persons at the meeting and made this appeal to them: “We would like to see people, like you, getting involved in the Chamber because sometimes it feels like a very lonely job. It makes no sense to complain after certain laws are in place. Give us your support so that we can sit and negotiate on your behalf to make sure that all these provisions, now in draft form, truly reflect the importance and concerns of business.”
