The Anguilla Development Board
The Anguilla Development Board (ADB) expresses its gratitude to the Government of Anguilla for extending the invitation to be part of the delegation that participated in the recent workshop “Mobilising Caribbean Capacity in the Redevelopment of the Northern Caribbean”. The workshop which took place in Trinidad was organized by the Trinidad Business Community and provided an opportunity for presentations in and discussion with varying stakeholders. Special mention must be made of Ms. Jasmin Garraway (Manager Project Development Unit, Ministry of FEDICT) as being the catalyst for this workshop as she was instrumental in the efforts of ensuring that Anguilla was included in the regional outreach efforts from Trinidad post Hurricane Irma.
The ADB was represented by its Manager, Mrs. Althea Hodge, who noted that the overarching aim of the workshop, which took into consideration the vulnerability of the Caribbean to natural disasters and the difficulties of post-disaster recovery, was to initiate dialogue on redevelopment initiatives for post disaster recovery, mobilizing Caribbean private sector investment and collaboration with regional and international development partners.
Mrs. Hodge highlighted that the primary areas of collaboration centered around namely: Finance and Insurance, Construction/Housing, Services and Trade, Tourism, Agriculture and Manufacturing which are all pertinent to the mandate of the ADB. In addition, it provided a unique opportunity for bilateral meetings and further discussions pertaining to climate change and resilience in the context of our islands. The ADB looks forward to the proposed follow up activities to include a Trade Show in July which will be a more definitive launching pad for Anguilla with business opportunities.
Mrs. Hodge further stated that as theADB continues to fulfil its mandate of providing financial and technical assistance within the community.We are mindful that whilst real development is dependent on significant investment in the productive sector, efforts must be made to ensure mechanisms are put in place to facilitate this critical area which will ultimately determine the wellbeing of our community.
The Anguilla Tourist Board
The Anguilla Tourist Board was pleased to have its Assistant Manager Destination Experience, Mr. Jameel Rochester, visit Trinidad from May 21-25, 2018 as a delegate to attend and be a part of the Mobilizing Caribbean Capacity in the Redevelopment of the Northern Caribbean Initiative.
As a representative on matters related to the Tourism Sector, Mr. Rochester noted, “It was a great opportunity to speak to key stakeholders and agencies who had extensive experience in the tourism industry as they had a thorough understanding of the importance of the industry to destinations that use tourism as a main economic driver. We were able to visit manufacturing companies that could assist us with achieving our goals in collaboration with our neighbouring island partners. These critical investments in our destination would better position Anguilla within the market, and in the areas of recovery and development of indigenous tourism enterprises, especially given the challenges faced post Hurricane Irma. This would enable us to have a competitive advantage that would effectively help us to meet the needs of all of our guests.”
The ATB is looking forward to seeing great things happening not only in Anguilla, but also in neighbouring islands as we continue building stronger relationships and create a higher level of resilience and unity amongst all islands.
