For many years we have believed that the only resources available to us as a nation, that can be used to generate economic activity, are our breathtaking beaches and crystal waters. And we have followed the model etched out by many small-island developing states, by nurturing an economy based largely on a single sector. Our developmental focus has therefore been targeted towards building the infrastructure that supports the tourism sector.
World class resorts have been constructed, restaurants featuring delectable cuisine suited to the finest tastes have mushroomed, and emphasis has been placed on airport and, more recently, seaport development. The buzz word nowadays seems to be “access”.
This is probably due to the work done in fashioning a sustainable tourism master plan which identified access as one of the major issues responsible for Anguilla’s less than ideal standing in the tourism market. We know that a new dock has been constructed in close proximity to the Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten which, I am told, is better than the seaport facility at Blowing Point. Continuous efforts are also being made to properly operationalise our Air and Seaports Authority.
Last week I commented on efforts made by Government to attract new tourism investment with the goal of boosting the economy. Though all of them have not yet borne tangible fruit, we commend Government for its efforts to revitalise our tourism industry on which the employment of the majority of our population depends both directly and indirectly.
However, it seems to me that there is much need for “out of the box” thinking if Anguilla is to successfully navigate the challenges of being a small developing country. While I am convinced that tourism will very likely always be our main industry, I am equally convinced that it should not be our only industry. The devastating effects that the present economic recession has had, and continues to have, on Anguilla should make this point clear. It is as if we are on a sinking ship with insufficient lifejackets. While we are all at risk, some persons are in greater jeopardy than others; and our captain and crew are desperately trying to salvage the ship but little attention is being paid to determining what other resources can be used as floatation devices so that no passengers are lost.
It is my view that while we try to reshape and reboot our tourism industry, some efforts should be made to ensure economic diversification through the development of other industries. Intrinsically, we are a people who learn from our mistakes so, with the benefit of current experience, if we manage to successfully navigate this recession we should not allow another recession to catch us without sufficient floatation devices. We must begin the process of building new industries so that our country will have some buoyancy in times of hardship. I would encourage the Honourable Minister of Finance to put together a multi-sectoral team, consisting of both public and private sector personnel, to move the process forward.
From my viewpoint, there are many sectors that have yet to be fully explored, or developed, which could be of tremendous benefit to Anguilla. For example, Anguilla has a largely untapped fishing zone which holds great potential for that sector. Fishing as an industry ought not to be limited to the “catching and selling” of fresh fish. The prospects of processing and packaging are still untapped. Additionally, with improvements in technology and the ability to moderate climatic conditions in a controlled environment, poor soil and little rainfall are no longer an excuse for the lack of a thriving agricultural sector. Further, our financial services sector has not taken off as anticipated and the reasons for this need to be carefully, not cursorily, examined so that the necessary improvements can be made.
Yet another area for development is the “business” of education. I am sure we have seen the spin-off benefits of the presence of the St James School of Medicine in Anguilla. We should therefore be giving thought to how our own Community College can develop a similar thrust, and how we can interest other training institutions in opening campuses in Anguilla.
Often, our focus on sun, sea and sand tends to overshadow our greatest resource: our people. The development of cultural industries is one way in which these resources can be harnessed for economic benefit. These industries are essentially the economic activities generated by the work of our musicians, producers, visual artists, fashion designers, filmmakers, dancers, writers, actors, animators and the like. They can involve large scale events such as the Summer Festival or Moonsplash or, on a smaller scale, the promotion and sale of our artistes’ work.
A further possibility for exploration is that of marketing Anguilla as an outpost where major corporations can outsource some of their basic functions. This can vary from light manufacturing to technology-based functions that can be performed anywhere in the world.
These are just my humble suggestions as to where we can begin to look at options for diversification. I am not an economist, nor am I an expert in trade or commerce, but as a passenger aboard the ship Anguilla I believe our captain and crew have an obligation to put the necessary measures in place to ensure our safety in the event that turbulent seas threaten to overwhelm us.
