Competitive Business Unit to dialogue with OECS Manufacturers and their BSOs on Needs, Priorities and Interventions for Enhancing Competitiveness During Uncertain Times

Media Release

Fostering and enhancing the export competitiveness of OECS enterprises is a key goal of the Competitive Business Unit (CBU) of the OECS Commission. This translates to a specific activity of building and strengthening the capacities of OECS entrepreneurs in business establishment, development, competitiveness and trade.

The OECS Manufacturing Sector, across our member states, is characterized by a large percentage of Medium Small and Medium Sized family owned and managed enterprises that generally are constrained by limited management and production capacity. The sector is generally underdeveloped compared to tourism for example and faces a number of problems which include high cost of production cost and low productivity related to raw material and utility costs; inadequate levels of investments in technology and equipment; poor management, planning and marketing skills; limited capacity for quality standards compliance and limited market intelligence knowledge of multilateral trading requirement. There are also limitations in the business ecosystem and challenges in policy, legislative and regulatory framework. The OECS Member States are furthermore prone to a number of natural disasters and can be disproportionately impacted by external shocks and crisis such as COVID-19.

Against the background of these challenges, The OECS CBU therefore will be conducting a series of national virtual dialogue consultations with OECS MSMEs in the Manufacturing Sector and related Business Support Organisations to reinvigorate the engagement with the sector as they grapple with new strategies, priorities and measures. The opportunity will also be taken to introduce the new Head of Unit, Mr. Kareem Guiste, who hails from the Commonwealth of Dominica and comes with a wealth of experience in marketing, business development and regulation in both the public and private sector within the General Business, Energy and Telecommunication space.

The consultations  are  scheduled for the following days in June and July.

June 28th 2021             -           Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica

July 9th 2021               -           St. Vincent & the Grenadines  

July 16th 2021             -           St. Kitts & Nevis and Anguilla

July 23rd 2021             -           Saint Lucia

July 30th 2021             -           Montserrat and Tortola

Our role is a pivotal one and as such we will continue to work with all our stakeholders toward enabling an environment for sustainable response and successful growth.

For information about how to join the webinar, please follow OECS’ & the OECS Competitive Business Unit’s facebook pages.

For further information contact:

Kareem Guiste

OECS CBU

Tel. 1-767-448-2240

kareem.guiste@oecs.int / debra.blackman@oecs.int

Kareem Guiste

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

Debra Blackman

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

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About The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

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The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an International Organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean. The OECS came into being on June 18th 1981, when seven Eastern Caribbean countries signed a treaty agreeing to cooperate with each other while promoting unity and solidarity among its Members. The Treaty became known as the Treaty of Basseterre, so named in honour of the capital city of St. Kitts and Nevis where it was signed. The OECS today, currently has eleven members, spread across the Eastern Caribbean comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique and Guadeloupe. 

Contact

Morne Fortune Castries Saint Lucia

+1758-455-6327

media@oecs.int

www.oecs.int