Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 31, 2022 (SKNIS): Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew and a delegation, arrived in Barbados today (August 31) to attend the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022, which takes place from September 1-3 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Bridgetown under the theme “One People. One Destiny. Uniting and Reimagining our Future.”
The Prime Minister’s delegation includes the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development and Investment; Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Marcus Natta; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Hilary Hazel; Permanent Secretary (Ag) in the Prime Ministers Office, Naeemah Hazelle, and President of St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Michael Davis. Officials from the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (SKIPA) are also scheduled to be participants in the two-day investment forum.
This Forum is intended to help strengthen relations between the private sectors of the two regions to advance trade and investment.
Some of the objectives include promoting inter-bank relationships fostering payment and financial flow; developing creative and cultural engagements that can be commercially viable; creating a business case for a potential AfriCaribbean Free Trade Area; promoting trade and investment between Africa and the Caribbean by serving as a platform for market identification, building business partnerships, exchange of trade and market information, co-investments, etc.; facilitating AfriCaribbean investments by fostering cross-regional business and investment linkages; serving as a platform for disseminating trade and investment information and other products and initiatives of the Bank that support trade between Africa and Africans in the diaspora; and reducing counterpart risk perception among African and Caribbean businesses in dealing with themselves.
It is expected to welcome 750 delegates from Africa and the Caribbean, including government and private sector officials from both regions, as well as investors, development partners, and trade support institutions.
While in Barbados, Prime Minister Dr. Drew is scheduled to take part in meetings with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).