Senior Minister updates Kajola Kristada Senior Management on PSA

Hon. Timothy Harris

ZIZ News…Jan 22 2011 – Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry, was invited by Kajola Kristada’s top management to update its Board of Directors and special guests at a reception at Marriott on the status of the Federation’s efforts to accede to the Guyana/Brazil Partial Scope Agreement.

Speaking at the reception held on Thursday evening, January 20, 2011, at the Marriott Hotel, Dr Harris said that the process of “negotiations are progressing well we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are at the final stage of getting the imprimatur of CARICOM Member States for the list of products of interest to St Kitts and Nevis and Brazil”. Dr Harris said the work had been long and hard and it would be the first time a country of the size of St Kitts and Nevis would achieve such a feat with an economic power house the size of Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America and the Caribbean and now a significant partner in global trade discussions.

Senior Minister Harris lauded the local private sector in particular the management teams of Kajola Kristada and Harowe Servo Ltd who were the most consistent advocates of the partial scope arrangement. Compliments were extended to Messrs Charleton Edwards, Samuel Berridge and Andrew Satney for providing technical support to the exercise.

Dr Harris said that the partial scope agreement provided a mechanism for trade to be expanded between Brazil and St Kitts-Nevis. “Of particular interest to us are the opportunities for the sustainable growth of the manufacturing sector, the beneficial impact of job growth, foreign exchange and investments, new business arrangements which become the catalyst for other linkages”.

The reception was attended by Prime Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas, Brazil’s resident Ambassador, Miguel Magalhaes, Mr Carol Evelyn and Ancel Sookhai of the local manufacturing sector, the President and senior management of PPC/Kajola Kristada and other special invitees.