Local small business owners who will be participating in a United Nations Development Program training initiative have received documents to officially mark the occasion.
On Thursday morning The Ministry of Tourism hosted a ceremony at its conference room to hand over a memorandum of understanding to the participants.
Tourism Research Officer at the Ministry of Tourism, Teres Ambrose Versailles said the programme which was held in collaboration with the Caribbean Development bank and other institutions aimed to help small businesses recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“They had the business adaptation programme. It was basically online and invited persons from around the region to sign up and basically retool themselves in a way that will help them maneuver in this new era. This time around we have the second cohort receiving the Memorandum of Understanding. Basically, it is a document that outlines what their responsibilities are, the responsibilities of the Ministry of Tourism, and what they should do once they get the finance to improve their business,” she said.
She noted that the participants will be receiving funds to reshape their businesses as well.
“When they signed up they signed up with the understanding that they were not supposed to receive a grant. But seeing the potential of the group the UNDP group decided to petition the Caribbean Development Bank and they procured some funds for them amounting to just about 31/32 thousand ED dollars, which were distributed among the recipients. We have recipients from St. Kitts and Nevis,” she said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Tivanna Wharton said government remains committed to providing assistance for small business owners.
“Coming out of the pandemic and being thrusted into recovery mode we know the importance of providing these opportunities and grants for our citizens. And so, we will continue to partner with external agencies as we seek to help to improve our small business owners here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” she said.
Participants of the 2022 UNDP program received training in Digital Technologies, Financial Planning, and Marketing via virtual classes conducted by the University of the West Indies and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Six persons are taking part this year. 3 from St. Kitts and 3 from Nevis.
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NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 02, 2021) — The following is an update rom the Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Admiration (NIA) regarding the series of short training course offered online by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration is pleased to inform that the Government of India is conducting a series of short training courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The ITEC programmes are diversified in areas of:
Interested persons must register online at least four (4) days before the start of the course at https://www.itecgoi.in/index. All courses listed above commence in March, and each programme’s commencement date differs.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, December 17, 2020 (MMS-SKN) — Operators of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) desirous to improve and promote their businesses will in 2021, courtesy of the Team Unity Administration, be able to access business loans at concessionary interest rates through the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The good news was revealed on Tuesday December 15 by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, at a sitting of the National Assembly held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort Ballroom where he tabled The Appropriation (2021) Bill, 2020, in which the Government is seeking approval for $867.9 million for the provision of services for the financial year commencing January 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2021.
“Mr Speaker, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical for the on-going development of our country,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This year alone Mr Speaker, we have achieved an historic high of over 800 approvals for business licenses. This has been the highest on record in the Ministry of Finance.”
In what is government’s appreciation of the role being played by the SMEs, Dr Harris said: “Mr Speaker, to further incentivise the entrepreneurial spirit, my Government will in 2021 make a special tranche of $5 million available to assist those who are looking for concessionary interest rates through the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, so we will have a special carve-out to help persons in that industry.”
Prime Minister Harris had earlier noted that it is envisaged that the new Ministry of Entertainment, Entrepreneurship and Talent Development, which was launched after the June 5 elections, would work in tandem with the other agencies of the Government, such as the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), the Ministry of Finance, and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), to assist the small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises.
“Mr Speaker, we are also excited by the exuberant reception we have received in terms of the mandate given to the Ministry of Entertainment and Talent Development so far,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This is the main arm of the Government that is charged with the responsibility to transform the entertainment, the creative and innovative industries through entrepreneurship and economic value creation in our Federation.”
The Government, Prime Minister Harris noted, had recognised the extensive possibilities of building the enabling environment for the country’s talented young people to deepen their creativity to produce innovative content, products and services.
He pointed out that the rich nexus of twinning the unique creative and innovative talents of the people with the income generating potential of entrepreneurship is encouraging, and must be tapped. He added that the new Ministry of Entertainment, Entrepreneurship and Talent Development and its work holds great possibilities to create new sources of employment, wealth and sustainable economic activity.
The Ministry of Entrepreneurship will among other things help people find their creative talents and put them into effective use. The Prime Minister noted that the new Minister, who is the elected member for St. Christopher Three, the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, would lead that particular area noting that she has a history of involvement in the entertainment industry having been a talented queen and a beauty queen in her youthful years.
“She comes to the Ministry with a sense of the realistic demands that people out there have in relation to this Ministry and how we can in fact help them more,” stated Dr Harris.
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