George: Look ahead at challenges we have to face

Managers, owners and other CEOs of companies have been urged to look further ahead if they intend to survive in the ever changing world of business.{{more}}

The warning came from President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Commerce Jerry George on Tuesday as he addressed a number of representatives of leading business places here at a one-day meeting called to discuss problems affecting their businesses and possible solutions.

George, in his opening remarks, called on the business men and women to ‘run harder and smarter’, if they are to stay ahead of bank obligations, depleting resources and poverty, by making their businesses future friendly.

“In this regard, we need to look further than 2008, 2009 or even 2010 as we sit here today and think of the challenges we have to face.”

In his speech, George said that he believed the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines lies in the mastering of technology and agriculture, and urged those present to be forceful and aggressive in the liberation of certain sectors.

“I believe that this country and region must be connected as quickly as possible to broadband Internet services of the global economy so that we could benefit from some of these fruits. It is in the data that we can make the money.”

“I am calling on policy makers to act quickly to ensure that every young person in St. Vincent and the Grenadines across the region has easy and affordable access to the Internet, for therein lies the future.”

George also lamented the decline in the field of science, which he said is vital for the country to move forward.

According to him, the best teachers are in administration, and students are not properly trained when they get on the job market.

“We are failing miserably in the science field. Today we need science students to drive our technological development, and the education system is failing us. We are short on science students, and this region and this country cannot progress unless we understand the science of our times.”

At Tuesday’s session, George urged the entrepreneurs to work together in a time of economic uncertainties.