Stakeholders in the local services sector are now engaged in efforts aimed at taking their sector to new heights.{{more}}

The stakeholders were part of the recent General Meeting of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coalition of Service Industries (SVG CSI). The meeting, which took place on Thursday, February 20, 2014, was attended by a wide cross-section of representatives of the services sector.

There was general consensus among the participants on the importance of the both the services sector and the need for a dynamic representative body, such as the SVG CSI.

Among those who addressed the meeting were the president of the SVG CSI, Fitzroy O. Glasgow; director of Trade in the Ministry of trade Cuthbert Knights; and project manager of the EPA Implementation Unit Okolo John-Patrick.

Both Glasgow and Knights referred to statistics which show that the services sector contributes 70 per cent of GDP to the Vincentian economy.

Ms John-Patrick indicated that the importance of the services sector was widely recognised by several regional and international agencies, which are willing to provide assistance to the SVG CSI.

The meeting was informed that the SVG CSI was in the process of establishing a secretariat at the headquarters of Youth Business SVG at Arnos Vale, with its founder, Kenrick Quashie as managing director. Mr Quashie is being assisted by volunteers, Viviana Agamez Arango and D’ André Jackson.

There were also presentations at the meeting on the role of a CSI and the history and structure of the SVG CSI.

The participants at the meeting have agreed to meet on March 4th, 2014 to elect a new board of directors to run the affairs of the SVG CSI.

The positions to be elected are: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and five sector representatives.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Coalition of Services (SVG CSI) was established in 2008.

Persons wishing additional information please contact the SVG CSI at (784) 485-6357.