Regional buyers, Taiwan group at Everything Vincy Expo 2018

Regional buyers, and a delegation from Taiwan were on the ground to witness the offerings of the local businesses participating in the Everything Vincy Plus Expo 2018 this week.

Invest SVG and the Caribbean Export Development Agency, (CEDA) were responsible for the organization of the Independence expo, which is set to run October 23 to 28.

Although the main concept of the expo is to increase visibility for local businesses in the local market, the ‘plus’ in this year’s event saw the addition of some businesses around the region.
Further, the effort to increase the visibility of local businesses in the region, saw CEDA inviting regional buyers.

Representative for CEDA, Gayle Gollop, speaking at the launch of the Expo on Tuesday, informed, “We at Caribbean Export are happy to assist Invest SVG in this venture by identifying buyers, and facilitating their participation in this event. We are confident that local producers will impress these buyers, and make important contacts, thus facilitating increased exports.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Invest SVG, Anthony Regisford, gave some details on their identity, saying, “We have somebody here from the Trinidad and Tobago manufacturer’s association. We have somebody from Antigua who is a big supermarket owner, Epicurean supermarkets, and many other businesses.”

He indicated that there were also buyers from Guyana and Barbados.

However, Executive Director of Invest SVG Annette Mark delivered the news that two representatives of supermarkets from Trinidad and Tobago were unable to make it, due to the heavy flooding over the weekend.

Further, present at the ceremony was a delegation of 12 from Taiwan, who, Regisford indicated, are, “on a mission to look at forging trade with St Vincent and the Grenadines.” The Chairman commented that, “it’s opportune that they’re here on the ground now while we are staging this exhibition.”

Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Calvin Chen-huan Ho, also stated that he was pleased that the delegation, formed by the International Economic Cooperation Association of Taiwan, could participate.

“I am very, very happy that we can have a delegation like this to come here. This 12 member delegation is composed of not only business people, I mean entrepeneurs from private sectors, but also with trade officers of the Government, and also investors from vocational schools. I think their attendance here… I believe can make this event more fruitful,” he stated.

The ambassador commented that as a trade officer himself, he knows that expos such as the Everything Vincy Expo are a great help to trade promotion.

The delegation, although Taiwanese, come from a wide range of places, including Miami, Boston and Canada.

As to the main purpose of the delegation’s visit, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Camillo Gonsalves, informed at the launch, “you heard Ambassador Ho indicate that there are one or two very promising developments from that visit already with some of the local business people here, and we hope to have happy announcements about those collaborations in the very near future.”

He added, “These invited guests are not competitors, but potential collaborators, partners,