THE NEWSLETTER WAS DEVELOPED UNDER THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS REVITALIZATION PROJECT.
The Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs in collaboration with the Taiwan ICDF will be hosting a press launch for the Fond St. Jacques Community Newsletter developed under the Community Business Revitalization (CBR) Project.
The welfare of Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Saint Lucia continues to be of major concern to policymakers, given the upheaval experienced by our business community since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—including trade/shipping interruptions and escalating costs of inputs. This project aims to provide targeted technical support to businesses, whilst modernizing the way in which they operate.
As such, the Ministry of Commerce and the Taiwan ICDF collaborated with the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation (SRDF) and the Fond St. Jacques Development Committee (FSJDC) with the common objective of promoting and building the capacity of local MSMEs. The CBR project kickstarted with the unveiling of the refurbished Interpretation Centre in Fond St. Jacques in February 2024. As an additional project offshoot, relevant signage has been erected within the community of Fond St. Jacques.
The ministry also partnered with consultants in areas such as Business Start-up Essentials, Customer Service, Marketing, Food Essentials—of which training, technical and practical support would be provided. In addition, it is envisaged that the introduction of the Fond St Jacques Community Newsletter, Community Cornerstone, will serve as a catalyst for the revival and marketing of the local community to regional and international markets.
The official press launch will be held on Wednesday 15th May, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce, Heraldine Rock Building, Waterfront, Castries.
For further information on this activity please contact Mr. Alvinaus Simon, Business Development Officer, Small Business Development Centre at 468-4249 or 286-5029 or Louis Tsou, Project Coordinator, Taiwan ICDF, at 286-5675.