8 / 140
Building Economic Resilience in the Caribbean
is
morethanjustathemeonanattractivepublication;
it is at the core of the activities of the Caribbean
Export Development Agency (Caribbean
Export) – an organisation that I proudly serve
as Chairperson of the Board. This publication,
now in its second edition, not only highlights the
tremendous potential that the Caribbean has in
terms of international trade, but also the breadthof
opportunities available for international investors
looking to capitalise onwhat is arguably one of the
best locations in the world.
The natural diversity inherent in the Caribbean is
part of the region’s competitive advantage. When
you review the country briefs of The Bahamas,
Barbados, Suriname and theDominicanRepublic
it will become abundantly clear that the region
is a stable environment bursting with creativity
and opportunity.
In spite of the challenging economic times of
recent years, where we have seen significant
changes on a global scale – from the financial
crisis, to wars and uprisings causing oil price
fluctuations – the Caribbean has maneuvered
through a minefield of ammunition to survive
and is now on a trajectory of growth.
The
Caribbean Export OUTLOOK
, as the
region’s only international trade and export
publication, is an important collection of articles,
views and reports, which raises awareness of key
industries such as medical tourism, renewable
energy, financial services, and the creative
industries. It is one of a number of initiatives
by Caribbean Export to drive regional private
sector development and support investment to
the region.
Over the past five years, the Agency has been
implementing the Regional Private Sector
Development Programme (RPSDP) funded
by the European Union’s (EU)10th European
Development Fund (EDF) for which we are
deeply grateful. The funds have facilitated export
development initiatives across industry sectors,
such as agro-processing, creative industries,
renewable energy and tourism. They have also
been utilised to provide over 312 firms with
financial grants to develop and enhance their
business operations and to start or expand their
exports while utilising the benefits of the EU-
CARIFORUMEconomic PartnershipAgreement
(EPA).
Moving forward, the Agency is committed to
enhancing the competitiveness and value of
Caribbean brands, and it is our vision that this
publication will contribute towards fuelling
Caribbean private sector development.
Donnalee Bowe
Chairperson of the Board
The Caribbean Export Development Agency
message from
The Chairperson of the Board
6
www.carib-export.com