Bahamian Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Perry Christie has called on the region’s leaders and business owners to focus on the region’s people even as we attempt to position the Caribbean in the International Arena.

Speaking during the Jamaica Stock Exchange 11th Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference last week, the Prime Minister said this positioning must be for the “betterment of our peoples, in terms of their economic and social well-being, all across the region”.

He says to this end, regional investors must take the phrase “Think globally, act locally” to heart as it summarizes “the approach we must take to the development of strategies which will be effective at achieving the objective of improving the well-being of our citizens”.

Positioning the Caribbean
Prime Minister Christies says Caribbean economies need to be positioned in terms of governance, the workforce and infrastructure.

He says one of the most important areas of good governance that governments in the region must effect is legal frameworks that are enforced fairly and impartially. He says the areas of “management of public finances, transparency and accountability, economic management through improved management of public resources through reforms covering public sector institutions and low levels of corruption are other core elements of good governance necessary for meaningful economic development.

The Bahamian Prime Minister says “investment and economic growth will depend among other things on the quality of the business environments that we seek to establish”. He says focus must also be set on the overall set of policies that affect the starting and running of businesses, and how they are implemented and managed. Christie says in order to thrive in the global arena, “we must invest in modern legislation and procedures which result in sound business practices”.

Prime Minister Christie says the key to region achieving the desired level of success for economic growth and development will be the national and regional ability to think strategically and to collaborate. BM