Caribbean goods 'right down to tissue paper' needed in VI- Premier Fahie
“The very necessary social distancing protocols are affecting all workplaces from factories to administration offices. They are affecting sales, whether it is large businesses or small cottage operations. They are also affecting customers’ ability to access goods,” Premier Fahie said on Monday, March 30, 2020, during an online Intra-Regional Commerce and Trade Symposium initiated by the Government of the Virgin Islands, with support from the local business sector.
A major test for us
The Premier said, because of the aforementioned, the projected economic impact, “of this pandemic will prove to be another major test for us all,” when the stockpiles reduce, and raw materials cannot be easily sourced for further manufacturing.
He reminded the regional heads of business organisations in the CARICOM and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries that the Caribbean could suffer.
“You know as well as I do, my friends, that day is just around the bend. As a matter of fact, now that the Coronavirus is here,” he noted.
VI wants to trade
“The VI is a popular tourist destination, and we entertain a lot of boat charters, yachts and hotel guests. There is a high demand for quality food products – processed and unprocessed, as well as apparel and other goods. The possibilities are, literally, limitless in terms that it is almost a certainty that any goods produced in the region is needed in the BVI, right down to tissue paper,” the Premier stated.
He pointed out that if the region works together, the quality goods can be delivered in each country at a competitive price.
“We understand that success depends on being able to cross the break-even points for volumes in production and shipping [but] by working together, we can establish the volumes for production and consumption that will not only make trade viable, but it will stimulate business growth and economic growth in the participating countries,” he stated.
Among the benefits of uniting on that front would be a “guarantee that our people are fed and clothed; that our Caribbean businesses survive and thrive; that we create jobs for our people; and, that we stabilise the social and economic situation in our countries,” the Premier surmised.
24 Responses to “Caribbean goods 'right down to tissue paper' needed in VI- Premier Fahie”
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with money gram & western union closed a substantial number of caribbean people residing in the British Virgin Islands can no longer forward money(Cash) to there brothers, sisters, grandchildren, grandparents, wives, sons, love ones....we are all one set of black people but fools like is a disgrace to the black community
The Vi choose to import from those islands but have options.
What other options are there for the upper caribbean . Very limited due inpart to their misconstrued reality which manifests into antisocial behaviour. Much like yours.
Ok... they all go home what do you have that they need now...
not one will leave this place: this territory have and will continue to help our caribbean brothers & sisters purchase property in there homeland: open business in their home: send their children to University.....@Hmmmmm it is called making an honest living-why dont U set an example and leave the territory
The pass 8 years it was about people who did not look like we. Let’s buy local and regional bam bam
Just tell 20 people who have the ability to vote that they have to vote ViP all the way next election day
Yeah Mon!!!!
What the premier is saying makes sense. We need to unite as a regional block. Donald Trump says " Make America great again." Boris Johnson took U.K out of the E.U. These people have no time for us. We are small Caribbean States. We can't stand on our own. We are vulnerable.
To survive, we have to unite. As I speak, we have resisted help from Cuba.
After Hurricane Irma, our Caribbean brothers and sisters reached out to us.
Let's stop the selfishness and hate and work together to make the BVI a better place for all of who live here.
I pray God's blessing on my original homeland, my new home - the BVI and the rest of the world.
Moreover, the region must collaborate and cooperate to reduce the food import bill. Reducing the food import bill will boost economies, increased employment and enhanced regional food security. It will face a challenge with cost of multinational corporation imports, ie, production cost but the challenge is not insurmountable. Regional countries must produce what they have a comparative advantage in and trade for the rest.
Further, the region must collaborate on uniting. The region would have been in a better position if the West Indies Federation (1958-1962) had been given a fighting chance. The ‘one from ten leaves nought’ comment by a national leader came to fruition. Insularity killed the Federation. Every little brown dot in the Caribbean Sea going it alone is challenging. The region should be doing much better with standard living, quality of life and per capita income. A small percentage (1%) doing well and the masses catching hell. Unification works for US, Canada, Australia, and EU(?) so why can’t it work for the Anglophone Caribbean countries?