CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 10, 2006) — An official of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) met with top civil servants in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on Wednesday November 09, 2006, to apprise them of a programme offered by the bank.
The programme provides technical assistance directly to micro, small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, private institutions and government ministries who interact directly with micro and small enterprises. Mr. Kenneth Harvey Investment Officer (Technical Assistance) with the Caribbean Development Bank based in Barbados who heads the Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services Network (CTCS) programme in a recent interview with the Government Information Service said that his visit was one of awareness.
“My purpose is to apprise the officers of the various ministries of the government of the Nevis Island Administration of the programme. We hope to ensure that the programme is more fully embraced by Nevis at all levels and therefore more Nevisian entrepreneurs and small business persons would be able to benefit tremendously in 2007 and beyond from the activities that are offered by the programme,” he explained.
“Basically the programme is designed to help the person in the street. It is the only programme carried by the Bank that directly interacts with the individual. The bureaucracy to access the programme is almost minimal they can go into the Development Bank or after we do this today [Wednesday], any one of the ministries who embrace the programme [can] indicate that they have an interest in getting some technical assistance from the bank’s CTCS programme and once you are put in contact with us we do the rest,” he explained.
According to Mr Harvey, the CDB’s CTCS programme provided technical assistance which involved training workshops held either locally in collaboration with local entities or regionally where participants would be invited from each member territory of the CDB.
In the case of St Kitts and Nevis, Mr Harvey said that the Bank provided one to one technical assistance to individuals who are either hoping to start a small business or already operating a small business.
He said that direct assistance could be delivered by a visiting resource person or consultant from one of our other by member countries or to assist a person directly where ever they conduct their business or through an overseas training attachment.
The CTCS programme also provided a business counselling component directly to individuals. “We have them identify their technical needs and we are always there under the CDB CTCS programme to give them technical assistance whenever they need it and any person who is a resident of St Kitts and Nevis can benefit from the programme,” he said.