PM meets public-private group on problems of unemployed

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday held discussions on a new public-private sector micro-enterprise initative which targets the unemployed, with chief executive officers of corporations in the banking and energy sectors. According to a release, Manning discussed with the senior executives a public-private sector partnership in formulating and implementing a new initiative for cultivating micro-entrepreneurs with a view to creating sustainable jobs and alleviating poverty for the unemployed. The Prime Minister noted that his recent walkabouts exposed the need for a two-prong approach for dealing with the problems of poverty and unemployment. The first, he said, involves a massive training programme targetting those who are unemployable and unskilled, while the second (approach) entails the development of entrepreneurs.

Manning also emphasised the need for a cross-fertilisation of the expertise and resources of the private and public sectors in order to effectively create an environment in which entrepeneurs could access the financing, training, mentorship and all of the other services that are required for a successful business venture. The Prime Minister noted: “This is a social intervention with the objective of creating and sustaining jobs. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that anyone with the skill, talent and will power to start their own business has the opportunity and resources to do so. However the creation of a thriving entrepeneurial sector requires a coordinated effort between the private and public sectors, and with the advent of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy just 11 months away, our efforts must be directed toward ensuring that our citizens are trained, employable and well-prepared for an open market.”

The launch of yesterday’s partnership is one of many initiatives currently being spearheaded by the Prime Minister, as part of the Government’s overall strategy for creating sustainable jobs, reducing poverty and crime and improving the quality of life of the nation’s citizens. The initiative would be led by a Ministerial Steering Committee comprised of the Ministers of Energy and Energy Industries, Labour and Small and Micro-Enterprise Development, and Works and Transport. It was agreed that the banks and energy companies would meet with the Ministerial Steering Committee to formulate plans for moving the initiative forward. Also attending the meeting were the CEOs of the National Entrepreneurship Development Company and Solid Waste Management Company as well as permanent secretaries in the Ministries of Housing, Local Government, Labour, Community Development and the Office of the Prime Minister.