Manning launches Baptist trade fair

MEMBERS of the Baptist community were yesterday urged to be the masters of their own economic destiny, and told to strive for the standard of living they desired because there will be many opportunities to do so with the implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). The advice was given by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, when he launched the Spiritual Baptist Entrepreneurial trade fair at the Brian Lara Promenade. Theme of the fair was “Promoting Business Within our Community,” and featured a number of exhibits of goods produced by Baptists. In his address he told the large gathering of regional and international Baptists, that having overcome their struggles, and no longer facing impediments to freedom of worship, religion was not an end in itself, but as they participated in religious worship, they were “not only seeking salvation when you are dead, but also seeking a good standard of living when you are alive.”

He said the exhibition was timely because it signalled the start of a journey to empower not only Baptists in TT, but the region, with “a lesson and a message that you too can be the master or your own economic destiny and you too can attain the standard of living to which you have aspired.” Manning added that Government’s agency NEDCO, which provided financing for small and micro enterprises, and CEPEP, were two important programmes which were “significant” to the fair. He said they were intended to help people manage their own affairs, and “over time the guaranteed support slowly removed so they can be active, vibrant and viable, not only here but in the region” as the CSME comes on stream. He explained that the CSME will enable free movement of skilled workers in the region and companies might no longer be training persons to do the jobs, but importing the skilled workers from other countries.

He said it was with that in mind that Government launched the Multi-Sector Skills Training programme (MuST), because persons ran the risk of being marginalised if they had no skills when CSME came on board. He saluted the Baptists for being “in consonance with government’s aspirations for the people,” and expressed hope that their “efforts are successful and bear fruit” and be in a position in the future to develop, as fundamental changes in the economic circumstances of the region arise. Earlier, Archbishop John Noel of Grenada indicated that Baptists were on the move to awake from a drowsy sleep and become a part of the economic activity. He said a new approach and  mentality was being adopted as he called on Baptists to start practising the scriptures they knew so well, saying it was time for them to start providing jobs, rather than be the ones always looking for a job.