THE UN OBSERVANCE RAISES AWARENESS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES.

On April 6, 2017; the United Nations (UN) Assembly adopted a resolution Number (A/RES71/279) declaring 27th June as Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day.  This was done to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and to commemorate their contribution to sustainable development and the global economy.

This year’s theme, “Resilience and Rebuilding: MSMEs for Sustainable Development” speaks to the strengthening of policies aimed at assisting MSMEs in the face of the   COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts and supply chain issues.  It recognizes that MSME’s have made the bold choices to put their enterprises on a path to a greener, more resilient, more inclusive, and sustainable future. In this regard, the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs takes this opportunity to commend you, our Saint Lucian MSMEs.

In furtherance of this commendation, the Ministry reaffirms its commitment to supporting your rebuilding efforts by bolstering our policies and initiatives including the upcoming MSME Loan Grant Facility and the MSME Digital Enhancement programme that will be rolled out in 2022. Additionally, through our Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), we will continue to serve as a hub for the growth and development of Saint Lucia’s MSMEs by providing training, technical support and other capacity building services.

As we celebrate MSME Day today, we also take this opportunity to urge citizens to reflect on the importance of supporting local businesses. In order for a real sustainable economic recovery to take place nationally, it must first start with each of us supporting the MSMEs within our communities. Every dollar that is spent on locally manufactured goods and services, is an investment into our economy and into the development of our beautiful Fair Helen.

HAPPY MSME DAY ALL!