Glenis Rose Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (right), makes a point to (from left) hotel operator, Kay Gordon; and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) South Coast Chapter Chairman, Jason Henzell, during a recent tour of resorts and attractions in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth. The tour followed the launch of a $20 million community tourism loan facility for the operators of small resorts and attractions in the community.
$20M Funding Support for Tourism 
in Treasure Beach, Jamaica
The Ministry of Tourism has established a $20 million loan facility for the operators of small resorts and attractions in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth.
Beneficiaries can access up to two million each under the scheme, which is being financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and administered by Jamaica National Small Business Loans Limited.
This provision is part of the Ministry's National Community Tourism Policy and Strategy. It aims to diversify Jamaica's resort product offerings by facilitating tourism developments at the community level.  Read More
Regional MediaThon Coming to Barbados

In a groundbreaking move, Compete Caribbean will host the first ever MediaThon in the Caribbean on November 22 & 23, 2016.

About 30 Caribbean media makers will descend on Barbados to participate in an experience designed to inspire creative ideas on science, technology and innovation (STI) within the communication ecosystem in the Caribbean.

Internationally acclaimed presenters from UNESCO, SciDev.net and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be among the panelists discussing reporting on emerging innovation and technology, media narratives and tools for the digital age and STI in the Caribbean media among other relevant topics.

Sonia Gill, Secretary general of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) will act as facilitator of the panel discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to develop ideas and pitch to a panel of judges for the chance at tangible prizes.
Compete Caribbean Living & Leaving A Legacy...

From the marshy lands of the Belize interior to the bustling high court of St. Lucia to the silky stretches of white sandy beaches in Grenada to creating a sustainable tourism model for the Bahamas Family of Islands to providing safe drinking water in Haiti, Compete Caribbean has resonated deeply on the Caribbean landscape and beyond.

With 98 projects across the Caribbean, Compete Caribbean's activities have not only touched the lives of people but have significantly impacted the ease of doing business in the Caribbean.

To date, the wide and diverse portfolio of Compete Caribbean's regional interventions has resulted in more than 6000 new jobs. It is projected that by the end of the Program, 53% of all new jobs created will go to women. Additionally, development of 79 business climate reforms and dissemination of 60 knowledge products are also part of the Program's triumphs. Read More
Compete Caribbean to Celebrate in November

Compete Caribbean will celebrate the successful conclusion of phase one of the program while illustrating its outstanding achievements throughout its five year journey in Barbados o n November 21, 2016 .

Several notable Compete Caribbean assisted projects across the Caribbean will share with the regional audience their challenges prior to the program's intervention, and the impact the grants has had on their projects, communities and countries.

This will be followed by a Regional Policy Dialogue (RPD) on November 22, 2016.  The RPD will focus on whether innovation is the answer to the Caribbean's growth crisis and will feature innovation experts addressing such critical topics as: Innovation in the Caribbean, lessons learnt from Compete Caribbean, new findings on the factors affecting innovation in the Caribbean, overcoming fragmentation and promoting clustering in the Caribbean to name a few.
"The success of Pure Grenada I hope will be looked at as a model...it's organic and ever changing..."
Jerry Rappaport, President of the Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association (GHTA), speaking on the accomplished rebranding of Grenada on  the global market.



Dialogue Driving Development

Compete Caribbean has significantly contributed to Public-Private Dialogue in the region through technical assistance to specific countries to strengthen formal PPD mechanisms such as competitiveness or economic development councils. The lessons learned from these PPD projects are worthy of note.
 
These include:  Suriname - The Competitiveness Unit Suriname (CUS) - Launched in June 2012 to serve as the technical centre for the Suriname Competitiveness Council and the Suriname Business Forum. It takes the lead in actively promoting and coordinating business climate reforms in Suriname. The Compete Caribbean project assisted the government in establishing the CUS, identifying priorities for reform, and promoting the value of the Council to both the public and private sectors.
 
Over the life of the project, the CUS hosted two Competitiveness Forums and other workshops with more than 700 participants to disseminate and promote the competitiveness agenda; completed the preparatory work to establish a National Training Authority; developed a National Innovation Program; strengthened the Industrial Property Bureau; supported the National Education Conference; and initiated discussions for an industrial innovation plan. Read More
What's Happening...
       
 
 
AGRIMONITOR  is an Agricultural Policy Online Database, launched by the IDB in 2014 intended to improve farm policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

It is a: 
  • Key source for agricultural policy indicators for LAC countries
  • A research instrument that helps analyze and compare agricultural policies and programs in the region
  • Asset for better decision-making on agricultural policy
  • Strategic tool for publications, presentations, infographics, and documents on agricultural policy
  • So far, 18 countries included (+ 6 in 2016) Learn More
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Foromic 2016 to take place in Montego Bay, Jamaica!
The leading conference in the region on financial inclusion, microfinance, development of MSMEs and entrepreneurship is scheduled to take place on October 24 -26  in Montego Bay, Jamaica. 

In its 19th  edition, the event will gather around 1, 3 00 participants from more than 40 countries to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and identify new business opportunities.  Don't miss out on your chance to be part of a cutting-edge conference! 

Foromic is organized by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. Register Now
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