Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Governor Timothy Antoine has declared that the region needs more entrepreneurs and has urged more youth involvement in job creation.
In an address amid the observance of Financial Information Month (FIM) in October, Antoine explained that the benefits of entrepreneurship go well beyond businesses and their owners.
He observed that entrepreneurship is often the foundation for inter-generational wealth and a driver of innovation and job creation.
“Our region needs more entrepreneurs. We want to see more of our youth pursue and fulfill their dreams to own businesses and create their own jobs,” the ECCB Governor stated.
But he noted that one of the biggest impediments to their aspirations is a lack of access to credit and finance.
In this regard, he pointed to the launch in October 2020 of the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee.
And Antoine disclosed that under this programme, qualifying loans of up to $750,000 issued by participating financial institutions receive a 75 percent guarantee, making credit more accessible to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
I encourage you to ask your financial institutions about this programme,” the ECCB Governor said.
The ECCB and its partners launched Financial Information Month 2022 throughout the eight ECCB member countries on October 1.
The overarching theme for the month is Financial Empowerment Through Education.
