Former Prime Minister and Vieux Fort South MP Dr Kenny Anthony has urged local business owners to look beyond the domestic markets and focus on getting into international markets, which he said is critical for Saint Lucia’s economic survival.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day Saint Lucia Business Expo and Independence Village, held last Friday and Saturday at the Independence Square in Vieux Fort, Anthony said many local businesses mistakenly believe they can thrive solely by dominating the domestic market.
“It is good that the public body that looks after products is named Export Saint Lucia. But there is a big issue that people are yet to understand—how critical and crucial it is for a country to export to survive,” he said.
“A lot of individuals [and] manufacturing businesses believe, somehow, that they can survive purely if they conquer the internal market. They do not even realise that if they themselves are not exporting, that what they are doing is in fact benefitting from the persons who have brought in income from exporting their own goods and services overseas.”
The former prime minister called for a national shift, saying that he would love to see the day when “those three words become the mantra of our business—export, export, export.”
He highlighted that export earnings, particularly in foreign exchange, are essential for the nation’s economic survival.
“An economy is circular—the income comes in, it is earned by those business places that export, and then of course it becomes available to the public at large by the wages that they pay and, of course, the expenditure that they incur,” Anthony explained.
He urged Export Saint Lucia to help foster this awareness, making it clear that exports are crucial not only for individual businesses but also for the country’s overall survival.
The Vieux Fort South MP expressed his satisfaction that the expo was held in his constituency, which other speakers at the event noted was a hub of economic activity in Saint Lucia.
He was also pleased that last week’s National Ecumenical Service was held in Vieux Fort. Both events formed part of the activities marking Saint Lucia’s 46th Independence anniversary.
“The last few years we have been at the margins of activities for reasons that are familiar to everyone. They require no repetition, but it is enough to say that we are happy to be back in the fold and that we hope that this is not just an act of tokenism, but more things will come our way in the weeks and in the months ahead,” Anthony said.
The two-day expo featured diverse exhibitors, including small, medium, and large businesses from around the island.
Can someone tell me how easy it is for locals to export their products overseas and what the government has put in place to make it easier?
Hey look who it is, have not heard from this guy in awhile, must be busy lecturing as per usual. Good advice for southern businesses that are barely surviving, thanks dr ant
It seems that exporting goods is as easy as ABC. Who knew? When will St. Lucia stop importing goods that can be produced here in quantities which are enough to supply the whole population?