A new think tank is set to be launched when ten major private sector organizations sign a memorandum of understanding on Thursday.
The “Dominica Business Forum” will create a combined voice on matters of meso and macro business and civil interests, according to Achille Chris Joseph, Media Focal Point of the launch.
According to Joseph, who is also executive director of the Dominica’s Employer’s Federation, the initiative is a voluntary one “but driven and given urgency by the challenges facing the entire business community and the need for a mechanism to engage policy makers at the national, sub-regional and regional levels.”
Joseph believes that the Dominica Business Forum will provide unified representation on challenges confronting the entire private sector and the challenges will be better received with the urgency it demands by policy makers and legislators.
He says the Business Forum will represent the interests of all sectors of the business community and leverage the efforts of the individual associations. “The individual associations will continue pursuing the charters for which they were formed as we are not yet at the stage for a full amalgamation or merger into one organisation. With the Business Forum, the private sector can engage the State, the IMF, the World Bank, the CDB, ECCB, OECS Authority and Commission, CARICOM, CARIFORUM as a single voice and partner to bring relief to the business environment,” Joseph states.
The Dominica Business Forum will be governed by a group of Governors from each member association and will be presided over by rotating Chairmanship, appointed from among the Governors, organizers say.
The launch will take place on Thursday at Anchorage Hotel in Castle Comfort.
Hopefully the first thing they will call for is lower taxes on those who would start new businesses in Dominica!
I noticed that breaking news like this one does not attract comments. If it was about a murder or the usual politics, the hits would have exceeded 100 by now. But I give hats off to the private sector for demonstrating growth in their thinking and finally accepting that in order to take on the world, they needed to combined resources and focus where there is an advantage. I wish the Forum well.
Very good intiative, let us get together in the New Year and build up policies and put options on the table so we move the Country forward. Forward we go! We need a strong Private Sector, that’s where the potential for job creation lays!
Somebody tell me what is Achille dem job really nuh…….Stupes
Not a bad initiative at all. I really hope this leads to a much better and organised private sector.