PRIME MINISTER THE HONOURABLE BALDWIN SPENCER

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

National Youth Forum on the CSME
"CSME and YOU
Preparing for the future"
on
Monday 12th July, 2004
at the
Multi-Purpose Exhibition Centre
St John's, Antigua

Minister of Finance and the Economy,
Dr. the Honourable Errol Cort;

Minister of Education and Culture,
The Honourable Bertrand Joseph;

Officials of the Ministries of Finance and the Economy and Education and Culture;

Special Guests;

Young Leaders of Antigua and Barbuda:


Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than to be in the company of young Antiguans and Barbudans preparing themselves for productive lives.

To be here with young persons taking part in this National Youth Forum on the Caribbean Single Market makes me a very pleased and a very proud Prime Minister.

The theme and title of this forum hold out great promise for our nation's young people.

Your presence here today holds great promise for our country's future.

The extent to which Antiguans and Barbudans will be beneficiaries or casualties of globalisation will depend very largely upon the young people of this nation who are here today.

The young people of this nation will be central in determining whether Antiguans and Barbudans will be beneficiaries of the Caribbean Single Market; or whether we will be casualties.

As you well know, globalisation has not boosted the economies of the poorer nations of the world.

Globalisation has not dramatically improved the lives of the poorer peoples of the world.

We ought not to assume that either the Free Trade Area of the Americas or the Caribbean Single Market will automatically bring dramatic growth to our economies.

Nor should we assume that either the Free Trade Area of the Americas or the Caribbean Single Market will automatically make our lives matters of instant milk and honey.

We cannot escape the reality that the Caribbean Single Market is poised for full implementation.

This forum on the role of young people is therefore most timely.

I commend the CSME Unit of the Ministry of Finance on the focus of this forum.

It is easy to become mired in the Treaty establishing the Single Market and in its rules and regulations.

The organisers of this forum are concerned with the impact and the outcomes of the Single Market on Antigua and Barbuda.

I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to visiting presenters who are here to help us to prepare for the opportunities that the Single Market will offer.

Quite appropriately, the agenda for this forum spotlights education and skills training.

On the subject of skills training, I want to extend a special welcome to the Head of Trinidad and Tobago's National Training Agency, Mr. Fazal Karim.

Education and training are critical to the transformation of our economy and to ensuring that Antiguans and Barbudans are creditors and not debtors in the CSME equation.

I trust Mr. Karim's assistance in preparing our young people for the Caribbean Single Market will not be limited to this forum.

Indeed, we would welcome Mr. Karim's counsel in structuring the National Skills Development Programme which the UPP pledged in Agenda for Change, the party's election manifesto...

In addition to an emphasis on skills development it is vital that the Antiguan and Barbudan people recognise that country competitiveness is the all-important mission.

Country competitiveness must, of necessity, be propelled by individual competitiveness.

The stark reality is that unification in the Single market will be a direct matter of competition.

Everyone in this gathering will increasingly have to deal with the intensified competition that the Caribbean Single Market will bring.

The Single Market will bring competition for jobs.

Insofar as the movement of skills, products and capital is concerned, national borders between CARICOM countries will effectively disappear.

The only way to confront the Single Market is for every individual in this room to become a winner.

The critical factor in making Antigua and Barbuda a certain winner in the Single Market arena is that at the individual level, we must all focus on becoming entrepreneurs and leaders.

We must begin by assessing ourselves and deciding on our most promising options for success in the face of fierce competition.

We must begin by identifying the options by which we can pre-empt or overtake the competition.

We can find inspiration, perhaps guidance, in the successes of persons here in Antigua and Barbuda who are competing with the best in the world.

We can look at two examples.

Susie's Pepper Sauce is world renowned.

Melons produced at Montpelier Farm at Sanderson's are among the finest Honeydews in the world.

You can think of many more examples.

We have home-grown Chefs who would be applauded as maestros in France or in Switzerland, or in other cuisine capitals of the world.

The imperative is that each and every one of you selects the option that will provide the best platform for your unique talents.

In saying this, you ought not to think that you will get anywhere, that we will get anywhere, without teamwork.

Networking is one of the critical catalysts to success in business.

This forum will provide guidelines in choosing career paths.

I urge you to focus on leadership and entrepreneurship as you come to grips with career paths.

I urge you to think of operating your own businesses in preference to equipping yourselves to just being efficient employees.

I urge you to pledge that you will not be followers, and that you have no intention of getting out of the way.

I want you to be leaders, not followers, when the Caribbean Single Market and the Free Trade Area of the Americas engulf us.

One option that you should explore is the unlimited opportunity in our cultural product.
Culture has long been a significant global commodity.

Global trade in entertainment media is estimated to be in the region of US$400 BILLION a year.

Cultural exports are relatively significant contributors to the economies of Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

Antiguans and Barbudans are abundantly blessed with creative talent.

That is why Agenda for Change, which is a working policy document of the Government, pledges wide-ranging Business Development Programme embodying specific strategies for igniting an unprecedented cultural explosion; particularly among our young people.

I give you some examples:

· 35% of ABS television programming will be local in content.

· The removal of Duty and Consumption Tax on professional film and video production and sound recording equipment.

· Removal of Taxes on computers and computer supplies.

· Removal of the Government Tax on Internet access.

· The establishment of cultural institutions and facilities at community level.

· The establishment of Community Centres as hubs of cultural expression.

· The Community Pride Programme, which has been assigned to the Honourable Eleston Adams as one of the projects of Independence Homecoming 2004.

· Tax Credits up to $250,000 for corporate sponsorship of cultural and sporting events.

· A function designed Centre for the Performing Arts.

· The Caribbean Festival Park will provide tremendous opportunities for our creative people.
The incentives to small business development are broad based.

· The Buildup Business Act will mandate 25% of all government contracts and procurement for small suppliers and prompt payment to government's creditors.

· The Youth Business Development Project will promote Micro, Small and Medium sized enterprises to become major sources for jobs and for wealth creation for individual entrepreneurs.

· The Enterprise Development Agency will provide funding, training, technical assistance and marketing opportunities for micro, small and medium business ventures.

· The Export Trading House will provide export marketing for garment manufacturers, agro processors, and producers of craft and souvenir items.

· Young Entrepreneurs Services will spark and fund micro and small business ventures for young persons between 18 and 30 years.

With all of this, Antigua and Barbuda is poised to benefit significantly from World Cup Cricket across the Caribbean Single Market in 2007.

I challenge young Antigua and Barbuda to get ready to be big winners in the Caribbean single Market and economy.

I have faith in you to make our country a major beneficiary and a winner all the way in the Caribbean Single Market; and in the Free Trade Area of the Americas when that becomes a reality.

I wish every one of you success and rewarding lives.

Do that for our country.

Thank you, young Antigua and Barbuda.

May God generously bless you with good lives and long lives.