Chairman of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), John Rocheford, Minister of International Business and Industry, Ronald Toppin and his Permanent Assistant, Nicole Thorpe and Chairman of the Transport Board, Ian Gooding-Edghill viewing the selection of locally made wines while at BMEX on Saturday.
National Industrial Policy being prepared
The local manufacturing sector is not being taken for granted.
In fact, Minister of International Business and Industry, Ronald Toppin assured that government is taking this sector “very, very seriously.”
He further told the media following a recent tour of booths at the Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition (BMEX) that his ministry has a number of plans which include to “hear the concerns of the manufacturers to try to ensure we can overcome the obstacles.” He added a focus for this “current financial year is to prepare a National Industrial Policy.”
“Our plan is to cease having a situation where we just respond to the issues and concerns raised by manufacturers in a knee-jerk sort of unstructured way, to moving to a sound strategy for the sector by way of the introduction of a National Industrial Policy.”
He added, “We know that there are a number of obstacles and challenges facing the sector. We want to hear very clearly from the sector. We have already started in fact, having consultations with the sector to hear their concerns first up and in close range, and to move in a direction where we can say we have overcome those obstacles.”
Toppin stated the overall objective of such a move will be “to ensure we have a very highly competitive, financially strong manufacturing sector. It can move to boost our domestic exports significantly, create large numbers of employees again in the sector, earn foreign exchange, increase import substitution, generate employment [and] of course, put the country’s development on a more sustainably footing through our manufacturing sector’s improved performance and that will lead to the alleviation of poverty.”
Turning his attention to speak about the quality exhibitions seen at BMEX this year, the Minister of International Business and Industry said he was “really quite impressed.”
“There is a lot of innovation. We stopped at number of booths and we were able to see a number of products… It augurs well for us that we are seeing some innovation because innovation really is the way of the future.” (MG)