The Grenada Coalition of Service Industries (GCSI) announced plans for its first-ever national services expo, under the theme “Services – the Lifeblood of our Economy.”
The GSCI is an umbrella organisation operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade. Its mandate is to identify, organise and develop local producers of potentially exportable services, and guiding them to a state of “export-readiness” so they can contribute more significantly to employment creation, foreign exchange generation and national economic development.
On Wednesday, GCSI Chairman Jude Bernard highlighted that service-related activities account for over 80% of Grenada’s GDP, and that while Grenada has been recording massive deficits in its trade in goods, it enjoys a significant surplus in its trade in services (estimated at over $150,000,000 per year).
He emphasised the urgent need for Grenada to explore all opportunities for increasing its production and export of services, which can have a significant positive impact on employment creation and export earnings; reduction of the country’s trade deficit, creating employment and self-employment opportunities, and play a pivotal role in the future economic development of Grenada.
The 3–day Expo, which runs from 20 to 22 June at the Grenada Trade Centre, Morne Rouge, will see participation from all areas of Grenada’s broad services sector including:
- Construction, Architecture & Engineering
- Recreational, Cultural & Entertainment
- Tourism & Hospitality
- Education
- Fashion, Fashion Designs and Apparel
- Health & Wellness
- ICT & Related Services
- Marketing, Public Relations and Communications
- Professional Services
- Telecommunications
- Agri-Business
The main objectives of the expo are:
- To highlight the importance of services to Grenada’s economy
- To create awareness of the wide range of services currently produced locally
- To create awareness of the potential that services offer for employment, self-employment, import substitution, export generation and economic development
- To heighten interest within the population, especially the young, in becoming involved in services as a business and career
- To highlight to policy-makers and financial institutions the need to give greater support to services-related fields and endeavours
GCSI