Bridgetown.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves yesterday warned that crime and difficulties surrounding regional air transportation are major stumbling blocks towards making greater progress in regional trade.
Addressing the two-day colloquium hosted by the Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) Gonsalves said high crime levels in several countries were not only a deterrent for tourists but also a disincentive for potential investors.
Gonsalves said that the high rate of crime particularly in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica continues to hinder investment opportunities as they escalate the security costs of doing business.
“If you can’t work a late shift, if the business has to have extra security, if skilled people don’t want to come to work because they feel they can go somewhere else where they are safe, we are in trouble. A citizen’s security is vital – women and men have to go home after late shifts. I know it affects people at an individual level", Gonsalves said.
According to Gonsalves, another obstacle to regional trade is that the serious limitations posed by almost non-existent transportation facilities.
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