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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 09, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is forging ahead with the objective of pursuing the digital economy and introducing new, innovative technologies that will help to ensure that the twin island Federation continues to play a leading role in the Caribbean and globally.

The government, through the Ministry of Finance, hosted the 2019 National Consultation on the Economy on Tuesday, October 08 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort with a special focus on “The Digital Economy.”

Consulting firm Deloitte describes the digital economy as the economic activity that results from billions of everyday online connections among people, businesses, devices, data, and processes. Deloitte Barbados was actively involved in Tuesday’s national consultation as its Senior Manager in Consulting, Mr. Roger Hennis, made a presentation to the attendees on the digital strategy for the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. 

While delivering remarks, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris indicated that his administration sees real potential for job and economic growth stemming from the pursuance of the digital economy.

The prime minister said, “The new technology can help us play a leading role in the region and beyond. New employment opportunities will open up in commerce, real estate, banking and other areas of the financial sector, cyber security and merchandising.”

Dr. Harris added that the world continues to change drastically as a result of technological advancements, effectively opening up the global marketplace to us here in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“It would mean that our people here could be contributing to international companies in New York, London or Hong Kong and they don’t have to leave the Federation. As we master the digital potential in all spheres of society, a new spirit of entrepreneurship would be unleashed in our nation, where people could sell their services, their products and their produce to previously unattainable markets,” said Prime Minister Harris.

Tuesday’s National Consultation on the Economy also featured a panel discussion that dissected the perspectives on the St. Kitts and Nevis digital economy. The panelists were the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Mr. Timothy Antoine; CEO of The Cable, Ms. Patricia Walters; General Manager of FLOW, Mr. David Lake; Mr. Alex Straun, CEO of Genesis Innovation Management Inc., and Ms. Ophelia Blanchard, Coordinator at the Department of Technology.