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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 23, 2018 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, is being praised for his strong support and commitment to the development of small and medium sized businesses in the Federation and for his promotion of entrepreneurship.

 

While in London for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from April 16-20, Prime Minister Harris attended the Pitch@Palace Commonwealth forum at St. James’s where local entrepreneur, Mr. Deon Herbert of CaribePay Solutions Limited, made a 30 second business pitch to a diverse group of Commonwealth heads and international business leaders.

 

In speaking with the Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister following his successful visit to the UK, Mr. Herbert described his participation in the Pitch@Palace Commonwealth forum as an “incredible experience” and thanked the Prime Minister for not only supporting him at the event but also for his kind words of encouragement.

 

“For us, it was a great honour to have the Prime Minister attend Pitch@Palace to support us. It shows his commitment to local entrepreneurship and to the use of new technologies to address issues affecting our society,” Mr. Herbert said.

 

The local businessman also revealed that Prime Minister Harris offered to help connect CaribePay to key players in the banking industry, noting that, “These connections will go a long way in helping CaribePay establish itself throughout the region. He also introduced us to high level executives who will help us grow our business. So again all of us at CaribePay wish to thank the prime minister for his support and for taking the time to learn about CaribePay.”

 

With offices in Basseterre, St. Kitts, and St. John’s parish, Nevis, CaribePay offers fast, secure, and cashless payments services that can be used anywhere, anytime, without electrical power or Internet access.

 

Mr. Herbert further noted that the Pitch@Palace Commonwealth event far exceeded their expectations. He added, “We were mentored by an industry veteran who provided invaluable insights into the fintech (financial technology) world and we made many other connections with investors and other entrepreneurs from around the world.”

 

Since assuming office in 2015, the Team Unity-led Government has placed great emphasis on the development of the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This was accomplished in large part thanks to the Fresh Start Loan Programme provided through the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

Over 600 applicants have benefited from more than $50 million in concessionary funding, as well as the technical assistance provided under the Fresh Start programme to either start or expand their operations.