THE Saint Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) has launched its Export Handbook, the definitive guide for Saint Lucian businesses looking to export their goods to a wider market, and has also launched its redesigned website.
TEPA unveiled tools before a gathering of manufacturers and service suppliers as well as sister agencies on Wednesday at the Coco Palm Conference Centre, bringing the curtains down on Business Month.
TEPA is charged with the responsibility for coordinating and spearheading all activities related to export promotion, including assisting exporters with the export process. The creation of the Export handbook speaks to the functions of the organisation by assisting local businesses with overcoming the hurdles involved in the export process. The handbook provides an easy to understand step by step guide of the procedures involved in exporting a product and services from Saint Lucia, and is a convenient tool as it provides research that would have had to be conducted by business owners all in one place.
Small and Micro Enterprises were named as a priority group of focus for the Ministry by Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer. In her remarks, Hippolyte spoke of the opportunity of technology for doing business and the importance of positioning and equipping all categories of business and enterprise to grow and expand.
“The Export Handbook was an initiative that grew from a need that we saw to alleviate the cumbersome process of meeting the requirements especially for SMEs. In our quest to increase the aggregate volume and value of exports, we continue to find ways to make export- related processes less burdensome”, the Minister said.
The website, www.tepa.org.lc is a multi-device accessible tool designed to assist users with market research and also to inform the visitor on news in local regional and international trade. It is a major resource for trade and export information gathering and sharing. This website features a series of information products designed to answer a myriad of questions that users may have. It is also a portal which will give users access to TEPA’s staff, export statistics, trade agreements onto which Saint Lucia has signed. It is intended to be a one stop shop for information on Saint Lucia Exports and international trade.
In his remarks, TEPA’s Chairman Ronald Ramjattan described the creation of the tools as “TEPA’s mandate in action. “As the leading agency charged with the responsibility to promote and expand business in export markets around the world, it is imperative to create avenues for the provision of information and support to local businesses and buyers”, he concluded.