Barbados expands business reach to Colombia
BARBADOS is targeting the South American country of Colombia for more international business.
A delegation from the island will be spending the next week or so in that country as this island looks to broaden the more than $900 million in domestic contributions by the international Business and Financial Services Sector.
Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss spoke of the new thrust noting Barbados is expanding its reach far and wide, even going as far as Africa and Panama to secure business.
He stated that this week Barbados will be engaging its counterparts in Colombia around matters regarding double taxation agreements, air services matters, and other initiatives.
According to him, “these latter initiatives will lead to Barbados getting an increase in business on the international business and financial services side out of Colombia whilst at the same time facilitating investments from further afield through Barbados and into Colombia.”
He said that Colombia remains a very attractive place for Barbados’ international business sector to be doing business with.
“We intend to engage them over the next couple of days,” Inniss said.
“Also what is happening in Africa continues to attract us. And working hard with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we are upping our work on the African continent through our diplomatic relations, but also attracting inward investment and also facilitating investment to Barbados into key African countries mainly Rwanda, Kenya, Burkino Faso, and South Africa.”
The Minister pointed out that the international business sector continues to be very buoyant.
Inniss noted that the Government will be engaging its counterparts in Latin America so as to get the best out those relations.
Inniss also said that he has held fruitful meetings with his counterpart in Panama as well as with the President of that Central American state. Panama was represented at the just concluded CARICOM Heads of government Summit in Barbados.
“I can tell you that the Government of Panama is very excited about strengthening relations with Barbados and we too are just as excited about it,” the Minister said.
According to him, “we have to build on the foundation laid with the number of Barbadians who travelled to Panama to build the Panama Canal and whose descendants remained there and have made a contribution to Panama.”
Inniss said that they have identified a number of areas for cooperation. One of them is education where they are hoping to have teachers of English in Panama trained at the University of the West Indies.
He added that Colombia will also be included in that programme. (JB)
