CPEC Implements Economic Development Project for the OECS

Contact: Dana Augustin

Tuesday, May 02, 2000 – The Canadian International Development Agency CIDA has approved the commencement of the OECS component of the CPEC project (Caribbean Regional Human Resource Development Programme for Economic Competitiveness), now ongoing in Jamaica and Guyana. 

The CPEC project sets out to strengthen economic sectors in various countries of the Caribbean.  As a result, a number of developmental strategies have been designed for areas such as tourism, the financial services sector and agriculture. This project is expected to maximize the amount of foreign exchange earnings that these sectors accrue and overall, increase the Gross National Product of participating countries.   The main objective is to assist countries to undertake business in a globally competitive and friendly environment.

Economic competitiveness through human resource development has been identified as the backbone for the improvement in the quality of goods and services being exported by the Caribbean countries.

Regional Project Manager, Mr. Melvin Edwards said, “The project is identifying human resource development as the main approach - training, technical assistance, institutional strengthening, technology development, for instance, are some of the areas we are using to enable companies and economic sectors working in conjunction with government and government agencies to improve their operations and to improve their ability to export goods and services.”   

A design phase to broaden the regional component of the project is presently being undertaken and consultations among the various stakeholders will commence from May 08, 2000 until the end of July.  Some of the other participating countries include Barbados, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Belize. 

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Search for 2000 Press Releases ] [Site Help]

© 2001 Government Information Service. All rights reserved.

Read our privacy guidelines.