of the Caribbean's workforce has an advanced education
(World Bank, 2020)
Supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, the backbone of Caribbean economies
22 Aug 2021
Right here in the Caribbean, MSMEs form the backbone of many of our economies generating precious jobs and opportunities for our people. According to the Caribbean Development Bank, MSMEs represent between 70-85% of Caribbean businesses and contribute between 60-70% of Gross Domestic Product. Critically, they account for an estimated 50% of total employment. Importantly, 40% of Caribbean businesses are owned by women. The success of these enterprises reflects the ingenuity, industry, and innovative spirit of our entrepreneurs. Based on the data, to build a resilient Caribbean under normal circumstances where business must be a central partner, we would need to ramp up support to the entrepreneurs in micro, small and medium scale business enterprises.
However, given the fact that we are living in unprecedented times with small and vulnerable Caribbean countries reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, the emphasis must be on fast-tracking recovery and building resilience. To be successful, the private sector has a major part to play. Consequently, given the role of MSMEs in creating opportunity and jobs, it is logical that MSMEs must get priority attention. Policy measures excluding them or providing sub-optimal support will be counterproductive and only ensure a prolonged recovery phase or even worse, job loss and suboptimal growth.
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