Enhancing the Caribbean’s Foreign Direct Investment Strategy

Bridgetown, Barbados, November 20, 2013.  Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion agencies (CAIPA), will be hosting their 4th Annual CAIPA General Assembly at the Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina, Belize on November 21-22, 2013.
Under the theme ‘Towards an Enhanced FDI Strategy: Strengthening our Foundation and Honouring Regional Excellence’ Investment Promotion Agency (IPA)officials from Member countries that include: Antigua   and   Barbuda,   Bahamas,   Barbados,   Belize, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks & Caicos Islands, will focus attention on the development of  CAIPA’s Strategic and Sustainability Plan (2014-2018). The Plan is being developed with the assistance if Ideas to Business Limited.
Another special feature of this year’s General Assembly will be the inaugural hosting of the Regional Investor of the Year Award for the Caribbean territories who are members of CAIPA. The Award seeks to recognize and promote the contribution of foreign and local investors to the Caribbean economy.
The award is being presented to investors into one or more of the aforementioned territories who have made significant contributions to the creation of new jobs, adherence to high standards of corporate social responsibility, capital spending and largely fiscal support to economies through payment of corporate taxes, inter alia. The Regional Investor of the Year Award will also seek to recognize investors in strategic areas of importance to the region, e.g. green energy, research and development, projects that involve a high degree of innovation and creativity and those that are championed by women.
The recognition and promotion of a Regional Investor of the Year forms a part of the Agency’s work programme supporting CAIPA in the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in to the region.
Regional IPAs who are not members of CAIPA are also invited to the General Assembly, with a view to widening the Association’s reach, scope and ultimate impact.
This activity is implemented as a part of the work programme funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund Regional Private Sector Development Programme that is managed by Caribbean Export.