The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Exuma Chamber of Commerce believes the establishment of an Advisory Council for the island will help create “synergy” between major development projects and local businesses, its chief executive telling Tribune Business there was a need to ensure that better dialogue regarding investments.

Pedro Rolle said 15-20 foreign investors on Exuma were scheduled to attend the first ever meeting of the advisory council at the Grand Isle Resort & Spa, Emerald Bay, next Monday.

“We at the Chamber decided to bring all the investors on Exuma together for the purpose of ensuring that there is better dialogue in terms of the investments on the island, and to also subsequently share that information with local business,” Mr Rolle said.

“What has happened is that often times there is investment going on, and people don’t know about it. We want to bring the investors together so that they can outline what their projects are and what their challenges and needs are.”

Mr Rolle said that while the Advisory Council’s initial meetings were between the Chamber’s directors and investors, the plan was to subsequently reach out to local business on Exuma.

“This is going to be the first meeting. This meeting essentially is going to be with investors and the Board of Directors of the Chamber,” he added.

“Once we meet and have that discussion we will determine in terms of structure what happens going forward. We are going in almost with a blank sheet here, and based on their actions and desire, that will determine what we do going forward.”

Mr Rolle added: “We want to let them know what exists, the foreign investors, and then we will determine how we can bring local businesses in, how we can work to get them together. We want to make sure that we have reasonable dialogue.”

Mr Rolle said the fact that local businesses were often left unaware of developments taking place on the island was the “genesis” for the council’s establishment.

“That has been a big part of the problem. That is the genesis of this. We are approaching the foreign investors, but this comes from the ground up where the local business persons have complained about the lack of information or synergy to make sure that the local businesses can benefit from the investments coming in,” said Mr Rolle.