The Government of Dominica has expended over $14M to assist budding entrepreneurs in Dominica over the last eight years.
This was highlighted by the Hon Information Minister, Kelver Darroux, who was speaking on behalf of the Hon Minister for Youth, Justina Charles at the Dominica Youth Business Trust’s twelth Graduation and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday November 16.
“The reason why the Government has made such an investment is because we’ve realized that within the public and private sectors there will never be enough room for employment; we have to have within our society an incubator where our young people can be able to go through a period of training and at the end of the day employ themselves.”
The Dominica Youth Business Trust, since its establishment about twelve years ago, continues to formulate programmes and policies aimed at assisting new and existing entrepreneurs between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five.
Coordinator of the DYBT, Kerry-Anne Remie described 2016 as a full and exciting year for the trust.
At Wednesday’s graduation and awards ceremony 16 entrepreneurs were certified in the Tenth Entrepreneurial Development Programme which ran from April 18 to May 13 2016.
Fifty-five were also certified in the Sixteenth Small Business Assistance Facility.
In addition to these certifications, six graduants were awarded the Business Plan Innovation Award. Joel Noel received the top prize of five thousand dollars towards his business while the other five awardees received one thousand dollars each as merit awards for their innovative business ideas.
Linvor Ambo, Proprietor of Choco Dominique and Sherma Gregoire of Heaven Scent were awarded male and female Determined Entrepreneur for 2016.
Thirty-eight were also awarded for completing Quickbooks training funded by the Banana Accompanying Measures programme (BAM).
The acting youth minister encouraged the young entrepreneurs to be responsible with the investment Government and the DYBT continue to make in their enterprises.
“You will well understand that when such investments are made and the monies are not utilized effectively and in a responsible manner, these monies could have been used for something else. So I want to exhort you that the funds that you will be receiving, you will in fact put it to very good use,” he said.
Top: Linvor Ambo - Determined Male Entreprenuer 2016
Bottom: Sherma Gregoire - Determined Female Entrepreneur 2016