Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698845279465.pdf (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
MITICCA The official quarterly newsletter of the MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS VOLUME 3 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2021 TRADE AT A GLANCE www.miticca.gov.kn An Official Publication of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis MITICCA The official quarterly newsletter of the MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS VOLUME 3 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2021 Inside this Issue TRADE: I AM CARICOM Campaign EPA UNIT WTO Virtual Trade & Gender Workshop National Trade Facilitation Virtual Workshop Women’s Economic Potential... SBDC: Adaptation of SMEs... Eastern Caribbean Greenpreneurs Project Launch Other Meetings, Webinars, Video Conferences Entrepreneurship Workshop CONSUMER AFFAIRS: Consumer Protection Bill Working For You SKNBS: Bureau of Standards Bill Working For You EU Labelling Requirement Workshop Quotes "I have not failed.
I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

(Sometimes undergoing failure is all about viewing it in a positive light.)

~ Thomas Edison ~ "Competition is not only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to progress."

~ Herbert Hover ~ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

~ Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu / Tao Te Ching ~ "If you think of standardization as the best that you know today, but which is to be improved tomorrow; you get somewhere."
~ Harry Ford ~ "By perfecting this legislative machinery and by participating in the various international agreements we the wholesome to contribute development of world trade."

~ Shigeru Yashida ~ intend to "The Post-COVID recovery must not leave anyone, or any country, behind.

... Keeping global markets open is essential for a strong and sustained recovery.

... Building back a greener, more equitable, more prosperous global economy is a matter of economic self-interest for all countries."
~ Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization ~ www.miticca.gov.kn An Official Publication of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis I AM CARICOM I AM CARICOM Campaign 2021 Campaign 2021 The Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Labour with the CARICOM Community, in solidarity, celebrated the work and dedication, of its members through the “I AM CARICOM” campaign which started on CARICOM Day observed on 5th July and lasted until 3oth July 2021, in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The launch begun with hashtag #IAMCARICOM photo frames, and a live feed on Facebook with Ambassador Dwayne Hendrickson encouraging participation of all citizens in various ways.
the Honourable Wendy Phipps, Senator Minister with responsibility for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, International Trade, Consumer Affairs and Labour endorsed the I Am CARICOM campaign on Thursday 8th July 2021 and stated that, "the I AM CARICOM Campaign is being staged to shed light and to focus on the Goals and objectives of CARICOM; what it means for us as Member states, and what it means for us as citizens.
We should take this opportunity to focus on the goals of integration and development, the rich cultural diversity of our region and to build on what we have already achieved for the betterment of our region.

So I join you in acknowledging that I am Caribbean, you are Caribbean and we are all CARICOM people."
Social media testimonials from varying resident member states, infographics from the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) desk (St. Kitts) and awareness videos from local entertainers or artists were showcased on the Ministry’s FaceBook and other social media platforms.
The Ministry of International Trade in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit, and the CARICOM Youth Ambassador culminated the month’s activities with the Virtual Flag Raising Ceremony attended by dignitaries from the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Senator Vincent F. Byron Jr, Honourable Senator Wendy Phipps, Honourable Eugene Hamilton, His Excellency Sydney Osborne, Ambassador to CARICOM, CARICOM Youth Ambassador and Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Dwayne Hendrickson and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Mr. Lesroy Williams, Directors and other Officials of the Anthony Comrie Department of Culture, Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher #1 Dr. Geofferey Hanley, Cabinet Secretaries’ other government officials and invitees.
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 3 EPA Administrative Assistant, Ms. Colleen Fyfield in a beautiful rendition, begun the proceeding with the St. Kitts and Nevis National Anthem.
In his brief remarks, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Mr. Dwayne Hendrickson reminded the observers to the 48th Anniversary celebration of CARICOM that, “Today we are showcasing our CARICOM spirit as we historically raise the CARICOM Flag as we promote and support a unified Caribbean Community, sharing in economic, social and cultural prosperity… empowerment of our young people... so much to be proud of... hold our heads high, and say confidently I AM CARICOM.” His Excellency Sydney Osborne, Ambassador to CARICOM and the OECS, affirmed, “We are convinced that functional cooperation serves as a solid platform for uniting our people and improving their lives, be it in the field of education, public health, agriculture, economic development, social development, the environment, manufacturing, or the free movement of people, goods, services and capital.
It is therefore incumbent on us to sensitize the general public to the benefit and opportunities that accompany this regional integration enterprise.
It is also our responsibility to discuss the many challenges that confront us as we navigate the path of regional integration.” Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, in his statement, alerted the nation of the rich diversity that the CARICOM body has brought to the Caribbean, its Members and Associated Member States by expounding that, “They (CARICOM) envisaged a community becoming a competitive force in the global arena by pooling resources, coordinating and harmonizing foreign policy so that we could take greater advantage of opportunities that would normally be inaccessible to small island states operating on their own.
Importantly too, they recognized that we needed to stand against the forces of imperialism and colonialism and all efforts to confine us to the periphery of development.
They (CARICOM) sought to establish clear objectives for this integration movement such as, to improve the standards of living and work; this is of course always in progress, to attain full employment of labour and other factors of production, to enhance levels of international competitiveness, to expand trade and economic relations, to organize and increase production and productivity."

Prime Minister Harris stated, “We ought to be reminded that the CSME is the flagship of the integration movement.
It is therefore incumbent on us to sensitize the general public to the benefit and opportunities that accompany this regional integration enterprise.
It is also our responsibility to discuss the many challenges that confront us as we navigate the path of regional integration.” He further reminded us that “This community of ours presents us with the best chance of making our way in a world that is ever changing, and in a global environment that is different to our circumstances and the hindrances faced as small island states."

Please visit www.facebook.com/SKNMITTICCA for viewing the entire 48th Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony.
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 4 TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 5 TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 6 Highlights EPA UNIT ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT Selling Goods on the EU Market Goods can only be sold on the EU market if a manufacturer meets all the EU requirements.

The manufacturer must pass a conformity assessment to demonstrate that the product they are offering or selling complies with all legislative requirements.

What is the Conformity Assessment?


If the applicable is carried out by - The conformity of a product is assessed before it is placed on the market.

the - The assessment manufacturer.

legislation requires it, a conformity assessment body is involved in the conformity assessment process.

- The assessment includes testing, inspection and certification.

- The procedure for each product is specified in the applicable product legislation.
The Manufacturer authorized the representative must draw up a declaration of conformity.

or What does the Declaration of Conformity contains?

The Declaration should contain all information to identify the product: · The Legislation according to which it is issued · The Manufacturer or the authorized representative · The notified body (if applicable) · A reference of harmonized standards or other normative documents where appropriate.
Prepared by: EPA Secretariat TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 7 OECS Services Portal Virtual Workshop for Services Sector Member States The Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs in collaboration with the OECS Commission and the CARICOM Secretariat hosted a one day OECS Services Portal Workshop which commenced on Tuesday, 21st September 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The contingent comprised of prominent participants from the Service Sector, Ministry of Tourism, Education, Legal Health and Wellness Professional Services.

This meeting was geared towards the enhancement of priority service sector areas within the OECS, through the creation of a central repository of laws and regulations for service professionals.

The Priority sectors of focus for this initial launch were Professional Services, Education, ITC Services, Cultural Services and Health and Wellness Services.
Ms. Tira Greene, the Project Consultant and her team presented a comprehensive overview of the elements of the Validation Working session.

In order to obtain valuable inputs, she elucidated on issues and observations to receive any revisions necessary to finalize the End Reports.

Additionally, Member States were requested to submit final feedback and comments to assist with the finalization of the report.
The development, design, and launch of a Harmonized OECS Services Trade Information Portal will provide a practical and sustainable solution to bring together everything on one platform: the dispersed legal and regulatory information relating to Trade in Services.

This is of particular importance at this time given the varied challenges and continuing disruptions to business operations within the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The key deliverables at the close of the project included: - Three-year STIP Sustainability Strategy and Blueprint of the Institutional Mechanism for the OECS STIP -Operational Plan and Implementation plan of action for the OECS STIP - Social Media Integration Plan (to guide the launch and utilization of the OECS STIP) -Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (to govern the implementation of the OECS STIP.)
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 8 Prepared by: Ms. Shameda Pemberton Administrative Support Officer WTO Virtual Trade & Gender Workshop The Trade and Gender Workshop was hosted virtually by the WTO for three half-day sessions on 9th August, 12th August and 13th August 2021 respectively.
This workshop aimed to give participants a greater knowledge of the trade and gender nexus, the ability to implement trade gender concepts and tools in analyzing and developing trade policies and promote understanding of how the WTO approaches the issue of trade and gender.

Three (3) exercises were conducted on case stories, gender concepts and trade and gender policy.

Participants were also expected to present results of these exercises to the facilitator and the other attendees.
A discussion followed each presentation.
The course comprised of technical lectures and interactive sessions Technical Booster sessions Explaining the work of the WTO on Trade and Gender Providing data on the impact of Trade on Women Giving example of how trade rules are not Gender Neutral Explaining WTO trade and Gender Policy tools Information sharing and interactive sessions Conducting a conversation with participants on the country best practices on trade and Gender, or gender or women’s economic empowerment.
Exchange on the WTO trade and gender policy tools Presentation of Trade and Gender Policy projects by Participants.

Exchange on country and region experience.

Justice, Several Representatives from various governmental agencies and departments actively participated in the workshop, namely, the Ministry and of Communications, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sustainable Development the Small and Business Development SBDC.
Legal Prepared by: Ms. Shameda Pemberton Administrative Support Officer TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 9 Virtual National Trade Facilitation Workshop The Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has conducted a National Workshop on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) and implementation matters.
This workshop was held virtually via Zoom on 21st and 22nd September 2021.

The objective of the two-day workshop was to promote capacity building among the pertinent stakeholders while building awareness in efforts to advance the WTO Trade Facilitation Implementation Agenda.

The workshop also sought to increase participants' understanding of their obligations under the TFA while highlighting its relevance to the economic growth and development within the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Mrs. Jasemin Weekes, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, at the opening of the virtual workshop, in a brief remark, stated that the workshop was intended to bring further awareness of St. Kitts and Nevis’ obligations under the WTO TFA, with a view to addressing capacity building issues in the implementation of same.
In addition, it provides opportunities for discussion on strengthening our nation’s competitiveness, increasing exports, and growing the economy.

Mrs. Weekes added that the exercise was timely, as the global Covid-19 pandemic had added challenges to the business of import and export.

Trade Facilitation is a key component of trade policy and involves collaboration with a number of partners.
Representation of the stakeholders present reflected the understanding of the roles that each played in facilitating the implementation of the Agreement.

While the implementation of the Agreement is the primary responsibility of the WTO Members, businesses play a critical role in the consultative process concerning how the agreement is best applied in the national environment.
The completion of negotiations on the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which entered into force on 22 February 2017, following its ratification of two-thirds of the WTO membership, has been therefore seen as a watershed moment.

As for many, it meant the simplification, modernization and harmonization of export and import processes.

In essence, it has the promise of ensuring that global trade, grows faster, is cheaper, and is more predictable.
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 10 Mrs. Weekes further emphasized the benefits derived from the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement by stating that reforms are important.

These reforms will allow us to improve the efficiency of our systems and bring numerous spill-over benefits which include: Boosting our export competitiveness Helping to sustain our economic growth Improving our attraction to foreign investors, to name a few.
It is important to note that the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME’s) would be the beneficiaries of trade facilitation reforms.
The presenters over the two days included experts who provided support to the National Facilitation Committee with respect to sharpening the understandings and skills necessary to effectively implement reforms under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); and discussed implementation challenges; and also provided guidance on sustaining the work of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC).
The presenters included Helen Chang, WTO Trade Facilitation Committee; Michele Lowe, CARICOM Secretariat Office of Trade Negotiations; Peter Terence Leonard, ASYCUDA Regional Project Manager for UNCTAD; Alexandre Larouche-Maltais, UNCTAD Economic Affairs Officer; and Poul Hansen, UNCTAD Chief of Trade Facilitation.
Attendees from the Public Sector included the Customs and Excise Department; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources; St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Health; Ministry of Sustainable Development; Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards; Trade and Consumer Affairs Department – Nevis.
The workshop was also well attended by participants from the Private Sector such as the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SKNCIC); Tropical Shipping; King Ocean Services; S. L. Horsfords & Co. Ltd.; SwiftPac St. Kitts and Nevis; S-Krave Shop & Ship; Hobson Enterprises Ltd.; Global Shipping St. Kitts, FedEx.
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 11 Women’s Economic Potential –and how trade can impact women and women entrepreneurs The Permanent Secretary of International Trade et al, Mrs. Jasemin Weekes, presented on "Women's Economic Potential –and how trade can impact women and women entrepreneurs" to the AVEC Management Team and Staff at their Professional Day held Thursday, 30th September at the Solid Waste Conference Room.
In her presentation, she indicated that there is the popular view, which evidence has also confirmed, that Women’s participation in trade can provide an additional boost to the growth potential of openness and to the sustainability of that growth.

She stated that studies have shown that Economies for women are more with better opportunities competitive.

These economies will benefit more from openness than economies that are less friendly to female involvement in the economy.
Increased female income is likely to be disproportionally spent on the well-being and education of children.

As a result, women’s income has a direct impact on reducing income inequality and on future growth through its impact on education.
During her presentation, Mrs. Weekes stated that it has been found that when it comes to trade, women entrepreneurs tend to grow their businesses faster and employ more people – both men and women – which can contribute to economic growth, innovation, productivity, poverty reduction and development.

However, women own just one in five exporting companies.

Due to their size and sectoral concentration, women-led businesses are more affected by shocks such as COVID-19.
The current situation requires us to ensure that the crisis does not exacerbate existing gender inequalities that affect women’s access to resources and equitable economic opportunities.

She supported the view that the current pandemic situation presents us with the impetus to involve women as part of the solution for economic resilience beyond the pandemic.

She claimed that now more than ever, an inclusive agenda that takes into account gender-specific roles and needs is essential .
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 12 In her concluding remarks, she charged the AVEC Management team and staff to themselves are potential encourage entrepreneurs, to pursue their dreams and not to let the small size of the Federation be a deterrent as to how far they can grow their businesses.

the students whom teach, who they She assured them that opportunities for market access exists not only in the OECS region but in the wider CARICOM through the CSME Regime.
She reminded them that the Federation is party to a number of Trade Agreements that have market access opportunities even at the International Level and as such, women should capitalize on these opportunities to maximize export potential.

“There is no reason why your locally made hats, shoes, necklaces and bags can't be found on the store shelves in Europe.

There is no reason why you can't fly to Trinidad to provide your accounting or consultancy services for a few days and return home.
There is no reason why as nail technicians with your relevant certification, you can’t establish your own subsidiaries/ branches in Antigua and Barbados under the CSME free movement regime."

She acknowledged that very often, access to funding acts as a major hindrance for women to grow their businesses suggesting that there was a bias in favor of men in that regard.

She reiterated that this gender bias ought to be discontinued as trade without women’s active involvement is not sustainable.
When we speak about Women in Trade, we are talking about openness, broadening the your horizons and opportunities, eliminating barriers and appropriate policies that empower you to bring about economic benefits."

implementing The presentation was well received by participants and was demonstrated by a number of follow-up questions, comments and active engagement.

As a show of appreciation, Mrs. Weekes was presented with a beautiful fruit basket.
She gave a commitment on behalf of the Ministry to continue to share and partner with them on initiatives, such as these, which involves knowledge sharing and capacity building.

TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 13 TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 14 Submitted by: Ms. Chedingh Brookes Junior Industry Officer Other Meetings, Webinars, Video Conferences On July 15th 2021, the Eastern Caribbean Entrepreneurship Virtual Consultation gathered information with regards to the six countries and their ecosystem.
This consultation also focused on key aspects such as how green entrepreneurship is perceived and how to move beyond the blockages of green entrepreneurship.

The OECS Competitive Business Unit previously hosted a dialogue consultation on July 16th, 2021 and will be hosting a series of national virtual dialogue consultations with the OECS MSMEs in the Manufacturing Sector and related Business Support Organisation under the topic, "A Dialogue with OECS Manufacturers and their BSOs".
These sessions are being organized to revive the engagement with the sector as they grapple with new strategies, priorities, and measures.

OECS Strategic Alignment Session commenced on August 05th, 2021.

This session aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystems of the six (6) OECS countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
· TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 16 Submitted by: Ms. Chedingh Brookes Junior Industry Officer This green entrepreneur initiative has a 12-week virtual program that has a mentorship and a business pitch aspect with the opportunity to win approximately US$ 10,000.

This was also the launch of the incubator program.


TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 15 Entrepreneurship Workshop In the business support industry, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC St. in-house Entrepreneurship Workshop, with a number of Kitts) held another entrepreneurs on Tuesday, 31st August 2021.
This workshop was hosted by Ms. Julian Francis who presented on the topic “Record Keeping.” The following sub-topics were also addressed: What is record keeping Why record keeping is necessary The types of record keeping systems Record keeping methods The elements of record keeping As part of this workshop, entrepreneurs were provided with scenarios used to complete the exercises.
The participants expressed their gratitude to the department for hosting such an instrumental workshop as they found it to be a very useful exercise and a vital part of the day-to-day operation of their business.

At the end of the workshop, participants were presented with a certificate for their successful completion of the workshop.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SBDCSKB TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 17 Consumer Protection Bill The Consumer Protection Bill is based on the CARICOM Consumer Protection Legislation which was drafted with the intention of having it adopted across all Member States.

It seeks to give effect to the Communities Competition Policy articulated in Part two (2) of Chapter eight (8) of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, specifically Articles 184 and 185.
Article 185 provides that the following policy objectives should be addressed: the fundamental terms of a contract and the implied obligations of parties to a contract for the supply of goods or services; the prohibition of inclusion of unconscionable terms in contracts for the sale and supply of goods or services to consumers; the prohibition of unfair trading practices, particularly such practices relating to misleading or deceptive or fraudulent conduct the prohibition of production and supply of harmful and defective goods the adoption of measures to prevent the supply or sale of such goods including measures requiring the removal of defective goods from the market Other policy objectives under Article 185 read that the provision of services is in compliance with applicable regulations, standards, codes, and licensing requirements; goods supplied to consumers are labelled in accordance with the standards and specifications prescribed by competent authorities; hazardous or other goods whose distribution and consumption are regulated by law are sold or supplied in accordance with applicable regulations, and that goods or materials, the production or use of which is likely to result in potentially harmful environmental effects are labelled and supplied in accordance with applicable standards and regulations.
Additionally, the producers and suppliers are reliable for defects in goods and for violation of product standards and consumer safety standards which cause loss or damage to consumers.

Moreover, violations of consumer safety standards by producers or suppliers are appropriately sanctioned and relevant.

Civil criminal defenses to such violations are available to defendants.
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2021, was read for the first time in the National Assembly on August 05, 2021 by the Honourable Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs, Senator Wendy Phipps.

link below: https://drive.google.com/.../11ljBblTo-Hyit.
It can be viewed via the TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 18 Consumer Affairs Department makes guest appearance on Working For You Trista Wattley-Stennett, Senior Consumer Affairs Officer and Paul Queeley, Director of the Consumer Affairs Department, appeared on the August 25 edition of Working for You.

The discussion was centred around the purposes of the Consumer Affairs Department as well as the Consumer Protection Bill.
Trista Wattley-Stennett stated that the department prides itself on educating consumers on their rights and responsibilities, as it provides the public with the information needed on products and services to make well-informed decisions on what they are purchasing and from whom.

Furthermore, Paul Queeley advised consumers to look for, or when necessary to inquire about associated prices to ensure that they are appropriately armed with the facts when making a purchase.
As mandated by the Consumer Protection Bill, "A supplier shall not display goods for sale or offer to supply any service without displaying a price in relation to the goods or service unless the display is designed or intended predominantly for advertisement or is in a place in the store where it is not accessible to customers.” In other words, suppliers are mandated by law to display or disclose the prices for products or services so that informed consumers can make an decision.
An item cannot be listed for sale without an affixed price.

In these instances where one might find that at the checkout, an astronomical price is given from the system compared to the price on the shelf, consumers are entitled to pay whatever price was affixed to the item or next to the item on the shelf.

The Consumer Protection Bill 2021 has penalties that will apply to such infractions.
In this regard, Mr. Queeley strongly appealed to suppliers to ensure that they follow the law and list prices on every product.

Moreover, the Consumer Protection Act has strengthened Consumer protection in the Federation via the establishment of a Wattley-Stennett Tribunal.

highlighted the Tribunal would address matters or complaints that cannot the Consumer be easily resolved by Affairs Department.
Trista that Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ consumeraffairsskn TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 19 The Bureau of Standards Bill The Bureau of Standards Bill, 2021, which was introduced and had its first reading in the National Assembly on August 5, 2021, is a Bill to provide for the preparation, promotion, and implementation of standards and standard related activities in relation to commodities, goods, services, processes, and practices and to ensure quality through compliance with technical regulations where relevant, by the establishment and operation of a Bureau of Standards to define the powers and functions of the Bureau; to provide for transitional provisions and for incidental matters.
The Bill will provide a layer of protection against certain goods entering the country as well as ensuring the protection of the consumer or users against danger to health or safety, fraud, misrepresentation, and deception arising from misleading advertising or labelling.

Bureau of Standards makes guest appearance on Working For You quality Mr. Jermine Mike and Mr. Stuart Laplace made an appearance on “Working for you” on August 11th, 2021.
The discussion focused on the value of improving the national the labelling of the Bureau, functions of goods, inspection of imported goods, test the inspection of quality, and and prohibition of production, sale, export of deficient goods among other related matters.
infrastructure, Submitted by Ms. Zarina Lawrence, TBT Officer in it comes the organization continues Jermine Mike, Head of Standards, said that to collaborate effectively with public and private stakeholders before the adoption of any standard.

Mr. Mike stated “We collaboration especially believe because we are trying to do good to practices.

So, when standards, we always take a national approach, that means we take entities from Nevis as from St. Kitts and well."
“Every time we are trying to adopt standards we always put out information to get these people as stakeholders, not just the public but the private sector where it will be most impacted by such a standard if any regulation was to come out of this.” Mr. Mike said that it is important to have the private sector on board because its opinions matter.
TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 20 EU Labelling Requirements Workshop On August 23, 2021, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) held a sensitization workshop at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce on the European Union (EU) Labelling Requirements at the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce Conference Room.

The workshop's goal was to teach the European Union's stated and implied regulations, as well as the strategic importance of product labelling, information, and packaging.
Some topics covered included Advantages of Labelling, EU Trends: Quality, Cost and Speed, Sustainable Practices, Pre-packaged Food Labelling: Principles, and EU 14 Allergens List by Law.

The information-sharing session would be beneficial to any business/owner/agro processor seeking information on the requirements to enter the European market.

The Nevis session will be held on Thursday, 2nd September 2021 at the Department of Agriculture Conference Room at 1:30 p.m.
Submitted by Ms. Zarina Lawrence TBT Officer Follow us on Social Media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sknbs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sknbureauofstandards/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sknbureau TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 21 Meetings with the Permanent Secretary of MITICCA – 3rd Quarter The Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Labour’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Jasemin Weekes supports the need for continuous meetings which are necessary today more than ever in an effort to, not only control but keep up with business trends that, guide the progress of every entity which seeks to advance in the professional world.
It is no secret that without responsibilities, the objectives of meetings could not be defined and executed to ensure success of all involved.
Meetings come in many forms and are the backbone that drives the economic world to the success stories that we hear today, locally for example; the National Emergency Operating Center (NOEC), you would agree, manages the innumerable bodies that make pertinent decisions with its ultimate aim of control in a peaceful and beneficial manner that safeguards livelihood and rights; upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty, and the security of the citizens and inhabitants of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The absence of meetings would mean chaos, and chaos hinders progress as is seen in the world today.

The world’s focus today is on Afghanistan and though the talk of peace is going, chaos is on the minds of many trying to come to terms with decisions made internationally.

Meetings bring direction and focus to the task at hand; as shown in the recorded following.

General Meetings COTED Meetings - Clarification of Dates for the 52nd Meeting of the Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED).
- Ministerial COTED Meeting ‘Fifty Second Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economy Development’.

- Fifty Second Regular Meeting of the Council Development.

and Economy for Trade CSME Implementation Meeting St. Kitts Nevis via Zoom.

OECS Meetings - OECS Digital Trade & E-Commerce Capacity Readiness & Associated Building Meeting.

- Invitation to participate in the OECS World Bank Stakeholder Consultation Session.


TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 22 General Meetings continued Internal Meetings CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) Development Assessment Consultancy.

Video conference with Ms. Tamu Browne.

Consultation Session meeting with the Ministry’s Directors and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs.

Meeting with Legal Affairs the Department at the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs via Zoom.

Meeting with EPA Unit Department via Zoom.


Strengthening consumer protection in the provision of healthcare services during COVID-19.

A brief meeting held by the Small Business Development Center St. Kitts (SBDC St. Kitts) and the Department of Culture.

26th Trade Consultation Meeting with the Director of the Department of Trade and Consumer Affairs – Nevis, Mrs. Mentrice Warner-Arthurton along with the Director of the Division of Trade - St. Kitts, Mr. Sean Lawrence via Zoom.
CEDA Meetings - Caribbean Export Development (CEDA) Meeting via Zoom.

- Thirty Sixth Meeting of the Board of Directors of Export the Caribbean Development Agency meeting.

First Meeting of Regional Stakeholders on Migration with the Consultant specialist on Migration.

Special Meeting of Ministers of CARIFORUM.

WTO Training Course on Trade and Gender via Zoom.

the Council of for with Evaluation meetings the Ministry’s Directors in the conference room.
Meeting with the team for World Trade Organization (WTO) Training Course on Trade and Gender workshop coming up in August and also the team Trade Facilitation Workshop in September.

Meeting with Ministry’s Directors regarding staffing issues via Zoom.

Meeting with the Trade Finance Team via Zoom along with Ms. Jenna Evelyn, Budget Analysis.

Conducted interviews along with a panel.

the National Committee Meetings - (NQP) National Trade Facilitation Committee Meeting via Zoom.
National Skills Committee Meeting via Zoom.

Steering Committee Meeting ‘National Quality Policy Technical Committee'.

National Skills Committee Meeting via Zoom.

(St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards) SKNBS–ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) Technical Committee Meeting held by Mr. Jermine Mike.

Meeting Trade Facilitation Road Map Committee via Zoom.

National with TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 23 TRADE AT A GLANCE PAGE 24