Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (August 14th 2014) - With the overall aim of improving the potential for growth, innovation and competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), will host a Regional Workshop on Public Policies to support SMEs at the ACS Secretariat, Port of Spain, from 18th – 19th August, 2014.

Opening remarks will be delivered by the Minister of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago, The Honourable Errol Mc Leod; Secretary General of the ACS, Alfonso Múnera and the Programme Coordinator for SELA, Mr. Antonio Leone.

This approach to public policies seeks to promote the development of an environment favouring inter-entrepreneurial cooperation which encourages innovation processes. As a result, the technical capabilities of enterprises will be strengthened and its management capacity improved.

The Workshop is aimed at Government officials involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies to support SMEs. The training will facilitate discourse on the various successful methodologies applied by countries regionally and internationally, for the design, implementation and evaluation of the results achieved.

Participants include officials from The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).