标签： Grenada

For decades, public perception of security has been rooted in static imagery: a uniformed guard posted at a building entrance, or a single CCTV camera mounted to watch a parking lot. While these core components still hold value, today’s complex risk landscape demands that businesses rethink security entirely, moving far beyond one-off products or reactive guard posts to build an integrated system woven into their core business strategy.

On July 6, 2026, against the backdrop of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Head of Government of the Caribbean Community, the second High-Level Breakfast Dialogue brought together a diverse cross-section of regional stakeholders at Sandals Grande in St. Lucia. Hosted jointly by the OECS Business Council (OBC) and the Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), the gathering centered on the urgent theme of ‘Meeting the Affordability Challenge: Toward a Proactive Agenda for Member States and the Private Sector’, drawing more than 120 senior participants ranging from 13 Caricom Heads of Government and private sector leaders to representatives of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), major development finance institutions including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Caricom Development Fund (CDF), and other key regional bodies.

Against a backdrop of soaring cost-of-living pressures that have strained households across every Caricom member state, participants delved into targeted, actionable strategies to boost economic affordability. Discussion topics centered on removing systemic barriers to intra-regional trade, cutting bloated transportation and logistics costs, expanding import diversification, unlocking regional investment capital, strengthening interconnectedness between tourism and local sectors, and addressing the lopsided harm that the International Maritime Organisation’s Net-Zero Framework (NZF) threatens to inflict on Caricom’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS). By the close of discussions, a robust consensus emerged: regional governments, the private sector, and organized labor must transition beyond rhetorical policy dialogue to coordinated, tangible implementation, anchored by clear mandates, firm timelines, and measurable outcomes.

The most urgent priority to emerge from morning deliberations was addressing the region’s crippling transport capacity gap, a longstanding barrier to fulfilling the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) commitment to free movement of people and goods. Attendees agreed to a September 2026 deadline for finalizing a regulatory framework that enables mutual recognition of insurance, operator licenses, and road taxes — a critical precondition for launching a private-sector operated regional ferry service. To accelerate progress, Heads of Government approved an early pilot ferry initiative that will leverage a vessel the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has volunteered to deploy for the launch. The dialogue also marked a positive milestone with delegates expressing approval for the recent launch of Executive Air Cargo’s service, which now transports agri-food products between member states.

Turning to barriers within the region’s direct control, delegates adopted a new ‘pairwise’ engagement model to resolve 57 non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that the private sector has identified as major drags on intra-regional trade. Under the model, a Lead Head of Government will oversee direct negotiations between the member state that implemented a given NTB and the member states negatively impacted by it, with active participation from the private sector and relevant regulatory and ministerial bodies. Both implementing and affected states will be bound to time-bound corrective action plans.

A technical presentation at the dialogue laid out the enormous economic benefits of import diversification and risk reduction for the region, highlighting that diversifying just one segment of non-fuel imports could deliver an estimated $2 billion USD in annual savings. Even greater savings are projected as the region transitions to renewable energy and cuts reliance on costly imported fuel. Delegates called on the CPSO to prioritize additional analysis on the intersection of fuel imports and the renewable energy transition as an immediate next step.

In discussions focused on short-term relief for strained households, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley issued a clear call for a formal tripartite compact bringing together governments, the private sector, and organized labor to address prices for a core basket of essential goods. She also urged the private sector to accept reduced profit margins on essential products to ease cost-of-living burdens for Caricom citizens. Attendees agreed to hold further inclusive discussions to develop concrete proposals for this compact.

Shifting focus from cost relief to capital mobilization, the dialogue endorsed the urgent need to connect surplus liquidity held by regional financial institutions to high-priority strategic investment opportunities across the region. Key target sectors include desalination, battery storage, solar, wind, and geothermal power generation, and port infrastructure upgrades. Recognizing that most Caricom citizens are unaware of these investment opportunities, delegates agreed that publishing all opportunities on a shared regional platform is a critical first step to unlock capital. Agricultural investment opportunities were singled out for prioritized listing, and delegates requested that a full compendium of Caricom-wide agricultural investment opportunities be presented at the next High-Level Breakfast Forum.

Aligning with the goal of building robust regional value chains, delegates reaffirmed their commitment to completing the Tourism Linkages Project, first mandated at the 48th Regular Meeting of Caricom Heads of Government. The project aims to deepen ties between the region’s dominant tourism sector and local agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries, keeping more tourism revenue within regional economies.

Closing out the substantive policy agenda, the regional private sector reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to climate action, decarbonization, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction as core pillars of sustainable development for Caricom SIDS. At the same time, delegates broadly supported a cautious, measured approach to implementing the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, which imposes penalties on shipping lines that do not transition their fleets to net-zero carbon fuels. Participants emphasized that the framework would have disproportionate negative impacts on SIDS, consumer prices, and the regional tourism industry, particularly the cruise sector. They also approved expanding the CPSO’s ongoing import diversification work to quantify potential import savings and broader economic benefits linked to the renewable energy transition, with an update scheduled for the next Meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP).

To ensure commitments made at the dialogue translate into action, participants agreed to establish dedicated working groups with predefined timelines and measurable deliverables. This structure will enable consistent monitoring and accountability for all outcomes agreed at the meeting. The CPSO will collaborate closely with the CSME Prime Ministerial Sub Committee to advance this implementation framework.

The dialogue closed with a shared, collective resolve that the region’s affordability challenge can only be solved through practical, time-bound, results-focused action, and that the longstanding partnership between governments, the private sector, and organized labor remains central to delivering tangible, improved outcomes for all Caricom citizens. In closing remarks, CPSO Chairman Gervase Warner thanked Heads of Government and private sector representatives for their open, honest engagement and collaborative contributions, noting that the gathering has laid solid groundwork for continued cross-sector collaboration. Warner committed the CPSO to leading follow-through on the full work programme agreed during the dialogue.

Over 30 owners and founders of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) gathered at Grenada’s Point Salines Hotel for a hands-on professional development workshop focused on robust product costing and strategic profit-driven pricing, organized jointly by the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCIC) and local enterprise support partner Ethniv.

Led by Gilbert Williams, a subject matter expert from Ethniv, the interactive session was crafted to address a critical gap for small Grenadian businesses: building practical capacity to calculate production costs accurately and design pricing frameworks that deliver consistent profit. Unlike generic business workshops, the training centered on actionable tools and techniques that small operators can implement immediately to strengthen their bottom lines and build long-term, resilient enterprises.

This specialized training is a core component of GCIC’s broader MSME Development Programme, a multi-faceted initiative designed to boost the global competitiveness of local Grenadian businesses. The programme delivers support across five key pillars: targeted skills training, digital transformation enablement, expanded market access, professional networking opportunities, and strategic cross-sector partnerships. As part of this ongoing collaboration with Ethniv, the two organizations have developed a dedicated e-commerce marketplace that will give participating MSMEs a digital platform to showcase and sell their goods to international and domestic audiences far beyond their local customer base. The platform is scheduled for launch in the coming weeks.

Participants in the workshop came from a wide cross-section of Grenada’s small business ecosystem, including food agro-processors, independent artisans, handmade craft creators, natural skincare product manufacturers, and a range of other small service and goods providers. Over the course of the session, attendees dived deep into foundational and advanced concepts, including alternative costing methodologies, value-based pricing models, healthy profit margin targeting, and actionable tactics to build brand visibility in Grenada’s increasingly crowded and competitive retail and online marketplace.

In remarks opening the workshop, GCIC leadership reaffirmed the organization’s long-standing commitment to lifting up the domestic MSME sector through targeted, relevant skills training and holistic business development support. MSMEs form the backbone of Grenada’s private sector, and sustained support for their growth translates directly to broader economic resilience and job creation across the island.

Feedback from participating entrepreneurs was uniformly positive, with the vast majority describing the training as timely, practically focused, and directly applicable to the day-to-day operations of their small businesses. One attendee shared in a post-workshop comment: “I extend sincere thanks to the GCIC for affording me the opportunity to be part of this timely activity. It was great. I had a great opportunity to learn new techniques that will surely enhance my small business.”

Beyond classroom learning, participants also gained access to an added value perk: complimentary professional product photography services from Reynaldo Bernard, lead photographer at Grenada’s Unique Photography. The sessions allowed dozens of entrepreneurs to capture high-resolution, professional-grade images of their core products, ready to use for digital marketing, social media promotion, and the upcoming e-commerce platform launch. This extra support further boosted the overall impact and value of the programme for small business owners operating on limited marketing budgets.

GCIC closed the event by extending formal gratitude to all collaborating partners: Ethniv for their expertise and program development support, Point Salines Hotel for donating venue space to host the workshop, and Reynaldo Bernard for his pro bono contribution of photography services. This cross-organizational collaboration created a rich, impactful learning experience that is projected to deliver tangible long-term benefits to the participating businesses and the broader MSME community.

Organizers also used the event as an opportunity to invite non-member participating entrepreneurs to join GCIC, outlining the wide range of membership benefits, including policy advocacy on behalf of private sector interests, exclusive networking events with industry leaders and potential partners, tailored business support services, discounted access to future training programmes, and early access to market intelligence and partnership opportunities.

As one of the longest-standing private sector representative bodies in Grenada, GCIC continues to center MSME support as a core organizational priority, with a sustained mission to nurture a culture of entrepreneurship, strengthen collaboration across the domestic business community, and drive sustainable, inclusive growth and competitiveness for small businesses across every region of the island.

As the short-term vacation rental market continues to grow across the Caribbean, Grenada-based Zirachi Group has opened a new full-time position for an experienced Operations Manager to lead the daily oversight and strategic management of its expanding portfolio of Airbnb and other short-term rental properties.

The successful candidate will take ownership of every core operational function across the property network. Primary duties include end-to-end management of day-to-day property activities, seamless coordination of guest arrival and departure processes, and maintaining consistent, clear communication with guests throughout their stay. The role also requires supervising all housekeeping workflows, scheduling proactive and reactive property maintenance, and conducting routine property inspections to uphold brand standards. A key performance target for the position will be maintaining the highest possible benchmarks for cleanliness, property presentation, and overall guest satisfaction to drive positive reviews and repeat bookings.

Additional responsibilities include managing all listings across major booking platforms, implementing data-driven strategies to optimize occupancy rates and maximize revenue, addressing guest inquiries in a timely fashion, resolving any on-site or pre-arrival issues, and mediating feedback from customer reviews. The Operations Manager will also be tasked with liaising closely with third-party vendors, contractors, and local service providers to ensure all outsourced work is completed on time and to specification, as well as compiling regular operational reports and tracking key performance metrics to assess individual property and overall portfolio performance.

To be considered for the role, candidates must demonstrate prior hands-on experience in one of the following sectors: hospitality management, residential or vacation property management, or the short-term rental industry. Required soft skills include strong leadership capabilities to coordinate cross-functional work, exceptional organizational skills to manage multiple properties simultaneously, and top-tier communication and customer service abilities to engage with both guests and external partners. While not mandatory, prior experience working directly with Airbnb and other major short-term booking platforms is considered a significant advantage. Candidates must also be comfortable working independently, managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, and have working proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard basic reporting tools.

Ziraachi Group highlights several key benefits for the successful applicant, including clear pathways for professional career growth within a dynamic organization that is actively expanding its footprint in Grenada’s tourism and short-term rental sector, as well as a supportive, collaborative, and professional work culture. The position is based on-location in Grenada, and all candidates must be able to work locally in the country.

Applicants interested in joining the team and helping the company deliver standout, memorable guest experiences to visitors to Grenada are invited to submit a updated professional resume and a tailored cover letter to the company’s dedicated recruitment email at [email protected].

This recruitment posting is provided by contributor Zirachi Group, per the statement of local publication NOW Grenada, which does not take responsibility for the content, opinions, or statements included in contributor-provided content. Users can report abusive content through the publication’s official reporting channel.