The site is intended to function as a trade forum in which regional entrepreneurs would have the opportunity to market their products and services without the traditional geographic barriers. It would also serve as a new channel for increasing operations on the part of small and medium companies, as well as an avenue for improving their competitiveness with large production and service corporations.

Dr. Rubén Silié, ACS Secretary General, expressed that the Greater Caribbean Virtual Market could be an important response to the some of the obstacles to intra-regional trade, including lack of information and knowledge on the various markets and their potentialities.

Minister of Trade and Industry and Chairman of the ACS Special Committee on Trade, the Honourable Kenneth Valley, expects that the Virtual Market would “provide the platform for increased trade in the goods and services of the Greater Caribbean” and expressed confidence that it would be a source of employment because of the possibilities it offers for creating business on the internet.

The prototype is expected to be unveiled at the 5th Business Forum of the Greater Caribbean on October 26, this year, in the Dominican Republic.

Photo caption: (from left to right) Secretary General of the ACS, Dr. Rubén Silié, The Honourable Kenneth Valley, Minister of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. Luis Noriega, Director of Trade of the ACS