| At the time of this project, I
was completing the last semester of my MBA at American University, with
a concentration in Management of Global Information Technology. I
chose St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the subject of my report because
I lived there for one year from September 1998 until July 1999. During
that year, I worked as a Business Advisor for the Chamber of Industry and
Commerce in SVG. My assignment was part of a program called the Free
Market Development Advisors Program sponsored by the Institute of International
Education and the United States Agency for International Development.
The program's mission is to provide technical assistance to emerging markets
as well as introduce American MBA students to aspects of conducting business
in the developing world.
During my assignment, I often came into contact with programs
and seminars dealing with telecommunications issues in the region.
I was fortunate enough to attend the CSIS sponsored seminar on Reform and
Regulation in the Eastern Caribbean. There is much activity in the
region at the moment as the islands try to find their niche in the global
market and are looking to embrace the informatics industry in this capacity
and as well as means of fueling economic development; I agree wholeheartedly.
Many of these nations are losing their competitive edge in certain previously
protected industries, like agriculture and apparel making, and are desperate
for a solution to keep their economies afloat. More importantly,
the information services market provides a wonderful alternative which
utilizes the regions geographic and demographic benefits -geographic proximity
to the US, the same time zone as the US, and high literacy rates.
I would like to thank many of the persons who helped me
with this project by providing informational interviews, email responses
and telephone time. The information readily available on the web
is difficult to find, if at all available. You have helped to make
my research more efficient and productive.
My personal thanks go out to:
Mr. Donald Austin, General Manger; Cable
& Wireless, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Donnie DeFreitas, Project Coordinator for the OECS Telecommunications
Reform Project, St. Lucia
Mr. Apollo Knights; Ministry of Communication and Works,
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Ms. Brenda Bailey, General Manager; NetData Services Inc.,
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Mr. Leroy Rose (Executive Director), Veronica Johnson,
and Sharon Hazelwood; St. Vincent and the
Grenadine's Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Mr. Che Keens Douglas; Eastern
Caribbean Investment Promotion Services, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Claude Leach; Development Corporation of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines
Mr. Andrew Providence, Product Management Executive; Cable
& Wireless, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Philip Cross, Doreen Bogdan and Tim Kelly of the International
Telecommunications Union for providing me and the other members of
the class with an updated version of the World Telecommunications Indicators
Database.
If you ever get the chance, go visit St. Vincent & the Grenadines;
it truly is an amazing place with amazing people.
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