May 2014 bring prosperity
There should be more to the South Coast than sardines, beaches and potholes.
THE South Coast Development Agency which has been in limbo for a number of years was recently relaunched.
The provincial government decided that each of the 11 districts should have its own development agency. Hibiscus Coast had previously operated its own economic driver but the agency will now service all six municipalities.
Its aim is to promote investment and implement economic development initiatives within the district.
This sounds good, but we must guard against it becoming just another municipal entity creating a few jobs for a few friends.
We need skilled personnel who can aggressively market and promote the region.
When asked about the South Coast, the rest of the country mostly regards the region as a nice holiday destination.
We need the area to become a sought after business destination too.
The district needs to make itself attractive to investors by offering incentives instead of putting up hurdles and chasing them to the North Coast.
There should be more to the South Coast than sardines, beaches and potholes.
Here’s looking forward to a prosperous 2014.
