 The month of November, Appropriately Coined Businessman has once again dawned on the business community. And it brings with it great exuberance and a myriad of opportunities for entrepreneurs at all levels of the business cycle. The Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Corporates and Consumer Affairs has been spearheading this well anticipated month of activities since 2015. This year's theme, actions today impact tomorrow, serves as an appeal for strategic action on the part of the business community to take advantage of the programs, projects and other opportunities available now to positively impact the enterprise's future. Businessman features a number of activities, including one, the hosting of the 15th annual St. Lucia Taiwan Partnership Trade Show, two, community business forums, three, the Government Procurement Symposium, four, the Business Banking Symposium, five, Crime Prevention Workshop, six other capacity building workshops. As you can see, the Ministry holds true to its core mission, which is to help businesses become globally competitive by facilitating continuous dialogue, training as well as financing and market research solutions that create real economic impact. It is on this proposition that the Ministry provides continued support to the business community with the expectation of economic milestones in the future. Therefore, it is no surprise that a feeling of jubilation overwhelms me as we enter this month of entrepreneurial activities. The Ministry believes firmly in the theme, action today impact tomorrow, by providing the necessary resources for requisite action today, so that the impact will be evident in the foreseeable future. The training and capacity building it provides, the micro, small and medium enterprises are not ends in themselves, but means to an end. This is from part of a Heculean effort to mobilize these businesses along the business life cycles. Let me take a line from a distinguished African offer. Idoui, who states that, when you do the things in the present that you can see, you are shaping the future that you are yet to see. You may ask yourself, what is the Ministry currently doing to adhere to this theme of actions today impact tomorrow? The Ministry of Commerce is highly instrumental in ensuring our manufacturers receive adequate support in their business cycles. Currently, the Ministry is preparing to launch the micro, small and medium enterprise loan grant facility, which is a $10 million facility allocated for financial and technical support to approximately 500 small businesses island-wide. This loan grant awards 70% grant and 40% loan to entrepreneurs with a viable business idea, whether to start a new business or to expand the current operations. In addition, the Ministry is collaborating with the Organization of American States, the OAS, in launching a Women Economic Empowerment Initiative to help women in the OECS region embrace the digital economy. This initiative is a 36-month long project funded by the United States to encourage women to be more cognizant of the possibilities and benefits of a digital economy. Currently, we are living in the digital era, thus providing women entrepreneurs with the technical skills now will enable them to compete and expand globally within the digital sphere. Furthermore, the Ministry Small Business Development Center launched the Young Entrepreneurs in Action Program designed to empower students and business owners to receive a mutual exchange of knowledge through a student internship program which took place throughout the month of August. Some 40 students in the fourth and fifth form at secondary schools throughout Centrucia were assigned to specific places of employment where they gained relevant job training in tandem with career aspirations, which proved extremely vital for their development as future entrepreneurs. This event was a resounding success, a win-win situation for both students and employers who in some instances adopted the ideas of these innovative and creative interns. Actions Today, Impact Tomorrow is manifested when micro-business owners, that is entrepreneurs with five or less employees, excel to small enterprise status, having between six and twenty employees and continue to rise from then on. Actions Today, Impact Tomorrow is highly evident when businesses take advantage of any opportunity made available by the Ministry of Commerce for their growth and future development. Therefore, I beckon members of our distinguished business community not to cower in the face of opportunity, but rather be embollied to seize it. When this month's calendar of events reaches you via email, WhatsApp, or other social means, I employ you not to make excuses nor procrastinate, but be ready to participate in these activities. I want to thank all persons viewing or listening. I cordially want to impress upon you that the action taken today, though sometimes miniscule in nature, can have highly salient and long-lasting impact in the future. These actions are needed for us to strengthen and sustain our MSMEs and to a greater extent the economy of our island, St. Lucia. With this, I bid you every success in your business endeavours and may God continue to guide us on this journey.