 Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I would like to join you in welcoming our carnival queen and various monarchs who are with us today but I also want to give a very special moment to big up our Sufra King. Six times Sufra King. I also want to take this moment to express condolences to the family to the Duvet family and the passing of the late Ira Duvet and express condolences to Mr. Cassia Elias on the passing of his wife and also to say and my words of welcome to the law students of the University of Birmingham. Mr. Speaker this morning I'm going to make a statement concerning the micro loan grant facility Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I wish to thank you and your Honorable Prime Minister and my fellow cabinet colleagues for the opportunity to present to the people of Centrusha and in particular the business community and its patrons on the MSME loan grant facility which is beheaded by my ministry the ministry of commerce manufacturing business development cooperatives and consumer affairs. Mr. Speaker the MSME loan facility which was launched on March 16th this year has resulted in a buzz of activities at the Ministry of Commerce. Entrepreneurs have demonstrated significant interest in the program since the inaugural MSME loan grant check award ceremony on April 24th 2023 where we distributed check payments to the first six beneficiaries under the program. This Mr. Speaker was a spark that ignited the flame. Mr. Speaker through you may I speak for a moment to the business community. Businessmen and women of Centrusha this government understands the hardship from COVID-19. We were aware of difficulties that you faced in accessing finance from our local financial institutions. The lending agencies criteria for borrowing are on us and it is difficult for our early-stage businesses our startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to access funds to our women-owned entrepreneurs who are determined to find new avenues to provide for their family. This government understands your plea and had you in mind when we crafted this facility. We kept our promise of putting you first. Mr. Speaker I am encouraged by the response of our entrepreneurs to this facility. Male and female entrepreneurs young and not so young prevent us and establish business owners. All have come forward to take advantage of the benefits to be derived under the facility. Mr. Speaker during the first cohort which opened on March 20th and ended on May 31st the ministry estimated that 180 applications would be received which is equivalent to about 40 percent of the total target of 450 applications. However at the closing date of May 31st this year 501 applications were received. In particular Mr. Speaker on the last day on May 31st the ministry received 236 applications in one day. Mr. Speaker with respect to the age of the applicants who have applied to this facility 206 applicants are within the age range of 31 years to 40 years. 187 applicants within the age range of 41 to 50 years and 108 applicants were within the age range of 51 years to 60 years. Additionally the ministry received applications from 247 males and 254 females. Yes Mr. Speaker just over half of the applicants are female. This is encouraging in light of the project's output and that is increasing participation and equitable access to project benefits for male and female owned MSMEs and enhanced gender responsive uptakes of such a facility. Mr. Speaker the majority of the enterprises which submitted applications 71% to be exact were established enterprises. They were more than two years in operation followed by startups which was less than two years in operation we had 18% of the applicants and for preventors which are operations that have not commenced we had 11% of the applicants. It is worth noting that 355 established enterprises have applied for assistance under the facility which is above the target of 120 that we established at the beginning. Mr. Speaker I want to remind our preventors in particular that this is an opportunity to convert ideas into businesses. Mr. Speaker our business community forums have borne fruit to date the Ministry of Commerce has held eight business forums in various constituencies across the country and I am pleased to report that the entrepreneurs have acted and under the first call we have received applications from all 17 constituencies. Mr. Speaker the entrepreneurs from Grozile are leading and have submitted 96 applications. This is followed by Sufra with 59 applications Mr. Speaker. We have Kastri's North with 38, Babono with 33, Kastri's South East with 33, Kastri's South with 32, Vufort North with 25, January North with 18 and Slarek countries with 27, Vufort South with 16, Labri 16, Schwozelle with 26. So I am pleased I am pleased Mr. Speaker that our entrepreneurs have responded from all parts of the country. Mr. Speaker I wish to remind our entrepreneurs that the priority areas identified under this facility are manufacturing, agriculture, agro processing, agrotourism and professional services. These areas were identified as priority sectors for support in recognition of the potential contribution to economic and social development. It is important to highlight that out of the 501 applications received, 370 were from businesses within these priority areas. Notably Mr. Speaker the Ministry for Agriculture and my colleague from Denry South would be happy to know that we have received applications from 56 farmers and 41 agro processors. This account for 19% of the applications received. And some of the sectors there, agriculture, 56, agro processing 41, beauty and wellness 52, creative industries 49, manufacturing 71, professional services 80, restaurants 26 and we have a mix of 105 which is miscellaneous. Mr. Speaker the level of unemployment in this country has always been of concern to my government. Given the high level of unemployment of 16.5% at the end of December 2022 it is encouraging to note that 25 of the applicants were from unemployed individuals. Mr. Speaker this is 25 additional jobs 25 mustard seeds which over time has the potential to grow into giant trees. This is also very encouraging as my government understands the importance of employment as an economic driver for this country. Mr. Speaker I want to thank the entrepreneurs and the responses thus far. I also want to say a special thank you to the members of the Evaluation Committee which is chaired by Ms. Yvonne Agard for her commitment in reviewing these applications. The Evaluation Committee has reviewed so far 150 applications and is working assiduously to review all these applications within the next three months. I take this opportunity to solicit the patience of applicants as we process these applications. Mr. Speaker the Central Development Bank has this boost over half a million dollars under this facility to our entrepreneurs. This is half a million dollars circulating and multiplying within our economy which will translate to lower unemployment, greater output, higher export, earning a foreign exchange and economic growth. To the team at the Central Development Bank we thank you for being a good partner. You have demonstrated the true essence of partnership. Mr. Speaker it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge my team at the Ministry of Commerce headed by the Permanent Secretary, the former Director of CEDU, Mrs. Charles and the Acting Director, Ms. Rosemary Pierre-Louis, the staff of CEDU, the staff of commerce and industry and the rest of team commerce. It has truly been a team effort and today I really want us to show our appreciation to team commerce. Mr. Speaker let me reiterate the fact that this government has borrowed the funds from the Caribbean Development Bank for unending to our MSMEs. I want to say here that this is not free money and as a ministry we will monitor the beneficiaries as we go forward. Our business development officers from the Ministry of Commerce have been assigned to each recipients of funds under this facility and have already commenced the side visits to offer guidance and ensure the funds are used for the purpose stated in the applications. Rest assured no effort will be spent to recover any money is disbursed if these funds are not used for the stated purpose in the application. The region is watching us, let us not disappoint ourselves and our country. I wish to encourage all recipients to use the funds to enhance their businesses. Mr. Speaker to lend further support to our small businesses and maximize the use of funds under the loan grant facility. My government has approved on behalf of the MSME loan grant awardees 100% waiver of custom duty on imports including fixtures and fittings approved under the facility from April 1st 2003 to March 31st 2004. April 1st 2023 to March 31st 2024. In keeping with my government's desire to promote sustainable business practices MSME loan grant awardees will also be granted 100% duty exemption on imports of renewable energy and energy efficient equipment devices and fittings. Centrusha, this is your government, the government of the Centrusha Labour Party keeping its promise of putting youthfuls. Mr. Speaker let me take this opportunity to appeal to our entrepreneurs to go the extra mile to use this assistance to create wealth to pivot your businesses to the new level for the discipline you exercise today will be the bridge between your goal and accomplishment. Mr. Speaker with your permission I will just present two or three sentences in Creole on this statement that I have. Hello, I would like to present a report under MSME Loan Programme, the government of the Centrusha Labour Party, and I would like to say that for now I have joined 500 applications from different places in the country. I would like to present a report under MSME Loan Programme, the government of the Centrusha Labour Party keeping its promise of putting youthfuls to the new level for the discipline you exercise today North, Castristoff, Castristoff East, Swazel, Denry, North, Denry South, Osile, Labouin, Miku North, Mikusau, Soufouye, Vieille Fourne, Nouvelle, Vieille Fourne South. Everyone in different places in the country has been asked for assistance under MSME Loan Programme. This government has also helped us to evaluate the application of MSME Loan Programme and I would like to send everyone who has done the application of MSME Loan Programme to the best team of patients with us who have started their work. This government has also helped us to make the people who have come to the team go further. This government has agreed to remove or to create custom duty and imports under this equipment that is being ordered by the society. So today, I would like to say that we are happy, we have added 500 new applications to MSME Loan Programme to work as quickly as possible to make the decisions on all of this. And I would like to thank the SLD Beauty Bank for working with us on this project. Thank you, Mr Speaker.