PHILIPSBURG – Staying true to its commitment to support St. Maarten’s micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), the Department of Economy, Transportation and Telecommunication (ETT), has kicked off its series of free entrepreneurial workshops for 2017, under the theme “Empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)”.
These series of workshop will be conducted in collaboration with the COSME Programme, which is the final programme under the 10th EDF Regional Programme for the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories. The programme’s overall objective is to contribute to the sustainable and climate-resilient economic diversification and prosperity of Caribbean OCTs.
The first series of workshops started the week of January 31st and continues into this week ending February 4th, 2017, which covered the topic, Wages and Employment Regulation. During this first workshop, ETT provided entrepreneurs with essential information to ensure compliance to existing employment regulations. Additionally, the five day workshop also provided attendees with knowledge about classifying employees based on hours worked, calculating salaries & social premiums, ensuring compliance in the paying of premiums and taxes.
ETT is already preparing for its next workshop, Taxation, which will provide attendees with a wealth of information about the country’s taxes. In explaining why it is taking on the responsibility of entrepreneurial training, ETT pointed out the importance of MSMEs in stimulation and realization of economic growth, especially in our small economies.
With the goal of hosting at least one free workshop per month, the ETT will be keeping its pledge to support small businesses on multiple fronts. Persons interested in participating in future ETT workshops can “Like” the Department’s Facbeook page, fb.com/ett.sxm or join the mailing list by emailing EVT.Inquiries@sintmaartengov.org or keep abreast of the Department activities.
