I'll begin today by telling you a public secret: This week is going to be full of great meetings, wonderful speakers, and dynamic, interactive sessions. It will generate excitement, and explore potential. Let me pause to thank Minister Bhoendradatt Tewarie for his personal commitment and expressed vision, and thank also the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago for being wonderful hosts.

Ladies and gentlemen, off the record, just among us in this room, the engagement with the Private Sector is among my favorite events. Indeed, it's among the highlights of my week. That's because - as my Staff in Washington and around the region will tell you - I like being in the company of people who produce results. My motto is: no excuses, only results count!

I like people who aren't arm chair critics or theoretical thinkers.
I like people who DO.
I like people who ACT.
I like people who LEAD.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at the Organization of American States, where the ACF is rooted, we live the reality of public private partnerships. While our core mandate has traditionally been democracy, human rights, security and development, we realized quickly that these things mean little to nothing, if our people don't have access to opportunity, jobs, enough money to feed their families, send their children to school, or afford decent healthcare.

We also realized that acting on their own, governments of the hemisphere, our Member States, could only achieve so much on their own. The business community and the Governments need each other. I firmly believe that development cannot be sustainable, if it's achieved in isolation. The private sector, the captains of industry, the engines of growth, have a key role to play, and much to contribute to the growth, development and peace of a country.

I have come to appreciate that when the private sector speaks they mean business ... they have the ability to get things done!

In Trinidad and Tobago, the private sector means business. This is a country leading the charge in development in this region. This is sustainable, I believe, because of a level of cooperation between the private and public sectors, but also because of the vision and the ability and will to take risks and make profit.

Ladies and gentlemen, the OAS, specifically my office, works very closely with some of the top business executives and the major conglomerates around the region and the world. And the captains of industry here in Trinidad and Tobago are among the most committed to sustainable development. Like us, they have found that success isn't 'real,' if it isn't shared. And that progress is unsustainable if it isn't experienced and enjoyed by all.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for the benefit of our guests from outside of the region, Ansa McAl is one of the largest conglomerates in the region, with interests in everything ranging from manufacturing to media, financial services to energy, and many things in between. It has been in business since 1881, and today has an asset base of several billion U.S. dollars.

The story of Ansa McAl though, isn't that of a corporate giant with deep pockets and a cold heart. The story of Ansa McAl is about heart, about passion, about skill, about savvy and courage.

It's the story of a family that took a risk, defied the odds, believed in hard work and sacrifice, and dared to dream big. It's the story of a company that took risks, dared to grow, ignored the detractors and challenged the market to expand. Today it stands tall among the giants of the region.

Ladies and gentlemen, the reputation of our next speaker, Norman Sabga is straightforward:

He is a captain of industry that steers his ship with wisdom, skill and vision.
He is dedicated to country, to family and his company.

He is a Caribbean private sector leader, who has demonstrated the ability to achieve, and deliver. He represents the entrepreneurship ALL of our countries so badly need.

Today, it is an honor for me to welcome Norman Sabga, Chairman and Chief Executive of Ansa McAl to the podium and ask him to address you.
Ladies and gentlemen,

As they say, it takes two hands to clap, it takes two tango successfully. We have heard from one side of our society. Now the other side. The other half of public-private partnerships, is the "public."

Jamaica's Minister of State, Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams has worked with the OAS on several extremely fruitful initiatives. Working on issues of investment, commerce and industry, Minister Ffolkes Abrahams has been solution oriented, practical and straightforward as she works with the government of Jamaica to lay the foundation and create the environment to support sustainable development and economic stability.

I appreciate this Minister, because she isn't just about the politics, rather, she is about the "people". It could be because of her extensive background in human rights issue, and law, both in Jamaica and in Canada.

Ladies and Gentlemen, is is my honor to invite to the floor, our friend, Minister Sharon Ffolkes Abraham of Jamaica.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have heard two excellent statements on how to make our economies more prosperous and more competitive. I thank Mr. Norman Sabga and Minister Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams for sharing with us their vision, their take on how we can do more and better together.

We all have heard that our economies have the potential to grow, because we have not only resources but also an educated population. But to tap into this creative potential, this talent pool, we will require partly rethinking our development approach and partly new thinking on the basis of new technologies we have now available.

Improving our competitiveness to expand our markets successfully will require also investments in innovation, new technologies, which will increase productivity levels. Retooling our employees to the demands of the labor market today and setting policies in place to reform our education systems to supply the required human resources.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are concrete opportunities to expand Caribbean businesses and for creating more prosperity. In nearby Central America there is an economic market of 55 million people, in South America many economies are growing and so is the middle class population with significant purchasing power. There are niche markets in our diaspora communities in the traditional markets in the North and in Europe. And let us not forget the opportunities to supply services and goods to our own internal market.

I am therefore optimistic about the future. It does require political will and new vision, new and renewed partnerships, the readiness of entrepreneurs to invest, take risks and tackle obstacles effectively on the road towards prosperity. That is why this 8th Americas Competitiveness Forum is extremely important.

I thank the speakers again for their valuable contribution and to all present for your attention.

Thank you.