The decision of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), along with other agencies to make some $1.2 million in support available to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is a significant development, as small enterprise operators try to pick up the pieces of their businesses that have been shattered by the COVID-19 pandemic.The CDB is working in conjunction with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the European Union to facilitate processing of the grants and technical assistance.While many still seek to marginalize the importance of small businesses to the overall economic life of most Caribbean economies, it was instructive that one of the bank’s senior executives reminded us that small businesses contribute to about 45 per cent of all employment opportunities in the region.
