The Trade Unit within the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Lands, Housing and the Environment (MATLHE), officially opened the Small Business Development Centre (SMDC), on Wednesday January 10th, 2018.
The Small Business Development Centre which is located in Brades below the MATLHE building, will provide accommodation for the Montserrat Business Council, the Consumer Affairs Association and the presence of the National Standards Bureau. The SMDC will provide consumers with a physical space in which they can document concerns and complaints, have access to computers and information on how to effectively operate a business, and provide a place for the business associations to host their meetings.
The Opening Ceremony featured remarks from the MATLHE’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Daphne Cassell, Interim Chair of the Montserrat Business Council, Norman Cassell, and technical officer for Metrology, CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality, CROSQ David Tomlison. Other speakers included member of the Legislative Assembly, the honourable Claude Hogan and the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Lands, Housing and the Environment, David Osborne who declared the building open.
Members of the public got an opportunity to tour the new facility, where special emphasis was placed on showcasing the Standards and Quality Unit. Persons were able to view some of the old measuring tools and compare them with the new ones that are now available.