Digital Societies Committee

the BCCI is grateful to the Caribbean export development Agency for funding the consultancy to undertake the comprehensive review of the Customs Bill 2019. the Committee also acknowledges and commends the Customs and excise department for its sustained determination over the past 10 years to revise the original legislation and to bring it towards an early conclusion.

the Committee expects the Customs Bill to be on its agenda for 2021 as it awaits an update from the Ced on the Customs Bill report submitted by the Chamber.

the Committee also assisted the Customs and excise department in their review of the pilot programme for 20 companies in the new trusted trader programme. the Ced has indicated its intention to expand the programme to other companies in 2021.

In support of Government’s desire to promote increased intra-regional trade between Guyana and suriname with Barbados, the CftC Committee Chair, Lalu Vaswani, chaired a steering Committee on behalf of the BCCI to advance this goal. the steering Committee comprises representatives from the ministry of energy, small Business and entrepreneurship and the Guyana and suriname Chambers of Commerce.

the Committee expresses its heartfelt appreciation for the consistent and superlative support that has been provided by the secretariat of the BCCI under the leadership of mrs. misha Lobban-Clarke, executive director. Appreciation is also extended to all members of the Committee for their support during the year.

dIgITAL SOCIETIES COMMITTEE

the digital societies Committee membership for the period 2020-2021 comprised of the following persons:

• mrs. susan Boyea - Committee Chair (sagicor Life Inc.) • ms. Brenda pope (Consult Bp) • mr. Kolade nurse (ernst & young) • mr. paul marshall (Jp marshall Associates) • mr. philip Lewis (northpoint Consulting Inc.) • mrs. patricia rowe-seale (CIBC first Caribbean International Bank) • mr. roxroy Greenidge (royal Bank of Canada) • mr. Jeremey Jones (productive Business solutions) • mr. Ashish uttamchandani (massy Group of Companies) • mrs. trisha tannis - president, BCCI (ex officio) • mrs. misha Lobban Clarke - executive director, BCCI (ex officio)

the Committee’s mandate during the year focused on three key components:

1. provide recommendations relating to the It framework of the Chamber’s secretariat and ensure that it is well-equipped to provide the membership with the highest level of customer support while maintaining optimum efficiency in its workflow processes through the use of ICt; 2. make recommendations to enhance the ICt capacity of BCCI members within the business community and by extension, the wider private sector. this includes identifying risks and opportunities that can assist the BCCI’s digital strategy for the business sector. the role of the Committee is advisory, focusing on policies and initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and new ways to translate into value added opportunities for BCCI members. 3. serve as a vehicle for engagement between the Chamber and the public sector by reviewing national policy and the digital strategy of the Barbadian government and recommending on behalf of the BCCI, positions on the development and use of ICt in

Barbados.

In the period under review, the Committee provided advisory support to the BCCI in relation to its ICt framework and operations. the Committee also supported the Chamber as phase one of the ICt project came to an official close. during the first quarter of 2020, the Committee drafted an outline for a minimum technology requirement initiative. the objectives of the initiative included: • defining the minimum required to effectively operate in this fourth Industrial revolution. • understanding gaps or maturity against the minimum for BCCI members and work with members to narrow or bridge the gap. • understanding the greatest gap or weakness which could inform a packaged awareness event. • drive a greater awareness of levels of maturity across the private sector.

following the completion of the BCCI strategic plan 2020 – 2024, the Committee was tasked with several action items under strategic initiative #9, to support membership with their digital transformation (including e-commerce) mandates.

surveys & events In light of the CoVId-19 pandemic, the Committee created an ICt readiness survey which was disseminated to the BCCI membership in the first half of 2020. the Committee, on behalf of the BCCI, coordinated an e-commerce webinar entitled, practical Considerations for e-commerce in the new normal on August 04, 2020. the webinar was informed by the findings of the ICt readiness survey and gave attendees insights into the survey findings, cybersecurity considerations for e-commerce and achieving businesses growth through e-commerce.