- - - - (c) - - (d) One specific thrust should be developing business as well as ICT competencies to world-class standards. Creation of a network to provide continually updated information about the ICT sector in order to enable National and Regional companies to update standards and reach new markets. Enable the growth of local business through affirmative action measures consistent with WTO agreements. Removal of barriers to entrance should be considered in co-ordination with the development of incentives. The Smart Partnership concept of “prosper thy neighbour” should underpin the relationships between participants in this new economy. Use ICT to create a virtual business incubator which would handshake to venture capital, provide business advice, help protect Intellectual Property Rights, audit technology and access markets. Access to Capital Public/Private (Smart) partnerships may provide funding to jumpstart certain ICT industries, with private sector funding as the preferred source for capital. In addition to the traditional sources, innovative funding mechanisms such as the existing ICT training loans and the use of Mutual Fund (Unit Trust) arrangements to wider social participation in the new economy, should be explored. Encouraging IT investment by the Private Sector The Government will promote IT investment in the private sector. It will assist and facilitate those businesses that are willing to invest in hardware, software and technical assistance targeted at e-Commerce solutions and web-presence. The existing aids to investment schemes will be fine-tuned to cater for this particular type of investment. In addition, the Government will nurture existing and new IT businesses, whether locally or foreign owned. A special package of incentives will be drawn up with the specific intent of building up this sector. Government recognizes that market forces themselves that will push the growth of the local IT industry as well as the widespread uptake of eCommerce solutions by Grenada businesses. The role of the Government will be to ensure that any barriers and unnecessary regulation that might inhibit such growth are A STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN FOR GRENADA Anurag Sinha 40