Foster: Buy local

President David Foster of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association has appealed to Barbadians to purchase more locally made goods to facilitate national recovery.
And he believes a well-supported local market and more export opportunities for Barbados’ goods could strengthen the island’s purchasing power, facilitate better pricing of Barbadian goods for the local market, and secure Barbadian jobs.
Speaking at the opening ceremony for the manufacturers’ annual expo – BMEX 2011 – at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre last Friday night, Foster said there had been some change in Barbadian buying behaviour and attitudes to locally made goods, yet “there needs to be a clear understanding that when we choose to purchase locally . . . we are stimulating the economy and reducing foreign exchange leaving the island”.
He described BMEX as a “melting pot of craftsmanship and culture” and an indication that the manufacturing sector was “alive and well”.
There are 15 British companies participating in the trade show for the first time. They are among 160 exhibitors and buyers from Barbados and other Caribbean islands.
BMA celebrated the 30th anniversary of BMEX by cutting a cake and presenting awards to three businesses that had made outstanding contributions to manufacturing.