Cryptocurrency education at Finance Week 2018

CRYPTOCURRENCY is one of the items on the agenda when the 2018 Financial Literacy breakfast meeting takes place today from 8am at the Penthouse of the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex. The meeting will place emphasis on understanding FinTech, blockchain technology and digital currencies, as the Financial Secretariat of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) hosts a series of events aimed at commemorating Finance Week 2018.

Secretary of Finance and the Economy, Assemblyman Joel Jack, at the post Executive Council news conference last Thursday, revealed Finance Week will be held from November 12-20.

Jack said globalisation and technological innovations have led to a revolution in the financial services industry as well as the new services in technologies.

“This has enabled an environment that seeks to deliver services in more relevant and convenient ways to consumers and business persons. There has been a permanent eruption in financial services, and we have a responsibility here in the Division to ensure that we inform the business community, to ensure that we inform our partners in the financial services industry as to what obtains as it relates to FinTech, log change technology and digital currencies. We would be delving into areas such as cryptocurrency and bitcoin, and although they are still strange to us here in Tobago, we have a responsibility to inform the wider Tobago community,” he said.

The Financial Literacy breakfast meeting will make way for the 8th annual youth forum, carded for the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort on November 16.

“I’m excited about the youth forum this year, as the youth forum takes the lead ahead of the Tobago Economic and Business Outlook conference; but this years’ youth forum will host a series of the young entrepreneurs who are on the cutting-edge, leading in various areas.

“And this year, we are also pleased that our keynote speaker for the youth forum would be Trinidadian master tailor, Sir Andrew Ramroop. He, I think, would be an exciting addition to the youth forum… for persons who like fine tailored garments, as one of his garments range in the vicinity of £8000. It really highlights the prospects for young Tobagonians who are seeking to get involved in fashion and the garment industry,” the Secretary said.

During the youth forum, a mini business mogul competition would be launched aimed at school children and youth adults, “as we seek to encourage entrepreneurship among our young people and as we seek to promote innovation throughout the island,” he said.

On November 20, the 12th Economic and Business Outlook conference will be held, also at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort.

“This conference is in keeping with our mandate to accelerate Tobago’s sustainable economic agenda, even in the face of our recent economic challenges, and we would focus on several key topics. We would also be highlighting as we have done in previous years, the economic outlook for Trinidad and Tobago and some policy prescriptions for Tobago, this would be presented by Dr Terrence Farrell. Our keynote speaker this year would be Dr Ronald Walcott, CEO of TSTT. Dr Walcott’s presentation would focus on leveraging ICT as an enabler of socio-economic development as we seek to ensure that we transition Tobago to become an intelligent island,” he said.

A presentation would also be made by the Inter-American Development Bank on financing private sector and public sector development and a host of other topics.

Finance Week celebrations began on Monday with a thanksgiving service at the Penthouse of the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex.