NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 18, 2020) — The St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board will host a one-day Self-employed Symposium for 40 persons in Nevis who have been displaced by the economic downtown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs. Karen Claxton-Amory, Public Relations Officer for Social Security on Nevis noted the the symposium is designed to provide technical assistance to self-employed persons on how to adjust their business strategy to the ‘new normal’. It will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in Charlestown.

“The objective is to provide assistance. We understand the importance of giving you education and information so you can make informed choices, and we are hoping that by the end of the symposium, persons will be better positioned to think a little more outside the box where their business is concerned,” she said.

The Social Security representative said the symposium was organized following discussions with self-employed persons.

“After we would have had some conversations with the self-employed persons affected by COVID-19, some of the issues they would have raised, Social Security would have taken under advisement.

“So we are having a symposium to give them the opportunity to express their concerns to Social Security, and we’ve put four panelists who we feel would be in the best position to answer questions they would have posed,” she informed.

The presenters at the event are: Mr. Donovan Herbert, Senior Manager at Social Security (Nevis Branch) who will speak on “The Importance of Self-Employed Coverage”; Mrs. Angela Delpeche, Director of the Small Enterprise Development Unit (SEDU) will speak on “Small but Resilient in COVID-19”; Mr. Rawlinson Isaac, Financial Consultant will speak on “Understanding Financial Management”; Mr. Quincy Prentice, Chief Information Officer at the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Limited will speak on “Extending the Reach of your Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise through Technology”; Mr. Peter Adrian, Economist will speak on “Rebuilding in a COVID Economy”; and Mr. Jacob Katsman of Invisible Hand Foundation, will speak on “Foundation to Assist Small Business Development”.

The symposium on Nevis is one of two hosted by the Board to mark its 24^th Anniversary of Self-employed Coverage. The first was held in St. Kitts.

Mrs. Claxton-Amory said she is hopeful that the discussions generated will be meaningful, and that participants will use the opportunity to network with the panelists and each other for future support.