Street vendors and other small businesses in the constituency of St George were the latest to benefit from an ongoing venture launched by the United Progressive Party (UPP) to stimulate economic activity in communities across Antigua.
UPP candidate for the area Algernon ‘Serpent’ Watts was among those who took part in Saturday’s ‘caravan’ which patronised a series of entities along the route from Pigotts Main Road to Barnes Hill.
Watts told Observer that support for the endeavour had been overwhelming.
“There were a number of people asking about what initiatives or support they will get – either those who want to open a small business or those who had one but because of Covid or whatever had to close down – so they wanted to know what our plans are going forward,” he explained.
Watts added that the party’s “business gurus” in the form of Pearl Quinn and Franz deFreitas had been on hand to discuss the road ahead with the constituency’s entrepreneurs.
The UPP’s ‘small business pull-up’ kicked off earlier this month in All Saints East and Luke with the aim of spotlighting community businesses and generating new customers at a time when many are feeling the effects of the Covid pandemic.
It is being staged in a different constituency each week.