State Minister in the Ministry of industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Senator Kern Spencer, has said that a critical facilitatory role was being played by the Trade Board, especially in the context of the CARICOM Single Market.

In keeping with this role, a Commerce Facilitation Unit has been established at the agency to be the main interface between the ministry and the business community, the Senator informed during his contribution to the 2006/07 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate recently.

"This we intend to achieve by providing an information and assistance hub through which pertinent and commerce-related data can be disseminated. For the upcoming financial year, the main focus of this unit will be a series of seminars, workshops and public forums aimed at stimulating commerce," he said.

The senator informed that the public could now submit and pay for import/export licences and export certificates of origin online from any computer everyday of the week.

"To date, the import module of this system has been successfully implemented and has attained an impressive user rate of 61 per cent," he said.

Additionally, Senator Spencer said a pilot project for a paperless licence system had also been launched and that this effected the final phase of full implementation of the Trade Board Information System that has eliminated the need to visit the Trade Board offices.

He pointed out that the Trade Board, through provisions of the recently passed e-Transaction Bill, would become the certifying authority for Public Key Infrastructure.