Minister for Treasury and Economic Development Mark Brooks, Financial Secretary Dax Richards, and Director of Economic Development Damian Burns will leave St Helena on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
The delegation will travel to Gibraltar from October 1 to October 4, 2024. They are scheduled to meet with officials from the Government of Gibraltar, Gibraltar Finance, Gibraltar International Bank, and the Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit. The visit aims to explore joint efforts between St Helena and Gibraltar in areas such as banking, financial services regulation and enforcement, and other shared interests.
Accompanying the delegation will be Chris Mead, Chair of the St Helena Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and Michael Bird, Chair of the Bank of St Helena.
From October 6 to October 10, Minister Brooks and the Financial Secretary will attend the Green Overseas (GO) conference on Climate Finance in Brussels. The GO conference seeks to unlock climate finance for Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), aiming for sustainable development. For St Helena, there will be a particular focus on finding funding partners for its renewable energy project.
Damian Burns will also represent St Helena at the Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC) Investing in Africa Conference and Expo 2024 in London from October 7 to October 9. He will be joined by Matthew Joshua, Head of Tourism. AFSIC offers a platform for countries to present their projects and investment opportunities to institutional investors. St Helena’s focus areas include hospitality, digital infrastructure, high-value agriculture, and financial services.
Additionally, Burns plans to meet with key stakeholders in London including colleagues at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Minister Brooks and the Financial Secretary are expected back in St Helena on Saturday, October 12. Damian Burns is scheduled to return on November 2 after taking annual leave.
During Minister Brooks’ absence, Chief Minister Julie Thomas will handle any urgent issues related to Treasury and Economic Development Portfolios. Minister Brooks remains contactable via email at [email protected].
###
