Premier Ewart Brown is to host a meeting with top-ranking Bermuda businesspeople this weekend to discuss a range economic issues, with particular emphasis being placed on helping parents spend more time with their families.

The group, known as the Council of Economic Advisors, is meeting for the first time will discuss a variety of issues that impact the everyday lives of Bermudians.

Dr. Brown said: "The chief issue on the first agenda is helping parents balance the amount of time they spend at work with the amount of time they spend with their families.

"It's no secret that many Bermudian parents work two or three jobs to make ends meet, with no time left to attend PTA meetings or to help their kids with homework. Sometimes even a weekend football game is tough to fit into the schedule. This council of economic advisors will help us strategise ways to get parents quality time at work while also having quality time at home.

"If we give parents more time to be parents it will help us defeat some of the social problems that are currently dogging our communities."

The Premier continued: "When we designated this the year of the family it was more than just lip service.

"We hope this weekend summit will produce real solutions for strengthening the Bermudian family."

The Council of Economic Advisors will begin its weekend session with a dinner meeting today and continue with a daylong session of roundtable discussions and presentations tomorrow.

Council members are the Premier, Deputy Premier Paula Cox, KPMG's Managing Director of Financial Advisory Services Malcolm Butterfield and Bank of Bermuda CEO Philip Butterfield;

Also attending are former Ace Limited Chairman and CEO Brian Duperreault, Treasurer of the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) Cecil Durham, Capital G Chairman and CEO James Gibbons, American businessman and former Chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television Bob Johnson, XL Capital CEO Brian O'Hara, and Colonial Vice President of Pension and Investments Barbara Tannock.