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10th July 2012
Six Months Stay for CARICOM Nationals
Micah George

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have agreed to grant an automatic six months stay to nationals of CARICOM entering any member state as part of the move to accelerate and implement the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The announcement came at the end of the three day (July 4 – 6, 2012) meeting of Heads in Saint Lucia. However, that decision is subject to security exceptions and was an adherence by all Member States to the decisions that make CARICOM nationals welcome in other Member States.

The Heads of Government agreed on some specifics regarding the single market component of the CSME and of the CSME itself but could not give a timetable for its implementation.

For instance they assessed the status of implementation of the CSME and considered the action required for consolidation of the gains realized.

A communique released Friday night noted that Heads recommitted to ensuring the achievement of the original objectives of the CSME, including free movement of skilled community nationals, access to the region’s resources and creating the environment for competitive production. However they expanded the categories of skilled community nationals and introduced additional categories.

The Heads all agreed to create an environment for competitive production, make key institutions more effective, accept the principle that member States able to proceed with integration at a faster rate should be allowed to do so provided that the door is left open for other Member States to join when they are able.

With regard to the Single Economy, Heads agreed on specific elements of the Work Programme and Timetable for implementation in the short to medium term.

They agreed that the major focus for the Caribbean Community at this time must be on growth and development. Attention was given to developments in the financial market because of the implications it holds to the region and for the economies which are major markets for CARICOM goods and services.

In their communique the Heads noted that global financial and economic developments were merely compounding problems already existing in the region. They identified major factors that were integral to the difficulties being experienced and considered possible ways of addressing the high levels of unemployment in the region.
 
 

They agreed that there was a need to re-examine policy approaches to growth and development and agreed to review fiscal policy with a view to achieving a balance between taxation and expenditure to more adequately support economic growth and development.

The Heads identified various sectors of the economy, including tourism, agriculture and construction as economic sectors that offer prospects for early resuscitation of economic growth and reiterated their conviction that regional integration has all the possibilities for supporting competitive production and production integration and that particular attention needed to be given to Caribbean Convergence in their development strategy. They agreed on the need to develop a Caribbean Investment Programme to support the efforts at stabilization and growth as well as competitive production.

The heads called on the Caribbean Development Bank to so structure its lending products and processes as to assist in the thrust for growth and development.

The 33rd regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony who is the current chairperson.

In accordance with the Rotation Schedule, Michel Martelly, President of the Republic of Haiti, will assume the Chair of the Conference of Heads of Government for the six-month period commencing January 1st, 2013.

In attendance at the Saint Lucia meeting were, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer; the Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart; the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerritt; the Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas; the President of the Republic of Guyana, Donald Ramotar; the President of Haiti, Michel Martelly; the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller; the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas; the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves; the President of Suriname, Desiré Bouterse; and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

The Bahamas was represented by Frederick Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Belize by Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Associate Members in attendance were the Chief Minister of Anguilla, Hubert Hughes; and Derrick Burgess of Bermuda.

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