(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Patrick Manning today emphasised that the economic fallout from the diminishing returns from sugar and banana dictated that CARICOM Member States should actively explore other avenues for sustained economic activity.
During a press conference at the CARICOM Secretariat headquarters in Guyana while on a one-day visit, the Community’s Chairman stressed that the fate of the Region with regards to economic earnings from banana and sugar was set.
He stressed that “new sources of export and foreign exchange earnings “as well as finding non traditional use for sugar must be given utmost attention.
Prime Minister Manning informed that the area of crime and security was also high on the CARICOM agenda and stressed that crime in the Region was linked to the rising trade in illegal drugs. He added that there was a need for closer collaboration among regional security officials and stressed that a range of issues in relation to the management, discipline and promotion within Police Forces across the Region needed to be addressed.
Also at the press conference was the President of Guyana H. E Bharrat Jagdeo who stated that Guyana was pleased to be among the six CARICOM Member States to declare being CARICOM Single Market (CSM) ready on 1 January, 2006. The other five were Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
The President added that given Guyana’s designation as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPIC) there were concerns about the impact of the CSM.
He however expressed confidence that his country’s concerns would be addressed with the coming on stream of the Regional Development Fund (RDF), which is intended to assist CARICOM Member States, as well as Regions and Sectors within and among those states, in cushioning possible fall out from the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market.
The President was assured by the CARICOM Secretary-General, Mr. Edwin Carrington, also in attendance at the press conference that Guyana was assured of protection under the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
