Honourable Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture;
Representatives of Member States;
Participants;
Representatives of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this consultation. His Excellency Edwin Carrington could not be here with us today. However, he sends his warmest regards and best wishes for today’s deliberations.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in 2001 when the Heads of Government signed the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), it was with the depth of vision that the CSME would allow us to achieve together what we cannot achieve individually. The CSME is aimed at providing access to the opportunities to live and work in each other’s countries, and to trade freely with each other. The vision is that through participation in a Single Market and Economy our lives would be improved through a sustained Community for All.
As a Community, our challenge is to ensure that the fruits of our efforts to achieve a vibrant CSME are widely and equitably distributed, both within and among our Member Countries. To achieve this we must encourage full involvement of all our people. If we are to benefit from the abundance of opportunities afforded by the CSME, we must set as a priority, easy access of information to all citizens, using the available technology.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there can be no real CSME benefits without communication and interaction. Our efforts must be people-centered within the single space created by the CSME.
Our research and assessments of the awareness of Community nationals on matters related to the CSME indicate that there is need for strengthening the information flow to the various stakeholders so that they can capitalize on benefits of the CSME. What people really want to know is what’s in it for them. In this regard, it is believed that development of targeted messages for various groups is one way to ensure that stakeholders gain information so that their decision making in investing in the lucrative ventures could be heightened.
One critical group of stakeholders resides in rural communities. Today’s Consultation looks at the findings of a Study on what the rural communities need to know about the CSME and its operations. All citizens have equal access to the CSME. While most of the rural community’ stakeholders concentrate on primary agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, opportunities in agro-processing, manufacturing, services and tourism, including agro-tourism are open to everyone.
As many of you would know there are regional level initiatives being pursued which will lead to the creation of an enabling investment and production environment, effective technology development and transfer; the development of specific commodities and enterprises; and increased food security and sustainable development. Many of you are primarily responsible for the production of food in your own countries, but there is expanded scope for exporting to those CARICOM countries that are limited in providing their own locally produced commodities. Many times we import from outside CARICOM the very commodities which are produced within the Region. The benefits of the CSME are not being fully utilized. We know this because as a Community we continue to import large quantities of meat, milk, cereals and fruits and vegetables from external sources – products that can easily be produced within our own borders.
It is through interaction in fora such as this one that we gain insight into the constraints which you face in accessing the Single Market. At this Consultation, therefore, we need you to discuss and to recommend to our policy makers the measures that should be put in place to create the awareness necessary to maximize the benefits which could accrue to you within the CSME. I urge you to actively participate in this Consultation if you want to be able to effectively participate in the CSME. We may not have all the answers but certainly if we know what challenges you face, then we can work together to find the solutions. The Caribbean Community is a Community for All. Let us take full advantage of that.
