– APD still a sore point for CARICOM
AS THE curtains came up on what promises to be vigorous and frank political dialogue between the United Kingdom and the Caribbean at their Seventh Biennial Forum in Grenada, the UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) is still a sticking point for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, on Friday evening at the opening ceremony, warned the UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague that the Community intended to continue its lobby for the removal of the duty which he stated had placed the Caribbean tourism sector and consequently the regional economy at a grave disadvantage, according to a release from the CARICOM Secretariat.
The three-day deliberations are being held under the theme, Sustainable Growth toward Prosperity, at the Grenadian by Rex Resort, Point Salines.
Caribbean Governments, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) have used every opportunity over the past two years to expose the negative impact that the four-band APD system has placed on what was already a fragile regional economy.
The CARICOM Secretary-General noted that the UK Treasury’s present four- band system was discriminatory against the Caribbean and its Diaspora in the UK: “Anything that negatively affects the tourism sector will have repercussions for the entire regional economy. In this regard, I refer to the UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) which has placed the Caribbean at a distinct disadvantage in relation to other tourism destinations. This continues to be of grave concern to the Caribbean. We continue to urge that the discriminatory element of the APD be addressed,” he asserted.
Secretary-General LaRocque also pointed to crime and security as one of the major challenges that must be addressed decisively at the 7th UK-Forum which begin talks early Saturday morning. He stressed that this problem must be addressed as a matter of priority and from a multi-disciplinary perspective, with strong cooperation and collaboration from all our partners.
“The Community’s response to this problem is seriously hampered by the vulnerabilities of our borders, inadequate resources – human and otherwise – and limited access to cutting edge technology necessary to build our intelligence capacity, “Ambassador LaRocque added.
The agenda for this year’s biennial Forum has been organised around three broad areas of Economic Resilience, Security and the Environment.
The CARICOM Secretary-General noted that for the Caribbean to build its resilience in tough economic times, it must strengthen its capacity to maximise the opportunities of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed with the European Union. In this regard, Secretary-General LaRocque acknowledged and welcomed support from the UK through the Department for International Development (DFID) but hastened to point out that “it will take a sustained effort to address the magnitude of the capacity constraints that we face.”
Ambassador LaRocque concluded his delivery by advocating for the Forum to change the nature of the political engagement in order to move the partnership to another level: “Our discussions over the next two days must of necessity produce decisive outcomes on these issues. We must come away with the sense that the Plan of Action articulates areas of mutual interest and a resolve to pursue a symbiotic relationship going forward – a strong partnership that will help us to realize the kind of results that redound to the benefit of our citizenry.”
The Ministerial Meeting is co-chaired by the UK Foreign Secretary and the Chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), the Hon Sam Condor who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis.
While not commenting on the issue of the APD, Foreign Secretary Hague who was visiting the Caribbean for the first time in that capacity, acknowledged that the tone of the partnership would change and expressed a willingness to be receptive to the recommendations made by CARICOM to take the partnership to a new level.
He stressed that the UK would not turn its back on the Caribbean but would seek ways to strengthen the relationship. “We want to build a new partnership between Britain and the Caribbean that creates opportunities on all sides – in development, Climate change, the economy, security and foreign policy.”
“The British Government will close no more embassies… Instead, we are actually back in business of opening embassies,” the UK Foreign Secretary added.
Minister Condor in his remarks at the opening ceremony pointed to the size of the UK delegation which he observed was the strongest ever to attend the Forum and noted that it signified the importance attached to this vehicle for debate.
The St Kitts and Nevis Foreign Minister expressed his hope that the Forum would be revitalized; that the relationship between Britain and the Caribbean would be rejuvenated and would redound to the benefit of the peoples of both regions.
With his usual candour, he warned the UK Foreign Secretary that the Caribbean would be making an unprecedented mark on the upcoming Olympic Games set for London.
In welcoming the delegations, Grenada’s Foreign Minister the Hon. Karl Hood noted that the Forum emphasized the determination of both sides to build and strengthen the system of dialogue which started some 14 years ago.
He expressed satisfaction with the emphasis on security and noted that with the spirit of cooperation, there would be tangible evidence of this engagement reflected in the Plan of Action
The Plan of Action is the outcome document that will outline decisions taken and the strategic direction for further engagement. It will be issued at the end of the meeting.