-President Granger urges CARICOM leaders

By Ravin Singh in Grenada
There is an urgent need in the Caribbean to dismantle non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural products, since this may solve some of the economic and social ills of the region.
This was according to outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President David Granger, at the opening of the thirty-eight intersessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM. The meeting is being held in Grenada. With CARICOM built on a model which seeks to achieve free movement of people and goods in the region, efforts have been made over the last few decades to achieve same.
However, 44 years after its establishment, CARICOM is still grappling with this issue which had become a widely criticized one in the region. Possessing a total land area of 462, 352 km2, the Community is not short of land, labour, talent or capital to guarantee food security. In fact, President David Granger referenced the fact that CARICOM’s annual food import bill, exceeds US$4B.

He reasoned that this “is a notorious indictment” of the regional bloc’s ability to promote investment and stimulate intra-regional trade in agricultural commodities. But while this might be desired outcome, the reality, he said, is that non-tariff barriers continue to constrain trade in food. Just last year regional giant SM Jaleel and Co Lt had its products taken off shelves in a named CARICOM country after trading issues surfaced.
Given this reality and that of imposed barriers, the outgoing Chairman suggested that the Community must “re-examine how it can dismantle” non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural products, while generating employment for its citizens. Unemployment, particularly among youths, is another crucial issue which Heads of Government in the region have invested much time in addressing.

The President reminded regional leaders that commerce remains the lifeblood of the economies of CARICOM countries. He said that small internal markets consign states to high dependence on external trade. As such, he pointed out that intraregional trade remains important not just to the development of individual countries, but the region as a whole.
Touching on why CARICOM was operationalized, President Granger was keen to note that it was established to ensure markets for regional production, inter alia. Highlighting the benefits of intraregional trade, the President said that it provides a basis for increasing national production, augmenting investment and generating employment.

Noting that the environment is an “inescapable economic reality,” He offered that the Community possesses unmatched natural assets – both on the mainland states and in the island states. He said that taken as a whole, the CARICOM region is blessed with rich natural capital breathtaking beaches, extensive grasslands, entrancing wetlands, evergreen rainforests, magnificent waterfalls, majestic highlands and unsurpassable biodiversity with some of the world’s rarest species of flora and fauna.
And these assets, he reasoned, are the bases of the tourist industry. Therefore, he urged leader to adopt a “green agenda” to help protect the Community from the threat of environmental hazard and natural disaster and safeguard people’s livelihoods and the industries on which they rely.