— but much more needs to be done, says CARICOM SG

CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque said though there has been significant progress in advancing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), there is still a number of longstanding issues to be addressed, warning that the success of the CSME will largely be judged on the basis of full implementation of measures that allow for member states to reap the benefits.

Ambassador LaRocque, at the time, was speaking in the presence of Antigua and Barbuda Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration and Chairman of COTED, E.P. Chet Greene, and other ministers with responsibility for trade, during the opening ceremony of the 46th Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) at the CARICOM Secretariat on Wednesday.

COTED, in overseeing the functioning of CSME, is responsible for promoting the development of the agricultural, industrial and services sectors, in addition to developing and facilitating policies and programmes for transportation, the environment, energy, science and technology. This council also promotes and develops external trade relations of the community.

Ambassador LaRocque said much more needs to be done to ensure the effectiveness of the CSME. It was noted that while various challenges will arise which may have direct impact on businesses and individuals within the community; such would require effective and timely resolution.
These resolutions, he, however, posited can only be achieved if member states move expeditiously and decisively to resolve their differences, particularly those which have risen to the level of disputes.

“There are issues which remain on our agenda for far too long. For example, we have been grappling with both government procurement and contingent rights for more than a decade, going back and forth with seemingly endless consultations,” he further added.

RESOLVE OUTSTANDING MATTERS
He challenged the ministers to ensure that the outstanding matters, particularly those which have been on the table for a lengthy period, are resolved.
“A proposal is before this meeting aimed at addressing this particular problem. The council is also being requested to provide the necessary guidance on the steps to take in fully operationalising the dispute settlement mechanisms under Chapter Nine of the Revised Treaty.

“This is not only intended to address matters related to disputes arising from member states’ non-compliance with their obligations under the treaty, but also the enforcement of decisions of the COTED, in order to further advance the implementation of the CSME,” Ambassador LaRocque stated.

COTED chairman, in his address to the regional ministers, said while there will be international, regional and domestic issues that will impact the work programme and the agenda of the council, it must find an appropriate mix of methodologies and strategies to address its ever expanding agenda.
Minister Greene, like the CARICOM Secretary General, said he was pleased that the Rules of Procedures governing the operations of COTED was up for discussion during the two-day meeting.

“As chair, it is my hope that we can finalise and approve the rules which will greatly assist us in dealing with the long standing issues on our agenda, particularly those relating to non-compliance with provisions of the Revised Treaty and decisions of the COTED. I refer to the issues of market access for honey into Trinidad and Tobago and the intra-regional trade of frozen duck meat from Suriname,” the COTED chairman explained.
He noted that if member states are to seriously settle the long-standing issues in the interest of their respective private sector, then much consideration ought to be given to the provisions of the treaty.

“In reviewing our rules of procedure, we must also consider other mechanisms in between meeting of the COTED that would bring resolution to the long-standing issues, as well as treating with new and emerging issues on our agenda. Because of the dynamics of the matters to be addressed by this council, we simply cannot wait to the regular meeting of the council to be informed and take decisions. Therefore, an appropriate mechanism must be included in the rules of the procedure for the council,” Minister Greene added.

INCREASED COMMUNICATION
It was suggested that the secretariat increases the dissemination of technical briefs and updates on specific issues to be considered by the council to aid in the process.
That aside, the COTED chairman urged the council to pay keen attention to issues that can have significant impact on industries within the community such as the impasse between the USA and China, reports of Turkish imports (particularly flour) into the region, and the importation of fake goods from various countries.

“Geopolitical decisions are causing changes within the external trade and manufacturing environment, which will certainly have an impact on our industries and market. The council must position itself to examine the real and potential impact of these matters, and take proactive, concrete steps to remedy them. Colleagues, we cannot afford to be reactive, our respective industries and businesses are depending on us to confront and deal with these issues in a decisive way,” he said.

Trade in goods, and external economic relations such as future trade with the United Kingdom and BREXIT were among other issues brought to the fore by the COTED chairman.

Last year, a review of CSME was completed with emphasis on its framework and supportive structure. The review was in keeping with efforts to consolidate, recalibrate and strengthen the CSME arrangements that are currently in place.

Based on the review, the heads of government have approved an implementation plan. That plan will be published shortly. Guyana was represented by Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.