(CMC) Grenada is sending a delegation to Guyana next week in a bid to improve trading relations between the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell announced on Wednesday.
Mitchell, who is also the current chairman of the 15-member regional integration movement, said that a team from the Tourism Economic Development and Culture Ministry will be travelling to Georgetown next week, and that “the specific purpose is to do a business and trade mission in Guyana, and to launch direct flights between Guyana and Grenada”.

“We feel there is a great opportunity for the tourism market for Guyanese expats who are there, as well to come up to Grenada for vacation to give them an opportunity to see what Grenada is like,” said Mitchell, who was a guest on a Grenadian television programme.
“Obviously, the growth in the market means there is opportunity there for us for trade, for businesses as well. So, a lot of our ‘agro’, small business, some of them will be going down to Guyana to look at that, and that’s where we need the free movement, because one of the small businesses here told me there is an opportunity for them to sell their goods in Guyana,” he related.

But, he said, in order to capitalise on such an opportunity, the small business has first to go through Miami in order to reach Guyana.
“So, that’s a major challenge,” Mitchell said, as he lamented the problems still associated with the efforts to get the free movement aspect under the CARICCOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) going.
“We certainly not where we should be. To some extent, we’ve regressed. To a large extent frankly, we’ve regressed when it comes to air and maritime transportation,” he said, adding: “Intra-regional travel is still a major, major challenge within the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) as well.”
“It does require a political will; it does require unity of purpose,” Mitchell told television viewers, adding: “It is one thing to talk and say it is a problem, but it is another thing to actually put resources in.”

He said that from a Grenada perspective, “we absolutely believe that the governments have to support the private sector in providing air transportation and the maritime transportation.
“But, it is the private sector that has to provide it. We will support, but the idea of the governments trying to manage, or the governments being more involved other than support from a resources perspective, in my view, the history has shown within CARICOM, it is always a problem.”

Mitchell said Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada have been doing work within the maritime space, and working towards a ferry service that could also take along cargo.
“So, finding the right ferry is very critical,” he added.