CARICOM Secretary-General stops in Belize for a visit with the P.M.
Irwin LaRocque
Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque concluded an official visit to Belize today, following a call on Prime Minister Dean Barrow and other CARICOM-affiliated agencies in the country. During his stay LaRocque also met with stakeholders in the private sector before convening a brief sit-down with members of the media. The discussion covered a number of issues that have an impact throughout the Caribbean. LaRocque said that small economies such as those of CARICOM member states ought not to be treated as larger economies.
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General
“We are small economies, our economies; in terms of how you measure the economies are small. We are highly indebted, just about every single one of our countries are highly indebted, public debt and yet we are middle income, which is, in a way, is difficult for us as middle income, because while you celebrate that you are a middle income country it also means that you cannot access concessionary finances to address some of the very economic ills that you have. And, there are certain peculiarities about our economies that we are trying to bring to the attention of the international financial institutions like the IDB, the World Bank and the IMF, that they cannot treat Caribbean countries, or small countries, because there some countries in the Pacific that share similar characteristics, you ought not to treat a small country economically in the same way that you would treat a larger country that is more diversified in the economic activities it engages in merely because you have the same per capita income.”
According to LaRocque, Belize is expected to play a critical role in ensuring food security for the region.
Small, medium, or large, I’d rather not have any more national debt. Almost everything we have borrowed has been embezzled, stolen, and pilfered, yet we still have to pay it all back.
So what is this man saying everyone knows this is so why is he wasting his time saying nonsense.
The cumulative idea and concept of Caricom is nonsense. The only persons who benefit from Caricom are people like Laroque and Dean Barrow bcause it feeds their perverted personal aggrandizement and hubris. Consider that the very opulent European countries are chafing with their union , what do you think about the dirt poor caribbean countries? Belize has beenpart of this nonsense for the past 50 years and just wasting its resources. Only Barrow gained by being named King of the Caribbean for 6 months. Ha ha!! what a dumb crud!!
Well this guy is wildly misguided if he feels that Belize can help with ensuring food security in the region. This administration has put agriculture at the very bottom of their mandate. Even though it is a huge generator of foreign exchange. Almost all staples are being imported by the infamous BMDC. And this is usually done when it is convenient to mess up the local market.
This ministry is being run by a shampoo salesman. And his helper (Patt) admits he knows nothing about agriculture. His CEO (Alpuche) has spent all his life trying to find ways to screw people and the guy who is really running things (Cruz) has a WIFM attitude. What can you expect?
I think the Caribbean should consider a different source for their food security agenda. Mr Barrow and his cabinet have put Agriculture at the bottom of their interests because importation is much more profitable. Our roads that give access to local markets are deplorable fuel is at a price that is undermining the existence of our grain farmers when we could have fuel cheap enough to feed all of Central America and the Caribbean but the Prime Minister had to much fun forgiving loans at SSB and DFC to buy votes so he could win the election again and now there is not enough money but he needs to collect it somehow. Well who can he collect if from the quickest and easiest?the grain farming sector because it is the biggest driving force behind our economy.How does he do it ? by putting very high import taxes on fuel which account for the biggest contributor to revenue for our government to operate, so our cost of production is to high for us to entertain the thought about becoming the bread basket for anybody.
Woe to the Belizean population because food shortage is coming and very fast too.
Sometimes I wonder if policies of this nature brought an end to the great Mayan civilization!
CARICOM was a good but naive idea. It accomplishes nothing big because of too many petty personalities ruling the various members, and national elections keep changing the roster that must be dealt with. And that is without taking into account outside influences, like the activities of drug cartels trying to infiltrate and take over various member states.
I feel OAS did a few good things in the past, but it has broken apart, too. For our little country, I don’t think there is a realistic place to turn for a long-term, beneficial relationship right now. Maybe that will change — I read candidate Romney recently said the USA needs to focus to open trade and prosperity in Latin America, and it is POSSIBLE something useful could come from that. But even if it does, US policies are subject to change every election.
I think if we had a more competent and honest government here at home, we could develop our own resources and have a much better situation sooner than you might expect. Is competent and honest government too much to dream for in the Jewel?