Implementation Of Single Common Market on Table for CARICOM Intercessional

Dr. Carla Barnett

Heads of Government will also address growing concerns over the leadership and humanitarian crisis in Haiti. According to Dr. Barnett, leaders will speak with Haitian representatives to further understand how the Caribbean Community can offer greater support towards the stabilization of Haiti and its people. And then there is the issue of the Caribbean Single Market Economy, a strategy that leaders are looking forward to implementing, now more than ever, as a part of the solution to the region’s economic crisis.

Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary General, CARICOM

“I think what the COVID pandemic has emphasized for us is the real importance of being able to support one another, combine our efforts in economic development, invest in each other’s countries, making sure where there are opportunities those opportunities are shared, where there are risks we address them together, because at the end of the day, within the C.S.M.E., that is really about our future. And, we learned it as we battled to get access to vaccines for example. We learnt it as we had to treat with the food security issue, that at the end of the day we have to take care of ourselves. And, one of the key parts of taking care of ourselves is ensuring that we develop the C.S.M.E. as best as we can. Yes admit up front that there have been delays in implementing key aspects of it. I was a part of a discussion of few days ago with the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee and I will tell you that very single Prime Minister, every single Minister, every person around the table recommitted to C.S.M.E. because everybody understand more than ever now that in fact it is critical for us to get the C.S.M.E. going and properly because the advantages are there.”