[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1595-E1596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CARIBBEAN CONTEMPLATES SINGLE MARKET ECONOMY

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record a 
July 15, 2008 New York Carib News Op-Ed entitled: ``CARICOM Summit on 
Economic Integration.''
  One issue that was made very clear as a result of the CARICOM 
Conference in New York is that there is a call for economic and 
political unity among the CARICOM states. With dozens of small 
economies that are similar in makeup and have many of the same goals, 
it is clear that the need for the Caribbean to form a Single Market 
Economy would eliminate many barriers to growth in the region.
  The Op-Ed speaks to the benefits that this Single Market Economy 
would have for the growth of the Caribbean and that ``the sooner the 
roadblocks are removed the better it would be for the region as a 
whole.'' The Caribbean can possibly experience the growth that Europe 
continues to experience since their unification. But unity will not be 
easy as we are dealing with issues of sovereignty and especially fear 
of an influx of unemployed migrants and the free movement of criminal 
networks.

                 CARICOM Summit on Economic Integration

       When Caribbean leaders met recently in New York and 
     Antigua, the effects which democracy and the free and fair 
     expression of the will of the electorate in various Caricom 
     countries in recent months were quite evident.
       Several new faces were around the tables since the advent 
     of the year 2007, with new leaders making their presence felt 
     in one way or another in the council of the Caribbean 
     Community. St. Lucia, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize have 
     all changed governments while Trinidad and Tobago and its 
     ruling People's National Movement bucked what appeared to be 
     a trend in the wind of change that swept out governments, 
     some with good records in office.
       That change was bound to affect the pace of movement 
     towards the establishment of the Single Economy, a vital step 
     in the process towards regional economic integration. After 
     all, new leaders could be expected to get up to speed on such 
     a vital step.
       By any measure, the road to the Caribbean Single Market and 
     Economy is being traveled with less enthusiasm and fanfare 
     than two to three years ago. Part of that hard and 
     regrettable fact of life can be attributed to the departure 
     of two enthusiastic advocates of regional togetherness, P.J. 
     Patterson of Jamaica and Owen Seymour Arthur of Barbados. 
     They served the region well but couldn't be expected to 
     continue forever.
       That situation may explain the recent criticism level by 
     Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the 
     Grenadines who complained that the implementation of the CSME 
     was taking a back seat to other things.
       So that's why it made sense for the leaders at their 
     meeting in Antigua last week to decide to meet before the end 
     of the year to take stock of the CSME.
       ``The meeting will review the status of the preparation for 
     the Strategic Plan for Regional Development, Member-States' 
     readiness for the implementation of the Single Economy, as 
     well as the role of stakeholders in the implementation of 
     various elements of the CSME,'' was the way the leaders put 
     it in their joint communique issue after the summit. Although 
     lacking in specifics, that statement spoke volumes about 
     where the region stands when it comes to the CSME. It tells 
     us that quite a lot of unfinished business remains to be 
     resolved and it suggests that some countries may be stalling 
     on going forward with the Single Economy. But the sooner the 
     roadblocks are removed the better it would be for the region 
     as a whole.
       One thing is clear: Caricom has fostered a sense of 
     togetherness within the region. But the countries must be 
     prepared to give up some of the things they hold dear for the 
     good of the region. One of them is sovereignty. That's how 
     Europe has achieved such progress. The problem is that far 
     too many leaders and countries want to have their cake and 
     eat it too. Without compromises and concessions we aren't 
     going to move forward. Perhaps, the members of the 
     Organization of Eastern Caribbean States should examine their 
     own attitude to the CSME.
       Nevertheless, there were some crucial decisions made at the 
     Antigua summit. One of them was the crucial support given to 
     the creation of the Caribbean Public Health Agency that would 
     help bring the various regional health institutions under a 
     single set of operating procedures. It would boost oversight 
     of the management of regional health programs.
       Another was the word on the Caricom passport and the 
     movement of people throughout the region. Both Jamaica and 
     Belize have now decided to begin issuing the Caricom passport 
     by the end of the year. That step should reduce many of the 
     hassles people encounter in moving from one territory to 
     another and that's why it is vital for the member-states to 
     put the machinery in place to ensure that the system is well-
     oiled so that ease of travel would become a reality and not 
     the exception.
       A disappointing note was struck however when Caricom 
     devoted only two lines to the question of the free movement 
     of people within the community. The leaders sidestepped the 
     question when they decided to ``review the implementation of 
     the free movement of Caricom skilled nationals with a view to 
     determining its ratification or mediation.'' That's a sure 
     indication of further delay.

[[Page E1596]]

       There is an understandable level of apprehension about the 
     impact of free movement on individual economies at a time of 
     worries about the global economic picture, the food crisis, 
     skyrocketing oil prices. There is also major worry about the 
     increasing high level of crime.
       With the economies of the United States and Britain slowing 
     down and the negative impact that it could have on the vital 
     tourism industry in the Caribbean, countries fear they would 
     be hurt by a declining tourism industry and a steady influx 
     of job seekers from their neighbors. They are also deeply 
     worried about the machinations of regional criminal networks 
     that are far more sophisticated than the police and other 
     security forces.

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