Caricom Heads of Government (HoGs) agreed last weekend that verification of documents should be an administrative process be-tween the authorities in the two member states concerned.
Meanwhile the Board of Directors of the Caricom Development Fund (CDF) has been identified in the bid to establish the Single Economy of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).
According to the communiqué issued at the end of the 19th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the HOGs in Nassau, Bahamas over the weekend, the heads acknowledged the right of member states to verify documents of Caricom nationals on entry, but emphasized, “the Caricom national should not have to present the same documents to both countries but should be facilitated through consultation between the competent au-thorities of the two member states concerned. ”
A number of nationals with skills certificates have complained that on entering another member state the certificates issued by their countries are not accepted. It should as be noted that a number of media workers, with skills certificates have been denied the right to work in some member states and were deported.
The HoGs urged those member states that have not yet submitted the requested information to the Caricom Secretariat on the issue of the skills certificate to do so.
They also expressed regret that limited progress had been made with respect to the development of a protocol on contingent rights which affect nationals exercising the right of free movement.
With respect to this, they expressed regret that in many member states, national consultations are yet to be held or completed and urged member states to ensure that national consultations on contingent rights are completed by early April.
They also welcomed the decision by Belize, Grenada, Guyana and Suriname that Caricom nationals travelling these member states would be granted a definite entry of six months, subject to the right of the member state to reject undesirable persons and to prevent persons from becoming a charge on public funds.
Guyana was the first Caricom country to enact legislation to this effect. The heads urged the other member states to take similar actions to grant the definite stay of six months.
Expressing their satisfaction that conditions have now been met from December 31, 2007 for artisans and nationals with associate degrees and the equivalent to be added to the categories eligible for free movement, they urged member states to ensure that all the necessary measures were put in place for the effective exercise of these rights. Where the legal procedures have not been completed, the heads agreed that eligible Caricom nationals must be facilitated administratively.
On the issue of the Single Economy, the Heads noted that progress was being made for its establishment as well as operationalising the CDF and the agency to manage the fund.
Note was taken of the scope of the CDF retaining the CSME-related special and differential policy measures as a significant component but, for effective insertion in the global economy, would include a more outwardly-oriented component to include the promotion of investment, improvement of enterprise competitiveness, development of infrastructure and technical and financial assistance.
The heads confirmed the composition of the board of directors and urged member states to make their contributions in order to expedite the start up of the CDF.
They also noted progress in the preparation of the Strategic Plan for Regional Development and towards the removal of exchange controls on intra-regional transactions by two member states. They welcomed the inter-connectivity initiative towards the establishment of an integrated capital market and urged that the necessary steps be taken to advance the process as soon as possible.
Concerns were expressed that member states are still to implement the regimes for Caricom nationals exercising the right of establishment and the right to provide services, considered critical components of the Single Market which is now in its third year of operation.
The heads also urged member states to finalise, as a matter of priority, the procedures for the free movement of non wage earners and all eligible categories of wage earners bearing in mind the February 29, 2008 timeline, which has already gone.
