(Jamaica Observer) – In the wake of non-tariff barriers recently imposed on the export of Jamaican patties to Trinidad, Prime Minister Bruce Golding has commented that problems were also being encountered between Caribbean states in the movement of people.
“It’s not just in trade,” Golding said at the launch of National Export month held by the JEA at the Knutsford Court hotel in Kingston. “We are also having difficulty in the movement of people.”
The prime minister argued that under the treaty of Chaguaramas, Caricom countries were supposed to open their immigration doors to all Caribbean nationals this year.
“So long as you are a Caribbean national you are supposed to move freely throughout the region,” Golding said, adding that goods were supposed to be traded freely “from a long time ago”.
“That has not been happening,” he remarked.
Caricom passports are now being issued by the Jamaican Government replacing the recently introduced burgundy passports and the traditional blue passports.
But Golding is charging that many Caricom countries are deliberately delaying the implementation of the agreement allowing unrestricted travel of professionals between countries.
“It is unacceptable when one country says that I know I was supposed to have allowed professionals entry by now but have not been able to do it,” Golding told the gathering. He added that some Caricom leaders have said that they were unsure when they would be able to allow unrestricted entry.
“I think we are at a point where we are going to have to either renew in a demonstrable way our commitment to this Caricom process or be honest and decide what we are prepared to commit ourselves to,” Golding said.
He acknowledged, however, that some Caribbean states had legitimate problems, citing Antigua where he said immigrants were attracted to the higher per capita income in the island.
