Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque has urged the Belizean private sector to capitalise on the opportunities provided under the CSME, even as he examined a suggestion about its role as a possible conduit to increase trade between Caricom and Central America, during a recent visit there.
According to a press statement from the Caricom Secretariat the group made the suggestion during an interactive session the Secretary-General held with them on the second and final day of his official visit to Belize. LaRocque told the businessmen that Caricom “is your market; use it; it is your right.”
LaRocque hailed the interaction with the group as one of the highest levels of engagement he has had with the business community during his visits to member states, the press release said.
He also outlined the measures being undertaken to encourage the growth of trade within the Community and the opportunities for increasing exports to international markets. The Secretary-General emphasised Belize’s potential to capitalise in both instances, particularly in the area of agriculture.
The business community brought to his attention some of their concerns and offered suggestions to improve the trading exchanges within the Community. They also suggested their country’s role as a possible conduit to increase trade and business opportunities between Caricom and Central America.
Later in the afternoon the Secretary-General told youth representatives that he viewed youth as an asset and that their time is now. The group included one of the Caricom Youth Ambassadors and members of the group of Belizean students who participated in a project funded by the European Union which enabled them to visit other member states to observe the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in action.
The lively exchanges included discussions on how to pass on the knowledge gained from the CSME travel experience and sustain interest in the activities of Community. “The need for targeted public education programmes to generate a sense of ownership of the integration movement in Belize was one of the issues raised and included a suggestion of a sustained programme in the formal education system from kindergarten to university,” the press release said.
The Secretary-General also had a lengthy interaction with the Belizean media during which suggestions to improve the information flow in Belize with respect to the Caribbean Community took centre stage.
It was a theme that continued during his appearance on a live television programme on Tuesday night.
According to the release, earlier the Secretary-General had visited the headquarters of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) in Belize City where he was met by Executive Director Dr Milton Haughton.
After touring the offices, he met with staff and was given an update on the various projects that the CRFM is undertaking.
