Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness has called for Caricom leaders to make the movement of labour throughout the Caribbean Community as easy as the movement of goods.
Speaking at the opening of the 37th Heads of Government Conference, Holness said that “for many, including the man in the street, freedom of movement represents a tangible way in which he can benefit from regional integration.”
He said that “regional integration is not an end to itself, it is a means to… broader achievement, the economic growth of our countries and improvement of our citizens lives.”
He explained that while his country has from its inception been supportive of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and has undertaken all reforms including changes in legislations to fulfil all regional obligations, CSME as a mere concept cannot develop the promises of growth and improvement.
The PM stressed that while Jamaica currently provides a strong, transparent and predictable regulatory environment for those who wish to relocate for work purposes, Jamaicans have been expressing concerns of increased cases of denial of entry and questionable treatment at ports of entry to other jurisdictions.
“This must be urgently addressed in a meaningful way, otherwise the economic sense of Caricom becomes increasing questionable itself,” he said.
He said he has been encouraged by the level of understanding and responsiveness to the concerns he has so far received from members of the community and believes that bilateral efforts supported by additional effort in the institutions of the community can make the movement of labour equal to the movement of goods, “a reality that will extend the progress and benefit of the integration effort.”
According to Holness, within the Caricom integration effort insufficient attention has been paid to bilateral relations, a state of affairs his government is hoping to remedy through its current negotiations with Trinidad and Tobago for a joint commission agreement to develop a mutually beneficial cooperation programme.
He stated his intention to have similar negotiations with other Caricom states.
Trinidad has been accused of arbitrarily denying entry to a large number of Jamaicans and this has gained traction over the last few months. This has led to the Jamaican private sector calling for a boycott of Trinidadian produce and raising questions as to the benefits of Caricom to that island nation.
In response, the Jamaican government has established a commission to review the relations within Caricom and the ACP-Cariforum framework.
According to Holness, the commission will determine among other things the extent to which Jamaica’s involvement in Caricom has impacted on its economic growth and development.
