No mention has been made on the status of Haiti, which was the last Member State to join the community; and The Bahamas is not a part of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Guyana’s newly-accredited Ambassador to Caricom, Elisabeth Harper told Stabroek News that Guyana had been ready since President Bharrat Jagdeo signed the order made under the Immigration Act, which allowed graduates of the University of Suriname to work or settle in Guyana in June. The signing of the order allows the Surinamese graduates the same conditions extended to university graduates of other Caricom states.

Harper said that Guyana had already put all the legal mechanisms in place to facilitate the free movement of the other categories of workers mentioned for all other states. The signing was also in keeping with the establishment of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

At the recent Caricom Heads of Government Confer-ence held in Jamaica earlier this month, the leaders declared that effective August 1, there would be free movement of graduates and the other approved categories of workers to work across the region.

Caricom nationals in these categories will have the right to enter any member state for six months in the first instance, and to work in that member state consistent with the criteria and procedures which have been agreed to and which will be posted on the Caricom website.

To date, only The Bahamas has not signed onto the CSME but Secretary-General Edwin Carrington has said that the Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur earlier this week had been meeting with the stakeholders in the Bahamas informing them of its advantages.

Adviser on the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and Sectoral Programme, Desiree Field-Ridley, who is currently based at the CSME Unit in Barbados, told Stabroek News from Barbados that while Montserrat and St Kitts and Nevis were not yet ready, Grenada’s framework was in place but legislation needed to be amended first to start processing applications.

Once the free movement takes effect from August 1 across the region, Field-Ridley said that the focus would shift to the programme for the removal of work permit restrictions and to confirm the agreed programme and timetable.

This will give effect to the free movement of the new categories of self-employed Caricom nationals establishing businesses, providing services, moving capital, and their managerial, technical and supervisory staff and spouses and immediate dependents. This will take into account the programme established by the Heads setting out the timelines of December 2003, 2004, and 2005 for the removal of remaining restrictions.

An update from the CSME Unit on the state of readiness of all member states noted that in both Montserrat and St Kitts-Nevis, legislation must still be enacted.

In the case of Grenada, the Attorney-General’s Chambers is addressing this issue and the amendment is expected before the August 1 deadline.

Field-Ridley said that Jamaica had been in the forefront of free movement of skilled persons before other Caricom member states with legislation put in place since 1997. Jamaica’s administrative and procedural framework for the free movement of the approved categories is operationalised as the necessary administrative and procedural framework is in place and functioning.

Others fully operationalis-ed and functioning are Anti-gua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

While the administrative and procedural framework for the free movement of university graduates is functioning in Trinidad and Tobago, the necessary framework is in place but not yet functioning for the other approved categories.

In relation to Barbados, legislation is to be amended to allow university graduates to seek work and legislation is being amended to give the free movement of the other approved categories of workers, the agreed legal basis. However, the free movement of these categories is currently being dealt with through an administrative procedure.

In Belize, Caricom nationals with a certificate of recognition from other member states will be accepted for a definite period not exceeding six months, during which period they must obtain the certificate from the government of Belize. However, in Belize some administrative and procedural arrangements must still be put in place to issue certificates.

In Suriname, the State Decree was signed by the President, and publication is expected at any time. The administrative and procedural framework is in place to start dealing with applications, once the State Decree is published. The State Decree covers all categories mentioned, also self-employed service providers and businessmen and their key staff and dependents.