President reiterates appeal for hassle-free CARICOM travel
By Nivedta Kowlessar
Guyana Chronicle
November 29, 2003
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo wants "more determined" efforts to be made by Caribbean governments to ensure hassle-free travel within the region.
He told reporters he did so at the Ninth Special Meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government in St Lucia, earlier this month.
Guyana has amended legislation to provide for the acceptance of photo identification, other than passports, to allow Caribbean nationals to enter Guyana.
At an early afternoon press conference at the Presidential Secretariat in Georgetown, Mr. Jagdeo stressed that "all countries have an obligation to facilitate the free movement of our people".
But he contended that "far too often", the Guyana Government receives complaints of the ill-treatment of Guyanese travelling to certain destinations.
In St Lucia, leaders rated progress towards the creation of a single market and economy.
President Jagdeo said most member states, including Guyana, have made necessary arrangements to allow certain categories of CARICOM nationals to work anywhere in the region.
Steps are being taken to meet a December 2003 deadline for the removal of legal and administrative restrictions on the right of establishment, the provision of services and the movement of capital.
In St Lucia, energy was another major agenda item, and President Jagdeo said an advisory legal opinion was provided on national treatment and non-discrimination in relation to access and pricing of natural resources.
While the document was helpful in focusing attention on critical aspects, it was felt that more time was needed to study legal and economic implications.
There would just be further analysis to inform a future course of action, he reported.
"Energy is vital to the competitiveness of regional industries and it would therefore be important for agreement to be reached between producing and consuming countries.
"In this regard, we'll continue to work on a regional energy policy. In the same spirit of forging regional cooperation, Guyana has advocated common policies in the areas of agriculture and fisheries," the President noted.
Leaders also resumed consideration of the issue of governance in an effort to see options available to further strengthen and deepen the region's integration process.
Reports of an expert ministerial group, calling for the establishment of a CARICOM Commission; greater role for the Association of Caribbean Parliamentarians and the principle of automatic resource transfers were discussed.
President Jagdeo said the leaders decided to have the reports disseminated to allow for widespread public participation in the process.
"Once our people have made their input, we will be better able to see the direction we should go as a region," he said.
The Free Trade Area of the Americas and economic partnership agreements with the European Union and within the World Trade Organisation, were among other matters raised.
President Jagdeo said he announced the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation's initiative to produce HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral drugs that would offer significant savings for governments in the region. He reported it was welcomed by all.