Dr. Patrick Antoine, CEO of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organization (CPSO), believes an important announcement regarding air transportation for the movement of agri-food products will be made at the CARICOM summit. Speaking with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Antoine emphasized the significance of this meeting, given the numerous issues the region has been grappling with, including food and nutrition security.
"We have been able to make some progress, and there’s going to be an announcement here of the work that the CPSO and its members have been able to do and the achievements that we have registered on this matter of intra-regional transport, where the movement of agri-food products are concerned," Antoine said. "So, that is one crucial thing. And there are some commitments that we’d like to get from heads that would sustain the advancements that we’ve had on that pillar."
Antoine believes it’s essential to "recalibrate" at this meeting, not just in terms of food security but also overall security, climate change, and the movements taking place in the region, given its location at the third border of the United States. "CARICOM has to find itself located in that now. This meeting is important because we still have to focus on our priorities, but in a different context, the priorities haven’t changed," he added.
The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is also a key issue, with Antoine supporting the position of Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit in calling for the free movement of all Caribbean nationals, not just specific categories like university graduates, musicians, and media workers. "So many facets of that cut across the need for us to essentially be able to build scale and get the quality experts that we want to work in various fields, whether accounting, building micro and small enterprise capacity, or technology generation," he said.
Antoine also emphasized the importance of a recommitment by CARICOM leaders to the achievement of the regional stock exchange, which would enable the region to build scale, capacity, and get firms that suffer from finance and capital. "Building this regional stock exchange will allow us to do that," he said. "And the private sector is enthused about heads giving a recommitment so that we can essentially set about the task of getting this comprehensive study done that we need the signal from heads right, that they’re prepared to work with us to get this done in the shortest possible time frame."
Antoine also highlighted the need for trade facilitation, as the region cannot afford to start a service that would suffer from the same drawbacks as before, particularly in the context of South-South trade. "There’s so much happening with the policies of our trading partner to the north, where the sort of repatriation of migrant workers is concerned, the impact that’s going to have on production, security, food supplies, and the climatic shifts taking place," he said.
Conclusion:
Dr. Patrick Antoine’s statements emphasize the importance of the CARICOM summit, which will focus on issues such as air transportation, food security, and the CSME. The region must adapt to the changing context, including the impact of the Trump administration’s policies, and work towards building scale, capacity, and getting firms that suffer from finance and capital.
FAQs:
Q: What is the significance of the CARICOM summit?
A: The summit will focus on issues such as air transportation, food security, and the CSME, and will be crucial in addressing the region’s challenges.
Q: What is the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)?
A: The CSME is a key issue, and Dr. Antoine supports the position of calling for the free movement of all Caribbean nationals, not just specific categories.
Q: What is the importance of a regional stock exchange?
A: A regional stock exchange will enable the region to build scale, capacity, and get firms that suffer from finance and capital.
Q: What is the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on the region?
A: Dr. Antoine highlighted the need for the region to work around the challenges posed by the Trump administration’s policies, particularly in terms of trade and the repatriation of migrant workers.
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