CARICOM chairman and Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit has issued a call for free movement, removal of non-tariff barriers to trade and affordable transport, within the region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 45th Regular Meeting of Caricom Heads at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Monday, Skerrit said the regional body should try to help to make travel within the region “a joy rather than a hassle.”
Skerrit said, “We are aware of the challenges making air and sea transport more efficient and affordable.”
He underlined the importance of regional transportation by saying that the backbone of integration was in fact the movement of people and goods in the region.
He admitted that initiatives in transportation require investment and confidence but said an economic pay-off would come by way of improved opportunities and improved travel options. “Entrepreneurs must look for opportunities in the transportation sector and be there for the long haul.”
Skerrit paid tribute to Caricom’s longevity on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, hailing it as the longest-surviving integration movement in the developing world. He said globally, it was second in longevity only to the European Union (EU.) He urged, “We must all say, ‘I am Caricom'”.
“Let’s take decisions that are truly transformative, for the next 50 years,” he urged.
He asked aloud what was preventing the region being a single domestic space include free travel.