PM addresses issues from CARICOM meeting

At the recently concluded 27th meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Guyana, several issues, ranging from cricket to BREXIT, were addressed.

During a media conference at the Cabinet room on Monday, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves updated the media on some of the issues that were discussed during the meeting.{{more}}

He noted that the matter of citizenship by investment arose and explained that while he has no issue with a country offering citizenship by investment programmes, he, however, has a problem with economic citizens being given the same rights as someone who got citizenship through birth, descent, marriage or naturalization.

“I can’t say that Antigua and Barbuda…shouldn’t have citizenship by investment programme. That is their right…but what I can say…don’t advertise when you are selling it saying that you have rights to enter and be in all CARICOM countries…”

He noted that matter will continue to be one for much debate; however, his view is not expected to change.

“When we signed on to the Treaty [of Chaguaramas] it was not within our contemplation to embrace economic citizenship.”

Also discussed at the meeting was regional security and according to a communiqué from the CARICOM secretariat, the heads of government agreed on ways to deepen and strengthen co-operation in light of continued threats on regional security.

The heads of government also agreed that urgent steps needed to be taken for the completion of a number of critical regional security agreements, in which the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty was prioritized as an essential instrument to address cross-border crime.

Gonsalves, during the media briefing, also disclosed that he was elected as chair of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket.

Additionally, he noted that the WICB had put forward a document to establish the West Indies Cricket Trust, where “it is proposed that the Trust be funded by an amalgam off philanthropic investments and a regional lottery.”

He, however, noted that the proposal did ‘not see the light of day’ and explained that with there already being the Windward Islands Lottery, he did not want to dilute it.

“My position was simply that we have a lottery already…WINLOT …I am not about to dilute our lottery with another one.”

According the communiqué, the “Heads of Government mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to convene a meeting of Chief Immigration Officers, CARICOM Ambassadors, and other relevant officials by September 30, 2016, in order to address the challenges being experienced by Community nationals travelling throughout the Region.”

Member States were also urged to comply with the relevant decisions taken and the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice and take all appropriate measures to give full effect to the free movement regimes.

The heads of government also reiterated their deep concern about the human rights situation of Dominicans of Haitian descent rendered stateless by the Constitutional Court ruling on nationality.

According to the communiqué there was an agreement to continue the “Region’s advocacy in international fora and bilateral meetings to alleviate the plight of these persons, some of whom have been deported to a country with which they have no links.”

The heads of government also agreed to continue to monitor the development of Britain’s exit from the European Union, as they unfolded and underlined the importance of “common and structured approach that married the technical, political and diplomatic.”

Gonsalves, however, said that without any tangible evidence, he cannot support the ‘doom and gloom’ view that British exit from the European Union (EU) is equal to that of the ‘second Armageddon’.

He explained that after Britain entered the single economy, the preferential treatment, given to not just St Vincent and the Grenadines, but Caribbean countries on whole, decreased.

He noted that while they do receive grants, including the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM), from the EU, he cannot say that Britain entering the single market was good for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Those decisions made our rural economy a very difficult one for people to sustain themselves and alternatives had to be found and time for it is short.”

There was also discussion on: facilitation of travel within the Caribbean Community; correspondent banking; Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D); border issues; Action Plan for Statistics in the Caribbean, health and development, political situation in Suriname; and CARICOM and Cuba. (CM)