Dominica has provided support for regional integration and is fully committed to the integration process, according to Minister for Trade, Energy and Employment.
A two-day workshop is currently being held in Dominica to target media workers and spokespersons on the island to enhance knowledge on the CARICOM Single Market Economy (CSME) and in particular the five regimes; namely: free movement of persons, free movement of goods, free movement of skills, free movement of capital and the right of establishment.
The workshop is a collaborative effort of the Government of Dominica and the CARICOM Secretariat and is geared at improving the flow of information within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy CSME).
Douglas who was addressing the opening ceremony of the workshop held at the Fort Young Hotel on Monday, said there are tremendous benefits to be derived from citizens from the integration movement.
According to Douglas, the world is increasingly becoming globalized into trading blocks, “the EU and all of the other trading blocks that we have in the world today and as a result, we, as vulnerable economies, must remain together so that we can be stronger.”
He said, “We can either swim together or sink one by one.”
Douglas also stated that the single economic space between CARICOM has created more opportunities for trade.
“Any Dominican product or Dominican professional can move within and throughout the region free of any impediments as long as you have the CARICOM skills certificate,” he noted.
These opportunities have been created for hassle free travel and for the establishment of local businesses anywhere in the region without impediments.
“And this is why we in Dominica will support any and every effort towards the sensitization of the public on the elements of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and that is why the media personnel and spokespersons are so important to the process,” Douglas noted.
Meanwhile, Dominica’s Ambassador to the OECS and CARICOM, His Excellency Felix Gregoire, said CARICOM has achieved a lot in the free movement regime.
“We have been criticizing CARICOM over the years about lack of implementation and the slowness of the work that CARICOM is undertaking but when you actually take stock you will realize that CARICOM has achieve quite a bit, a lot has been achieved and a lot has been achieved in the free movement regime,” he stated. “We have free movement of persons and free movement of goods and a lot has been achieved.”
Mr. Gregoire said that is why CARICOM “is embarking on a series of workshops to publicize the work and to get persons to spread the word around.”
More cosmetic talk again….just like the new tourism minister and the OECS ambassador. when these honorable gentlemen speak one can tell they have nothing of substance to bring forward but because an opportunity to talk presents itself the do the obvious…..yes…TALK. I implore these gentlemen again to listen to themselves talk and see if they would or can convince their own selves.
All you guys should be locked up. what a shame the things you all are doing to this young nation,quickly becoming the laughing stalk of the Caribbean. The cheapest place in the world to obtain citizenship;.
Laughing stock Rudy, not laughing stalk, please.
Ok Mr Oxford, but you got the point
So what of the Haitians as members of CARICOM ?
How doe Blackmore intend dealing with them “?
They have 8 million and certainly have 1% economically viable to trade and be tourists legitimately don’t they ?
Caricom citizens supposed to have visa free access but we are fleecing them of dry money when they come here. No wonder they are poor and don’t want to stay here.
If I understand correctly, Caricom citizens have free movement only if they have a university education or if they meet one of the other of a small set of requirements. That would exclude the vast majority of Haitians.
“According to Douglas, the world is increasingly becoming globalized into trading blocks, “the EU and all of the other trading blocks that we have in the world today and as a result, we, as vulnerable economies, must remain together so that we can be stronger.”
Okay, you said it: now disclose what the hell you have to trade except the useless words you speak. You have a product in Dominica, the raw material can be process into millions of bags of cement which would make Dominica a major supplyer of cement to the rest of the Caribbean, rather than manufacture cement in the country you sell the raw material to somebody in Martinique. When people talk about trade they need to have something to trade, you will trade Dominicans out of the country for greener pastures. Very few skilled people will come to Dominica because we have no industry in which they can be employed!
Both Guadeloupe and Martinique have their own cement production, approx. 500,000 metric tonnes a year between them. Actually, I don’t understand why we don’t buy from them instead, already bagged so we can dispense with that ugly installation at Rockaway.
Correct me if I am wrong; that thing in Rockaway should not even be built, since its sole purpose is to bag cement imported from Trinidad, and exported to the lessor developed islands of the Caribbean. The time they took to enter into such a venture, a manufacturing cement plant should have been built.
The raw material we have; the main resource for manufacturing cement we have; so the decision to sell the raw material, and go into a bagging plant is an indication that our people perhaps are the only people who sees the world in an inverted position.
St Vincent and the Grenadines’ New Airport Will Be Solar-Powered
stupessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
“Any Dominican product or Dominican professional can move within and throughout the region………”
This happens not to be so, Mr. Minister. Caricom is yet to sort out the situation with respect to doctors. CSME has been nothing but a confusion for them. Contradictions and uncertainties are all that various individual bodies have offered.
We have such free movement of people, that might explain why Trinidad detains Jamaicans at the airport.
Not to mention Barbados. They have a special line at their airport for Caricom passport holders and that is always moving slower than the one for foreign tourists.
I guess Mr. Douglas have found his voice again but for how long not long before he goes into hiding.
It’s about time, “All we have is sea water and sand”
Why do I have to fill in a departure form or arrival form ad have my Dominican passport stamped every time I leave or return to Dominica? That does not make sense to me, especially now that we have a passport that can be read by computer. Let’s start with that freedom at home first.
Dominica is always ready to support why is that? and why is Dominica the least Develop in O E C S and CARICOM? a true observation. i do know the answer to my question.
You are forgetting Haiti??