Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque on Tuesday 26 February 2019 expressed strong disquiet that the constantly shifting parameters for good tax governance set out by the European Union (EU), are encroaching on the Region’s sovereignty.
Addressing the opening of the 30th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Secretary-General also associated the principle of non-interference with CARICOM’s position on efforts to secure a peaceful resolution of the crisis which has engulfed Venezuela.
That solution must come from among the Venezuelan people, the CARICOM Secretary-General stated, adding:
“It should abide by the internationally recognised and accepted principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy.”
As CARICOM confronted what he described as “a persistent threat” to its efforts for development, he said the principal of non-interference applied with respect to concerns about the EU labelling some CARICOM countries as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.
The EU’s self-determination of what constitutes good tax governance, “reek of a by-gone era which came to an end with our political independence,” the Secretary-General said.
Questioning whether the aim of the EU was to destroy the international financial services in the Region, he said if that was the case, “it would be a frontal attack on the economies of the affected Member States.”
“Financial services provide significant revenue for many of our Member States and therefore are an important source of domestic resources. The mobilisation of domestic resources was recommended by the United Nations Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), as a major part of the finances needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The CARICOM Secretary-General said that the “onerous requirements being imposed are constantly shifting and go beyond those established by the OECD.”
“Our Member States are committed to accomplishing those goals which would help us build resilience against our inherent vulnerabilities,” he added.
You guys in the comments are so misinformed. Read the news a little more.
“It should abide …accepted principles of non-interference.. in affairs of states, adherence to the rule of law, and respect human rights and democracy.” Go tell failed Skerrit. too much talk.
LaRocque, most of the issues affecting CARICOM states come from within where leaders failed, incompetent heads of State for example Dominica & Haiti going now for years. Both poor governance,10 years became a family affair, now Dominica`s Skerrit has his wife as candidate? Currently we need to see the absence of the Skerrit’s. Why is it that the newly Heads of State have not put their houses in order? There are so many NGO`s and relief groups in Haiti, why the hell Haiti and Domininca moved from deep poverty to one of decency, quality life for the people of Haiti/Domininca who continue to survive on Handouts. We struggle with these corrupt leader & government in Domininca. Like Haiti you take an immature underage to be PM, we fail & they ignore adherence to the rule of law. Skerrit failed us.
Good! Wealthy countries are bullying developing countries over this not for wholesome reasons but simply to stop us from developing financial sectors that compete with their own. CARICOM is absolutely correct to push back against this, I only hope they do so as vehemently as possible.
Mr. LaRocque perhaps you should explain further because judging from the comments, people do not understand the problem that you are discussing.
My suggestion to the Secretary general of Caricom is that if the EU and others are infringing on the territorial integrity of independent member states of Caricom then why don’t these independent states just set up their own systems and do business only among themselves. These two by four, two-bit little plantation economies feel they have come of age that they want to make demands of those nations without whose generosity we wouldn’t be able to keep afloat. What has happened to diplomacy and decorum? These little prostitute states feel they are so powerful on the world stage that they can talk down and embarrass those who constantly give succor and developmental assistance to the beggarly little nations who are so full of themselves these days.
Amen Johnathan, well said. Skerrit and his immature incompetent government does not and will never understand the bigger picture of decency in government, the practice, respect for good governance. Skerrit is not of this level to campaign for decency in good governance. It is a rotten “playboys” circle we have in Dominica with the tail attempting to ride the rotten head. That has not worked and will never work. Dominica has fallen into the abyss of poor governance, massive corruption, poor, rotten, corrupt leadership, lack of foresight, not sufficiently mature and educated in the position of running and administering a poor island Dominica which has since elevated to high poverty once Skerrit became Prime (Odd) Minister. Skerrit has failed Domininca, has travelled the world retuning with rhetoric with nothing substantial to move with. Our many hundred farmers no longer farm, Skerrit has killed agriculture now have overseas clowns benefiting richly from sales of our passports…
Wow! Some of these comments beggars belief. Never in my life have I read such ignorant,
banal and moronic statements. To top it all they were submitted by so called ‘educated ‘ individuals.
God Help Dominica/Waitukubuli.
So when Chavez and Maduro are pumping monies in to the election campaigns of Labour parties throughout the Caribbean, is that non interference?
And when Caribbean islands are laundering drug and political monies via local Caribbean banks to European banks, should the EU just shut up and not interference?
When the EU provide grant funding for major projects like the Canefield to Hatten garden road, and Skerrit was boasting as if it wasn’t for him that project would have never happened- was the EU interfering in our politics? Did you complain then?
Man, as a diplomat you should know people only respect power, and what you can offer. What power or leverage can the these wholly dependent island have over the EU? I suggest you watch your mouth, and take another more diplomatic approach instead of trying to act like a King Kong, you sound like a fool.
Caribbean people too like to act like we are smarter than thou. Don’t hide behind policies! What is written on paper can always be changed with time. It can be rewritten. But a human life taken away cannot be regained!!!!!!!!!!! Venezuelans are starving, being tortured merely for wanting to be free to speak their mind and determine their own future, and many are already dead – men, women & children. People of the Caribbean, if or when it is our turn to suffer these fates you would all cry out for help from the international community. So here are Venezuelans calling for OUR help. What are we doing???? NOTHING. Just hiding behind a piece of paper with text on it.
Have some balls! Take a stand! Stand up for what is RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Irwin, did you write that pile of garbage or you simply regurgitate something someone had you ingest?
” Shifting parameters for good tax set out by the EU are encroaching on the region Sovereignty. ” Maybe I am dumb; but such sentiment does not make sense!
“Solution must come from among the Venezuelan people and the CARICOM Secretary.” Guy what nonsense is that; what nonsense are you spewing? The rubbish about Venezuela, and its people: I thought you are, or is the the CARICOM Secretary, if you are; where were you when Maduro began brutalizing the same Venezuelan people staving them to death?
And if you are all that high and mighty, how come there is so much poverty and economic woes in Dominica, why not solve them? Where is your resolve for Dominica where you belong? Right this day the humanitarian aid in food that are sent to Venezuela, the dictator Maduro prevent it into the country!
Can you resolve that?
Resolve Dominica poverty and unemployment then babble…
You’re a so ill-informed.
Well said Fet, thanks much. There is a saying and go check your Grand Mother on this: “Charity begins at home”. OECS, CARICOM. OAS etc, we need urgent help in Domininca that you understand what is happening. Within the system, it is pretty obvious to see the faces of the intellectuals, educated civil servants where the state for years before Skerrit and recently go out there into the international and regional areas, get educated, been to colleges and universities for a period of one year to 3 years and are back but their roles and positions has been undermined by the government not following the Protocal of civil service, but engage clowns like the Astaphans, Bellots who are the loudest and most ignorant talkers on radio spewing absolute illiterate rubbish. Parry, if we recall, you were assigned a contract, or given a task, to examine employment situation. Within the government there are these expertise and were by-passed. To this day we have heard of the results if there was ever…