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| CARICOM LOGO |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 30TH 2005 A series of meetings aimed at sensitising nationals of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy will be held here on Wednesday and Friday.
The meetings are in preparation for an upcoming Official Visit by Barbados Prime Minister and CARICOM lead Head with responsibility for the CSME, the Right Hon. Owen Arthur.
According to the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, a technical team of high level officials from the Georgetown-based CARICOM Secretariat, the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat and the St. Kitts-based Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) will meet with the interest groups to stimulate public awareness and discussion on the CSME.
In order to ensure that the unique concerns of the public/private sectors and non-state actors are meaningfully addressed, two meetings will be held during which senior public and private sector officials from Nevis and St. Kitts will be engaged.
The Private Sector meeting will be held on Wednesday, 30th November from 1:30 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. and the Public Sector on Thursday 1st December from 9:30 A.M. and 12: Noon. Both meetings will be held at the OTI Conference Room.
The Ministry said the discussions will focus on aspects of the CSME, which are of greatest concern to the OECS member states.
Pertinent issues include difficulties including those relating to the Alien Landholding Legislation and technical assistance required to meet the 31st December 2005 deadline for the Single Market, Special and Differential Treatment, the Development Fund (to assist disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors), assured markets and possible special and differential treatment for specific agriculture commodities as well as OECS Economic Union within the CSME.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has issued an appeal to all stakeholders to participate in this process, bearing in mind this consultation is an effort towards maximising the benefits and opportunities which will accompany the CSME.
