~~Adz:Left~~Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 25, 2006): The delegation from the Caribbean Community's Single Market and Economy Unit left the Federation on Wednesday, having completed a series of discussions with the media, high school students and private and public sector officials.
Communications Specialist Salas Hamilton, Macro Economist Lennox Forte and Senior Legal Officer Elma-Jean Isaac made the four-day visit, designed to heighten public awareness about the impact of CSME. The Unit's Programme Manager Ivor Carryl was unable to visit as previously advertised.
On Tuesday's edition of Perspectives - an SKNIS radio programme - Hamilton addressed common misconceptions.
"The man on the street has fears that people are coming here to take his job,"
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| (left to right) Salas Hamilton, Elma-Jean Isaac and Lennox Forte visited St. Kitts and Nevis. |
he said adding that some believe that CSME is necessary to cope in a globalised world while others believe that (CSME) is a new organization created to replace CARICOM.
"The ignorance, and I say ignorance not in a bad sense but the lack of information and education that we are hearing " assist this process and & it comes right back to this sort of exercise (to educate persons).
The free movement of people provision is considered to be a contentious issue among most circles in the region. Hamilton quoted statistics to dispel fears, and present a factual picture.
"The statistics are showing that there is no wave of persons coming into St. Kitts and Nevis," he stressed. "In St. Kitts and Nevis, (the numbers) under the seven categories of (free movement) plus the entrepreneurs, might be less than 30 (persons)."
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| Young people at the UWI Center for a presentation on CSME |
He revealed that St. Lucia has had nine persons moving under this initiative while in Barbados and Trinidad, which has large populations, the numbers are less than 1,500.
"Persons sometime don't realize and appreciate that those categories who can move under CSME means non-work permits.
People can come and get work permits and those are the individuals who have come in their thousands and somehow there is this fear that CSME has brought thousands of persons," the CARICOM official stressed.
While here, the CSME officials also met with youth representatives.
A special session was held at the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies on Monday evening with members of youth groups and youth related workers.
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| Lennox Forte presents to young people at the UWI Center. |
Mr. Hamilton noted that this meeting was extremely useful as "it is necessary to encourage and engage the future (i.e. young people) of St. Kitts and Nevis."
"The youth are very interested in the CSME. They asked some very important questions in terms of the future, not just about the positives of the Single Market and Economy but some of the challenges they're going to face." he said.
"There is no regret in coming to continue the education exercise in St. Kitts and Nevis." Plans are being made to pay a similar visit next month.
