SERVICES IN THE CARICOM SINGLE MARKET AND

ECONOMYBY

Ambassador Irwin LaRocqueAssistant Secretary General Trade and

Economic IntegrationCARICOM SECRETARIAT

Regional Symposium on Services 15-17 July 2009 Antigua and Barbuda

“THE NEED TO WORK EXPEDITIOUSLY TOGETHER TO DEEPEN THE INTEGRATION PROCESS AND STRENGTHEN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY IN ALL OF ITS DIMENSIONS TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY THE CHANGES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.”

DECISION TO CREATE THE CSME. RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO INCLUDE

SERVICES AND FREE MOVEMENT OF SKILLED AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL.

GRAND ANSE DECLARATION (JULY 1989)

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THE REVISED TREATY CONFERS RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ON NATIONALS AND MEMBER STATES

RIGHTS AND DECISIONS ARE ENFORCEABLE THE REVISED TREATY OF CHAGUARAMAS IS

ENACTED INTO DOMESTIC LEGISLATION OF MEMBER STATES

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY ARE NATIONAL TREATMENT AND MOST FAVOURED NATION TREATMENT

THE REVISED TREATY OF CHAGUARAMAS

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CSME LAUNCHED IN 2006 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES:

◦ ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ◦ BARBADOS◦ BELIZE◦ DOMINICA◦ GRENADA◦ GUYANA◦ JAMAICA◦ ST. KITTS AND NEVIS◦ SAINT LUCIA◦ ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES◦ SURINAME◦ TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

MEMBER STATES PARTICIPATING IN THE CSME AT THIS TIME

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BAHAMAS DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CSME

HAITI PLANS COMMENCE TRADING IN GOODS BY JANUARY 1, 2010

MONTSERRAT HAS NOT RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM TO ACCEDE TO THE REVISED TREATY INCLUDING THE CSME

MEMBER STATES NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE CSME AT

THIS TIME

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THE CARICOM SINGLE MARKET AND ECONOMY IS INTENDED TO COMPRISE A SET OF RIGHTS, BINDING OBLIGATIONS, COORDINATED POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS THEREBY ENABLING THE INDIVIDUAL CARICOM ECONOMIES TO OPERATE AS A SINGLE ECONOMIC SPACE

WHAT IS THE CSME?

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FREE TRADE IN GOODS FREE TRADE IN SERVICES FREE MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL FREE MOVEMENT OF CARICOM NATIONALS RIGHT OF CARICOM NATIONALS TO ESTABLISH

ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES ANYWHERE IN THE CSME

MACRO-ECONOMIC POLICY COORDINATION AND HARMONISATION

SECTORAL POLICY COORDINATION AND HARMONISATION

ELEMENTS OF THE CSME

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The right of every CARICOM national to engage in any non-wage-earning activities of a commercial, industrial, agricultural, professional or artisanal nature and to create and manage economic enterprises for the production of or trade in goods or the provision of services owned or controlled by a CARICOM national

“Non-wage” earning means activities undertaken by self employed persons

THE RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENTArticle 32

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“Service” means the services provided against remuneration other than wages in any approved sector and the “ the provision of services” means the supply of services:

from the territory of one Member State into the territory of another Member States ( Mode I);

in the territory of one Member state into the service consumer of another Member State( Mode II);

service supplier of one Member State through commercial presence in the territory of another Member State( Mode III);

and by a service supplier of one Member State trough the presence of natural persons of a Member State in the territory of another Member State( Mode IV).

THE RIGHT TO PROVIDE SERVICESArticle 36

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THE RIGHT TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT BY APPROVED CATEGORIES :

- UNIVERSITY GRADUATES - MEDIA WORKERS - SPORTSPERSONS - ARTISTES - MUSICIANS - NURSES - TEACHERS - ASSOCIATE DEGREES HOLDERS - ARTISANS WITH A CVQ - HOUSEHOLD DOMESTICS WITH CVQ OR EQUIVALENT

(EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2010)

MOVEMENT OF SKILLED COMMUNITY NATIONALS

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THE RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT – RIGHT TO PROVIDE SERVICES- - REGISTER AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN

HOME COUNTRY - PROOF OF COMPETENCE OR PROOF

OFCONTRACT TO OFFER THE SERVICE MOVEMENT OF SKILLED NATIONALS - CARICOM CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

OF SKILLS QUALIFICATIONS 6 MONTHS AUTOMATIC ENTRY

EXERCISING THE RIGHTS

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PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES SECTOR IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN PROGRAMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO IMPROVE COMPETITIVENESS AND

ESTABLISH A REGIME OF INCENTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AND TRADE IN SERVICES

ESTABLISH AN APROPRIATE INSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK INCLUDING PRIVATE SECTOR

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICES SECTOR ARTICLE 54

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OBJECTIVE: SEEKS TO HARMONISE THE REGISTRATION

AND LINCENCING REQUIREMENT AND ROCEDURES TO FACILITATE FREE MOVEMENT OF PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE REGION

DOMESTIC REGULATIONS

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MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS DENTISTS NURSES AND MIDWIVES VETERINARIANS ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS PHARMACISTS ENGINEERS ARCHITECTS ACCOUNTANTS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS NUTRITONISTS AND DIETICIANS LABORATORY TECHNICIANS

DOMESTIC REGULATION CON’T

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THE TREATY REQUIRES CONSULTATION WITH REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS

STAKEHOLDERS RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR AN ORGANISED SERVICES PRIVATE SECTOR TO REPRESENT THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE INTERESTS.

CURRENTLY THERE ARE 8 COALITIONS AND ARE: BARBADOS, BELIZE, GUYANA, ST. LUCIA, ST. VICENT AND THE GRENADINES, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, DOMINICA AND ST. KITTS AND NEVIS

THERE IS ALSO NEED FOR A REGIONAL COALITION OF SERVICES PROVIDERS

PRIVATE SECTOR

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THE VISION IS THE REGION’S ROADMAP FOR DEVELOPMENT UP TO THE YEAR 2015, IN SUPPORT OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

INFORMED BY REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS

The VISION IDENTIFIED THE REGION’S ECONOMIC DRIVERS INCLUDING SERVICES, AS A PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

THE VISION WAS APPROVED BY THE HEADS OF GOVERNMENT, WHO MANDATED THE PREPARATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SINGLE DEVELOPMENT VISION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL STRATEGIC

PLAN FOR SERVICES

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ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS SYMPOSIUM IS TO IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS OF THE SERVICES COMPONENT OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE CSME.

SINGLE DEVELOPMENT VISION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SERVICES

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THANK YOU

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