Minister
of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies is urging Jamaicans
to take the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) very seriously,
as the regional economic initiative will present many
opportunities and possibilities for citizens of the
states.
“I want you all to take this very seriously, it
is here, there are significant possibilities in looking
at the Caribbean as one market,” Dr. Davies implored.
The Finance Minister was speaking at the Mayberry monthly
investment forum at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston,
yesterday (January 25), where he also informed that
Jamaica was ready for the CSM, which came into being
on January 1, and was already ahead in several areas.
“In several sectors, we are already ahead of them
{regional states}, and the financial services sector
is one such area,” Dr. Davies pointed out.
He indicated that the historic economic initiative would
result in workers from other CARICOM states entering
Jamaica to compete for jobs and businesses and as a
result, Jamaicans needed to prepare themselves to meet
the competition. “We
have to be careful that we give ‘bang for each
buck’…pretty soon workers from Barbados,
Trinidad, Guyana and other member states will have
equal access to activities here. Entrepreneurs from
each of those countries will not be foreigners but
will be part of the domestic market, and at the same
time, we can move into their markets,” the Minister
pointed out.
On January 30, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Edwin
Carrington and a number of CARICOM Prime Ministers
will be present in Jamaica, to carry out the symbolic
signing of the CSM, set for the Mona Campus of the
University of the West Indies.
The completion of this latest trade bloc is expected
in 2008, when the CARICOM Single Market and Economy
(CSME) will be implemented.
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