CARIFORUM member states urged to pay dues

“PAY your dues.”

That is the call coming from Director General of the CARIFORUM Directorate, Percival Marie, to member states of CARIFORUM who have reneged on their payments to the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export).

He was at the time delivering remarks at the launch of the 11th European Development Fund Regional Private Sector Development Programme, in which 24 million euros have been allocated to support trade, investment and export development, enhanced competitiveness and the promotion of product promotion.

According to Marie, “Unfortunately I must exhort on this occasion member states of CARIFORUM to pay their dues and contributions to Caribbean Export. The arrears that are owed to Caribbean Export can finance Caribbean Export in a number of areas that now it is not able to operate. We cannot depend solely on aid financing for our own regional organisations. We must own our regional organisations; we can depend on others to provide us with assistance in securing the best outcome from the operations from our organisations.”

He pleaded with member states to provide the kind of financial support that Caribbean Export needs to continue at the level at which it is currently performing.

Additionally, he called on member states to undertake the actions at the national level which are complementary to the actions that are going to be taken by Caribbean Export.

“Caribbean Export alone cannot do it. They can facilitate, they can assist, but there are some actions that are best done at the national level and Caribbean Export will assist in the conduct of those kinds of actions.”

The director general opined that the 11th EDF will see an increase in CARIFORUM’s market presence as well as a deepening of the relationship with Cuba. He also predicts expanded trade with British, Dutch and French territories in the region and neighbours in Latin America.

“We also expect that this programme will assist us in reacting to Brexit by attempting to maintain our market presence in the EU and ensuring that we retain and possibly expand our market share in the UK, notwithstanding the UK’s exit from the EU.”

Marie thanked the EU for its past and present support. “Caribbean Export could not have operated and achieved the outcomes and results that it achieved over the last 20 years without the support of the EU. Apart from the stated and expected results of the project, we anticipate additional benefits which will include increasing intra-CARICOM and CARIFORUM trade in goods and services.”

Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the CARIFORUM, currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme funded by the EU under the 11th EDF. (JH)