Simply put, after revision in (5) years changes can be made to the EPA.

Just imagine this and this “academia” Jagdeo saying ” I am not signing the EPA” His ego and personal opinions matters over national issues in Guyana that is the main reason we continue to be in the rubble and almost obsolete state we are in.

Jagdeo needs to get out of his state of osmosis.

Can any one tell me how the review of the EPA every five years will advance Jagdeo’s claims about the negative impact the EPA will have on Guyana and ‘his people’? How long did the EPA take to be negotiated? Do we think that any revision would take less time? What absoulute nonsensical timeline. Which is why the EU agreed and did not object. Guess he believes Guyana’s concerns alone would be reviewed. He forgets that the EPA is between CARIFORUM and the EU and not Guyana and the EU.

Then there is the piece on the EPA not taking precedence over the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). I have not seen any where in the Agreement where it is explicitly stated that the EPA will take precedence over the CSME. I hope Mr. Jagdeo understand that there is a reciprocity issue involved here. That it was not make explicit in the text of the Agreement speaks to two issues in my mind, at this time.

Firstly, that there was no alignment between the region’s direction and that of where the partnership agreement will take us in a key strategy for developing future trading relations. Let’s examine this. This begs the question of what guidance were given to the negotiators by the Heads. I suppose that their thinking was that the CSME would have been the corner stone of intra-regional activities in movement of goods, services, investments and skills. Of course, this is the correct thinking and therefore there was no need to have an explicit statement of the precedence of the CSME vis a vis intra regional integration activities. So including this as a pre-condition is rhetorical….well if you consider this as substance then score one for Jagdeo.

Secondly, let’s assume that the CSME will operate alongside the EPA. Do we have an answer for an European firm dominating the investment space in the region. Digicel is a very good lesson of what can happen to Caribbean firms (C&W I think is British). The Europeans would be crazy not to allow for the CSME, it allows then market penetration, especially in an areas where Jagdeo has problems, that is, in investments and services. Which is why I contend that jagdeo has problems with investments and services for different reasons far devoid of mainstream logic and more self-interest and preservation of a poor system of accountability.

So what is Guyana really doing? Can someone convince me that this guy knows what he is doing in the interest of Guyana and the wider Caribbean. Or is he only about personal aggrandizement (maybe Caribbean man of the 21 century??)Just convince me and I’ll give the credit where it’s due.