A Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) official who has been assigned to oversee the Bank’s administration of a fund designed to help prepare the region for the full and effective implementation of trade deal with Europe says the lack of qualified persons is a key impediment.
In a recent interview Valarie Pilgrim said that the establishment of Implementation Units to oversee the phasing in of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union is being delayed by difficulties that are arising in the region “to recruit suitably qualified and experienced personnel to execute the work programmes of the EPA Implementation Units at compensation rates that states can sustain beyond the life of the project”. The issue is most acute when it has come to the recruitment of legal professionals, namely legislative drafters,” CDB Focal Point Pilgrim said.
Several of the applications submitted to the CDB by both Caribbean Governments and private sector entities for access to funding for projects through the Caribbean Aid for
