University graduates and women account for the majority of skilled movement in the region.
Available statistics indicate that by 2009/2010, about 9,000 persons were issued Skilled National Certificates—the instrument that allows eligible categories to move—though not all may have used the certificate. The majority of movers are women and the “vast majority” are university graduates, according to the CARICOM Secretariat.
In a press statement, the Secretariat noted that the number of Skilled National Certificates issued by member states participating in the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) act as a gauge on the status of the free movement of skills regime.
Over the five years since it became operational, the free movement of skilled CARICOM nationals has moved from five initial categories to ten, including the most recent, “domestics.” It is anticipated this year that there will be movement on the Contingent Rights, which are granted to a CARICOM national, his/her spouse and immediate dependent family members if the principal beneficiary has exercised the right of establishment, provision of services, movement of capital or free movement of skills.
The ten categories under which skilled nationals can move without the need for work permits and visas are: university graduates; media workers; artistes; musicians; sportspersons; nurses; teachers; artisans; persons who are holders of Associate Degrees or equivalent; and household domestics who are holders of Caribbean vocational qualifications.
January 2011 marked the fifth anniversary of the coming on stream of the CARICOM Single Market aspect of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)—the most ambitious initiative undertaken by the Caribbean Community. It has been compartmentalised into the Single Market that began in January 2006 and the CARICOM Single Economy, which is targeted to become operational in 2015.
While the CSME has not yet attained the level its framers had envisaged when it was put on the table at Grand Anse, Grenada in 1989, the initiative is working, the release noted.
Stakeholders at a convocation held two years ago under the chairmanship of then Prime Minister of Barbados, the late David Thompson, Lead Head of Government with responsibility for the CSME, acknowledged progress on the CSME, but also recognised that there was need for greater involvement of the private sector and labour. They conceded that there were national capacity limitations to drive some of the processes critical to the effective functioning of the CSME.
An audit that formed the basis of discussions at the convocation identified five basic challenges that were affecting the pace at which the CSME was progressing. Those areas were surviving the current global economic downturn and emerging from it as a transformed and more resilient Community committed to its original purpose; strengthening the market integration process and stimulating increased cross-border activity, especially in favour of the member states with negative trade balances; increased investment to build up the general infrastructure and for increased production and job creation; mobilising adequate resources for implementing effective community sectoral and other programmes to sustain the supply of skills and for export expansion; reaching agreement on mobilising adequate resources and execution of a scheduled plan of action for implementation of the macroeconomic and other measures to establish the single economic space.
With regard to movement of capital, data is limited but there have been some cross-border capital flows during the five years of the CSM, particularly in the equity markets and for investment in the manufacturing sector.
A steady increase in intra-regional trade had also been recorded between 2006 and 2008 from US$2.2 billion to US$3.2 billion. However, in 2009, due to a decline in the value of exports from the major trading member state, Trinidad and Tobago, total trade appeared to decline, according to preliminary figures which do not include those for three member states. The preliminary figure put total regional trade in 2009 at US$1.9 billion.
According to the release, the achievements under the CSM are due in no small measure to a number of regional institutions that have been established to support the initiative. Among them are the Caribbean Court of Justice; the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality; the Caribbean Agricultural Health Food Safety Agency; the CARICOM Competition Commission; and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF).
The Board of the CDF recently authorised the provision of one-time grants of US$60,000 to the Government of Saint Lucia and US$30,000 to the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines under its Emergency Disaster Assistance facility. The emergency grants were to be applied to trade-related activities which were dislocated after the passage of Hurricane Tomas.
In July 2010, the CDF Board approved a Country Assistance Programme (CAP) of US$6.1 million for the Government of Saint Lucia and in September approved US$4.2 million for St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Government of Belize has also been approved to receive US$3.2 million.
The Barbados-based CARICOM Development Fund, which began operations in 2009, was established under Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to address the disadvantages arising from the implementation of the CSME process.
Of the 15 CARICOM member states, The Bahamas and Montserrat have not signalled their intention to participate in the CSME.
Haiti, though not yet on board, benefitted in December 2010 from a temporary trade concession arrangement under which it will be able to export within the Single Market on a non-reciprocal preferential basis for three years, the release added.
