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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Friday, December 17, 2004 - The National Education Campaign for the
Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) aims to bring the issues relating to
this new dispensation to the attention of the regular citizen, in plain and
simple language.
Minister for Commerce, Investment and Consumer Affairs Honourable Philip J.
Pierre officially declared the education campaign opened on Friday Dec 16th,
2004. He called for efforts to be directed at making the term “CSME” more
meaningful to ordinary Saint Lucians.
The Minister was part of a high-level delegation lead by Prime Minister,
Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony, who outlined the importance and implications of a
single economic space for the region.
Minister Pierre‘s Ministry is the focal point for St. Lucia’ s role in the
Caribbean Single Market and Economy. The minister described the significance of
the Caribbean Single Market and Economy as the greatest event since the
attainment of adult suffrage in 1951 and the formation of the Federation of the
West Indies in 1958.
“If we are to protect our interest in the region as a world economy, we need to
combine our resources, to enable us to compete in that global economy,” said
Minister Pierre. He explained that “although the CSME is conceived as a plan by
governments of the Caribbean to facilitate development of member states, it is
not a political union.”
The Minister called for the CSME process to be embraced as a deepening of the
integration process through the creation of an integrated market for goods and
services, and the free flow of capital and individuals across rigional borders.
The launch of the CSME National Education Campaign in Saint Lucia pooled several
representatives of civic agencies, sectors of government and the business
community.
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