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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Friday, December 17, 2004 - In defining the atmosphere that informs the
fundamentals of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), Prime Minister
Honourable Dr. Kenny D. Anthony says “it’s all based on reciprocity.”
Dr. Anthony, who is also the Chairman of the National Task Force for the CSME
has explicitly stated his position on the issue of reciprocity, at the launch of
the CSME National Public Education Programme on Friday December 17th, 2004. He
stressed that the success of the process rested on the principle of reciprocity.
“Everything I have told you that a national in the region can do in Saint Lucia,
we are supposed to be entitled to do the same thing in the rest of the region.
But here comes the rub! If the CSME is to work, there must be absolute
reciprocity that whatever we give nationals of CARICOM, they in turn must give
it to us unvarnished. They have identical rights so that, when my Saint Lucian
citizen goes to Barbados, or to Guyana, Jamaica or Antigua, I must be guaranteed
that the same rights of my nationals will be fully respected. So reciprocity has
to be at the heart of the process,” said Dr. Anthony.
The Prime Minister spoke to trade restrictions that currently obtain among some
member states of the CSME, as they move to implement an open market over 2005 to
2006. He said such actions have affected Saint Lucia. He warned therefore, that
although St. Lucia had been very patient in the face of this behaviour, if the
situation did not improve, government would have little alternative than to
guard Saint Lucia’s interest by also adopting a firm stand.
Dr. Anthony who is also Minister of Finance, openly described the worrisome
trade situations between St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Guyana and alluded
to some more trade difficulty with other CARICOM States
“Since March 2003, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis has imposed
restrictions on beer, pasta and aerated soft drinks from Saint Lucia. That is to
say, the Caricom institution responsible for authorising these restrictions in
the final analysis, agreed that because St. Kitts was going through its own
economic adjustments, they could impose those restrictions provided that the
restrictions did not apply to OECS countries or LDC’s. Lo and behold, since
March 2003, we have not been able to get the St. Kitts government to remove the
restrictions in respect of our companies that are exporting beer pasta and soft
drinks,” the Prime Minister said.
Having laid out its own red carpet in acceptance of the concept of the CSME,
Prime Minister Anthony alerted the business community to government’s response
to this unfair treatment: “On the first of December 2003, Guyana decides it is
going to impose import duties on our beers and out stout. Apparently, we are
competitive in beers and stout. And I had reason to write to the President of
Guyana. I want to make it very clear; if the Single Market and Economy is to
work, there must be absolute reciprocity. Why penalise a little country like
saint Lucia, struggling for its place in this CSME; struggling to make
adjustments to its economy.”
The Prime Minster then sent a clear message: “If the restrictions are not
removed by December 31st, 2004 I will impose quantitative restrictions on
imports from Guyana, and I am warning the business community. There is no room
for nobility in this business and we Saint Lucians have historically been very
gracious and very generous.”
The Prime Minister’s pronouncements immediately stirred the gathering at the NIC
Conference room to applause.
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