| |
Contact:
Virnet St. Omer-Fontenelle
Thursday, September 16, 2004 - The Government of Saint Lucia is inching
closer to meeting it’s commitments to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy
(CSME). The island is at various stages of giving CSME protocols force of
law, having passed legislation for the free movement of persons, facilitation of
travel, and the implementation of the Common External Tariff.
Saint Lucia and the rest of the region have a schedule of legislative programmes
to institute ahead of the January 1st 2005 deadline for the CSME to come into
effect.
External Trade Advisor in the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade
and Civil Aviation Mr. Calixte Leon says it is a heavy schedule but St. Lucia has
moved to adopt a number of the CSME protocols. The External Trade Advisor says,”
we have accomplished quite a bit for example Saint Lucia has now signed and
ratified the agreement with respect to the revised treaty of Chaguaramas. We’ve
also enshrined that treaty into domestic legislation as recent as July 2004. In
respect of the Caribbean Court of justice we have also signed and ratified the
agreement and put into domestic law the requirements for giving birth to the
Caribbean Court of Justice” .
Saint Lucia has also ratified and signed the CARICOM Regional Organisation for
Standards and Quality as well as the Intra-Regional Double Taxation agreement
but has not yet put these into local law.
This and other areas of the CSME legislative agenda are receiving attention and
the island will continue to move in earnest towards the 2005 deadline. “We have
done a substantial amount of work, there is still a lot to be done, I believe we
can achieve that deadline, but let me hasten to add here the pace is not as
quick in all CARICOM States but, we have made significant progress”, Leon said.
Last week Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony, Chairman of the National CSME Task Force met with members to discuss the progress the island was making
towards 2005. Dr. Anthony says a priority of the task force is ensuring that all
of Saint Lucia is made to understand the process. As such a massive public
awareness campaign is expected to be initiated in the coming weeks to inform
Saint Lucians of the opportunities and challenges of the CSME.
|
