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Wednesday, February 14, 2007 – The free movement policy of skilled
CARICOM nationals under the CARICOM Single Market, is expected to be given more
regional attention, to resolve issues of the rights of those individuals to take
their spouses along with them and for their spouses to be able gain employment.
This was among many issues discussed as the Ministry of Commerce conducted
another in a series of CSME road shows, on Saturday 10 February in the Micoud
community.
“Your wife will have the right to work, without requiring a work permit if she
is a skilled national. If she is not a skilled national she will have to get a
work permit. If the wife is skilled the husband will need a permit to work. This
is posing a serious challenge and the Heads of Government are reviewing that
right now, but this is the way it is as of now,” said Titus Preville, the
ministry's deputy permanent secretary, in an address to the sizeable crowd in
attendance.
Mr. Preville says any CARICOM national can start a business in any of the
CARICOM member states without problems, eliminating the requirements of a spouse
to obtain a work permit, if he or she will be operating within the business that
is being established.
He also informed residents of his ministry's intentions to formulate of a system
that will help make St. Lucians aware of the many opportunities that are
available in neighbouring territories under the CARICOM Single Market, the CSM.
“The Ministry of Commerce is trying to set up a database and a particular type
of arrangement with the other countries, where we will have a sense as to what
is happening in the job markets in these countries. So we will have this
information available to St. Lucians through our website and through different
publications, from time to time,” Mr. Preville said.
He said the job market was very dynamic, and so urged St. Lucians to be more
hungry for information on the opportunities that exist in other CARICOM states.
“It is also your responsibility, as a St. Lucian, to not sit down and wait for
jobs to come to you. You've got to ask what is happening. Contact friends and
family in other countries to know what they do; what projects are on stream,
what construction work is going on and what skills do those countries need. With
that information you will be in a position to move in a purposeful way to take
advantage of the CSME,” he said.
Presently there are eight categories of workers or skilled nationals who have
the right to seek employment without the requirement of a work permit. They
include university graduates, media persons, artistes, musicians, sports
persons, managers, technical and supervisory staff attached to a company and
self-employed persons/service providers.
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