1. THE CSME: IMPORTANCE OR HINDRANCE?

2. CARICOM Member States Antigua and Barbuda *Bahamas Barbados Belize
Dominica Grenada
Guyana *Haiti
Jamaica *Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago

3. CARICOM Associate Member States
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands

4. HISTORY 1958-1962 – British West Indies Federation 1964 - CARIFTA
1973: Treaty of Chaguaramas  CARICOM
1989: Grand Anse Declaration – foundation of the Single Market and Economy
2001: Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC)
2006: Measures put in place to implement the CSME

5. What is the CSM (E) ?
Single enlarged economic space in which you can move to:-
SEEK EMPLOYMENT
ESTABLISH A BUSINESS
MOVE CAPITAL
OFFER / SELL SERVICES and GOODS
All without ‘barriers and restrictions’
A Single Economy which harmonizes fiscal, monetary and sectoral policies and laws.

6. CSME REGIMES MOVEMENT OF SKILLS MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL
RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT
PROVISION OF SERVICES
MOVEMENT OF GOODS

7. IMPORTANCE OF THE CSME
A platform on which to increase the competitiveness of the region.
A market for goods and services of the region.

8. IMPORTANCE OF THE CSME
The movement of professionals within the Community.

9. IMPORTANCE OF THE CSME Benefit of greater critical mass
Pooled resources
Achieve greater economies of scale
Stronger and more effective negotiating and lobbying force
CARICOM Nationals can establish companies and other business enterprises in each other's territories and be treated as a national.

10. IMPORTANCE OF THE CSME
Increased business opportunities (networking and partnership)
Facilitate the expansion and growth of businesses, investment and entrepreneurship
Spinoffs: *Higher levels of economic growth
*Increased Production
*Employment
*Increased Exports
*Higher standards of living.

11. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

12. ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Antigua and Barbuda signed on to the Single Market Arrangement in June 2006

13. A&B Implementation
Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals Act No. 3 of 1997
Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals (Amendment) Act of 2007, No. 22 of 2007
Caribbean Community Movement of
Factors Act No. 3 of 2006.
Established the National Free Movement Committee – June 2008  Article 46 of RTC

14. Requirements to obtain a Skills Certificate
Valid passport
Valid Police Records of applicant and spouse (home country & country resided in for 6 months or more)
Four passport size photograph
Marriage Certificate (if Applicable)
Birth Certificates (applicant, spouse, dependents)
Letter from previous employer clearly stating the functions the applicant was performing (if not a university grad.)
A letter from the respective National Federation or Ministry that clearly states the applicant was registered in a particular field (if not a university) and contracts

15. Procedures at Point of Entry
Upon Entry:
Certificate holders should present to the Immigration Officer
Valid Passport or entry / travel document
Skills Certificate

16. Procedures at Point of Entry Cont’d
Certificate holder will be granted
Six (6) months stay in receiving country
Certificate holder will be instructed to visit the Competent Authority to verify their skills qualifications

17. A&B Implementation
Movement of Factors Act Regulations (Temporary Service Provider and the Right of Establishment) have not come into force yet.

18. Temporary Service Providers - Rights
Mode 1 – Cross Border (architectural drawings sent from Antigua to Trinidad)
Mode 2 – Consumption Abroad (tourism, students, patients)
Mode 3 – Commercial Presence (local plumbing company set up branch in Barbados)
Mode 4 – Movement of Natural Persons (accountant travelling to Jamaica to provide services for 3 months)
To be granted an extension of stay to complete a project if the work is not completed or is extended at the end of the original contract period.

19. Free Movement of Skills is NOT
a Right to
Permanent Residency
or Citizenship

20. CRITICAL ISSUES Our perception attitude  fear of each other
“Jamaicans are too aggressive”
“Trinidadians are too tricksy”
“Barbadians are too full of themselves”
“Guyanese are always telling interesting stories”
“Kittitians don’t love Garrats”
“Dem small-islanders”
“Antiguans love to go up North America”
“Dem foreigners”

21. CRITICAL ISSUES
Fear of mass movement of persons and an influx of persons in the more ‘economically-advanced’ territories
Buildup of hopes and expectations of economic prosperity which may not be realized
Business persons appear to be “ring fenced” from other persons
*Variations of treatment, even within this group

22. CRITICAL ISSUES Administrative impediments at the ports of entry
“Hassel-free travel?”
More integration, less bureaucracy
“Synergies instead of duplication”
Limited legislative and administrative infrastructure at the national level

23. CRITICAL ISSUES
Limited knowledge and inability of the private sector to access trade and development opportunities

24. USEFUL LINKS http://www.caricom.org/ http://csmeonline.org/
YouTube and FaceBook: CSME Online
*4 part training video series

25. CONCLUSION Is the CSME the best option for you, as business persons,
in a competitive global economy?

26. THANK YOU