Jamaica on regional task forces

www.jamaicaobserver.com Observer Reporter Thursday, February 20, 2003

JAMAICA has been named to two regional task forces that Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders established last week to fast track the implementation of an economic union and develop an energy policy for the region, Prime Minister P J Patterson disclosed.

Patterson, who attended the 14th inter-sessional meeting of Caricom heads of government in Trinidad and Tobago last week, said Jamaica, Barbados and the host country had decided to move ahead of the 15-member grouping to get their economies ready one year earlier to participate in the imminent Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

"Jamaica has committed itself to be CSME ready by 2004," Patterson told reporters at Jamaica House on Monday.

The CSME, scheduled to come into force in 2005, is intended to be a single economic space comprised of most, if not all, Caricom member countries, which will allow the free flow of goods, services, financial and human resources across the region.

One of the task forces, Patterson said, was to determine the resources required by less prepared Caricom member states to bring them to a state of full readiness for implementing the CSME. In this regard, a report is to be presented to the heads of government during their conference to be held in July in Jamaica.

The formation of the CSME is being done in the shadow of the emergence of a larger hemispheric grouping -- the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) -- which will involve countries of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean and is to come into force in December 2005.

According to Patterson, who has responsibility for external negotiations among Caricom heads, last week's meeting in Trinidad and Tobago agreed that the region should negotiate the FTAA agreement as a "united force".

Patterson said regional heads set up the second task force to make recommendations regarding "a regional energy policy and strategy to deal with the issues of (oil) supplies and prices" within the framework of the CSME. The issue of energy and oil supply was discussed at last week's inter-sessional meeting in light of the rise in oil prices consequent on the threat of military attack on Iraq, one of the largest producers of oil.

Furthermore, Patterson noted, the recent general strike in Venezuela had badly affected supplies to Jamaica and other regional countries. He added that Jamaica would continue bilateral talks with Port of Spain on arrangements to supply Kingston with Liquid Natural Gas as part of "our national energy diversification strategy".

The energy task force is to also report to the Heads in July.