Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders ended their four-day summit in Port of Spain on Saturday agreeing to the immediate adoption of a stabilisation and growth agenda which emphasises the removal of constraints on competitive production as well as proactive facilitation and support for the private sector aimed at catalysing growth in critical economic sectors.
CARICOM chair and host Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, speaking at the end of summit news conference, told reporters that the regional leaders addressed the issue of the future of CARICOM economies and agreed to deepen “the regional framework for growth and development through the pursuit of a development path which engenders inclusiveness of all stakeholders”.
She told reporters that in accordance with this strategic approach, the regional leaders agreed to the immediate “design and execution of a resource mobilisation strategy to facilitate targeted interventions by governments to catalyse and ignite growth in CARICOM states”.
In addition, the regional leaders also agreed that the Bureau of the Conference would be charged with the responsibility of advancing the decision and in this regard, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat would circulate a comprehensive programme within one month for the consideration of the leaders.
Prior to the summit, CARICOM leaders had indicated that the meeting would focus on the issue of transportation, and Prime Minister Persad Bissessar said that the leaders had agreed to the re-introduction of a single domestic space “in the interest of hassle-free travel in the region”.
