Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, under pressure for recent remarks regarding her country’s commitment to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), today pledged her six-month old administration’s support for the regional integration movement.
Addressing a regional Information Communication and Technology Business and Innovation symposium, Persad Bissessar told delegates that Trinidad and Tobago does not live in isolation, but is an active member of the wider globalized community.
“In particular, we are members of CARICOM, and party to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. In once again reaffirming Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to CARICOM and the cause of Caribbean Integration, I would also like to take this opportunity to mention two ICT initiatives that have perhaps not received the attention they deserve, but which are nevertheless likely to have a noticeable impact on the CARICOM landscape.”
“I would like to acknowledge, with thanks, the assistance that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has been giving to the Caribbean through its ongoing HIPCAR Project,” she said, noting that the
HIPCAR, the harmonization of ICT policy for the Caribbean, “seeks to fill a significant policy gap within CARICOM by initiating dialogue on the many areas of ICT policy”.
The Prime Minister publicly thanked the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for its assistance urged the UN organization to continue working closely with the Caribbean.
She said that the CARICOM Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) had mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to initiate, as a matter of priority, work on an e-Commerce Protocol for CARICOM and that “this decision alone adds a significant regional dimension to the work of this symposium” that is being held under the theme “ICT Innovation-Staying Ahead”.
In recent months, the Prime Minister has come under criticism for her remarks over the manner in which Trinidad and Tobago would provide assistance to CARICOM countries, with the latest controversy being sparked over aid to St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines following the passage of Hurricane Tomas in October.
In her address, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar said that her administration is “fully committed to making Trinidad and Tobago a more open and easier place in which to conduct business.
“In this regard, we plan to launch our Single Economic Window (SEW) for business and trade facilitation at the beginning of January 2011. “
She said that the SEW project will integrate the operations of all relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, and Customs and Excise Division, into a simple one-stop shop for doing business. (CMC)