The 3rd CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum opened in Montego Bay,
Jamaica today (Wednesday) with calls for Caribbean countries to seize new
opportunities offered by globalisation and improved access for the region to
international markets.
The mood of optimism about
opportunities for Caribbean producers, many of whom attended the conference,
was summed up by Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams, State Minister of Jamaica, who
delivered a keynote speech on behalf of the Jamaican Prime Minister, Portia Simpson
Miller.
“I believe we can make winning
deals at CARIFORUM,” she said, adding that Jamaica was keen to look “beyond the
hemisphere to trade with the EU,” which is now “a major trading partner and
grantor of aid.”
Jesus Orús Báguena, Head of
Cooperation in the Delegation of the EU to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks
and Caicos Islands, and Cayman Islands spoke of the “substantial
opportunities,” both for Caribbean businesses and for ordinary citizens, in a
closer relationship between the region and the EU. He described the Economic
Partnership Agreement between the EU and CARIFORUM as a “state of the art
highway offering substantial trade opportunities to access the EU market.”
Since the signing of the
CARIFORUM – EU partnership agreement in 2008, the EU has provided over 165
million euros in development assistance, which has strengthened regional
authorities, civil society and the private sector, expanding the scope for
cooperation.
“It is my hope and expectation
that, with the business reforms being undertaken, and more expected to come,
with donor support and with your audacity, we will see a more diversified and
competitive Caribbean economy, to the benefit of all its citizens.”
The conference provided an
opportunity to showcase some of the Caribbean’s diverse range of top quality
products – herbs, spices and cocoa from the agricultural sector, as well new
opportunities provided by the region’s rich cultural heritage, particularly in
the music sector.
The scope for increased
cooperation in higher education was also explored. Greater mobility - helping
more Caribbean students to study abroad and bring their expertise home, as well
as allowing more international students to come to the Caribbean – could help
to enrich the region’s higher education sector and create a strong basis new
partnerships.
State Minister Abrahams was keen
to stress the importance of education and training in the partnership:
“We must adapt to rapidly
changing global competition...” she said. “For Jamaica to be and remain
competitive, we must explore new markets and give our workers new skills...”
Percival Marie, Director
General of the CARIFORUM Directorate in the CARICOM Secretariat, pointed out
that, despite the mood of optimism, many important matters were still
outstanding, including an agreement on customs duties and improving tourism and
cultural links, as well as operational challenges presented by factors such as
limited human and financial resources.
Mrs Abrahams also spoke of
outstanding problems, describing the response of the region’s private sector to
the new opportunities afforded by the EPA as “less than stellar.”
“There is room for improvement,”
she said.
The conference, which continues
tomorrow (Thursday) with sessions on opportunities in the music industry,
agro-processing and higher education, provides an unparalleled opportunity for
networking between business people from Europe and the Caribbean, as well as a
forum for high-level policy discussions.
“The CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum
has the potential to provide a wealth of information on trends and
opportunities in export markets. It is often in theseenvironments, where
buyers and key contacts from around the world come ready to explore business
opportunities, that linkages and relationships are formed which can help our
producers and service providers to reach new markets,” added Pamela Coke
Hamilton, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency.