REMARKS at the Final Event of the project Capacity Building within Cariforum in

Competition, Public Procurement and Customs and Trade Facilitation

in Support of the Implementation of the Cariforum-EU EPA  

5 June 2017

• Senator the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, Trinidad and Tobago,
• Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Director-General, Office of Trade Negotiation, CARICOM Secretariat,
• Mr. Percival Marie, Director General, CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM Secretariat,
• Mr. Eugene Petty, Director Development Cooperation, CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM Secretariat,
• Mr. Angel Diez, Managing Director, Equinoccio,
• Dr. Patrick Martens, Project Team Leader of Equinoccio Consortium,
• Dr. Taimoon Stewart, Sr. Short Term Expert in Competition,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Thank you very much for the invitation to this final event of the Capacity Building Project within Cariforum in Competition, Public Procurement and Customs and Trade Facilitation to advance the implementation of the Cariforum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The project was implemented by the London School of Economics together with the Maastricht School of Management and SGS Netherlands. This consortium signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Procurement Institute (Jamaica) and the University of the West Indies.

As you all know, the EPA was signed in 2008 by the 15 states of CARIFORUM and the EU Member States. You may also know that the EPA is a trade and development partnership with simple goals: to make it easier for people and businesses from both regions to invest in and trade with each other, and to spur development across the Caribbean.

Under the agreement, both regions have rights and obligations but the different stages of development of the two regions' are taken into account:  the Caribbean countries enjoy preferential access to the EU.  That means that they have 100% duty and quota free access for all goods and services. On the other hand, CARIFORUM States have up to 25 years to adjust their import tariffs while 17% of goods and services that are considered sensitive or of strategic importance are not subject to liberalisation. The Caribbean States also have the right to respond should EU imports suddenly threaten local production.

Finally, the EPA supports the region's economic integration process and Cariforum States offer each other the same preferences they give the EU. This should be an engine for growth and employment creation in the region and could be the basis for further development of trade between Cariforum and the EU.

In order to maximize the benefits from the EPA and exploit the opportunities it offers for trade and employment creation, countries need to have the capacity to deal with competition issues, ensure that public procurement is efficient and in keeping with international standards, and take measures that facilitate trade. This is what the programme that we are discussing today was about. And the results are impressive.

Since December 2014 the Consortium and its partners implemented more than seventy programs covering all the CARIFORUM countries. Over 1700 public and private sector officials and professionals have received training at different levels in the three areas covered by the project. And I trust that this enhanced capacity will result in closer trade relationships and contribute to a vibrant business climate in the Caribbean.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Although this programme has come to an end, the EU continues to support the region. The EU increased substantially its financial envelope for the Caribbean regional programme. For the period 2014-2020 346 million Euros have been set aside for cooperation with the region. Three main areas have been identified in which the EU and CARIFORUM shall work together. These are:

(i) regional economic cooperation and integration,

(ii) climate change, environment, disaster management and sustainable energy and (iii) crime and security.

Some projects have already been agreed upon. Other programmes are being developed in collaboration with the CARIFORUM Directorate General of the CARICOM Secretariat and the EU Delegation in Barbados. I expect that the work done by this valuable project may continue in some form or shape, as there are still trade facilitation needs to cater to. You laid the foundation for its continuation through your train the trainer work.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the organisers of the many seminars, lectures, and activities by the London School of Economics, Maastricht School of Management, SGS Netherlands, International Procurement Institute and the University of the West Indies.

We are very much interested in hearing from you today and tomorrow how the training and the work carried out under the programme contributed to strengthen Caribbean competition policies and reduced the burden of customs procedures or may indeed improve the business climate in the Caribbean in the coming years, with positive results on economic diversification, development, exports and employment.

In this context I wish to briefly touch on the specific case of Trinidad and Tobago. Since competition and customs procedures are considered an indispensable prerequisite for diversification and innovation, one cannot escape noticing the World Economic Forum's "Global Competitiveness Report". For Trinidad and Tobago this report finds in the area of competition three aspects as particularly in need of improvement, which are:

- "extent of market dominance",

- "effectiveness of anti-monopoly policy" and

- "burden of customs procedures".

I would be delighted to hear how the work delivered by your project or future action can contribute to improve these indicators.

I thank you for all your efforts and kind attention!