Has the time come to say farewell to Caricom?
The report of the Caricom Review Commission, chaired by former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has, at long last, been tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
To refresh memories, Mr Holness commissioned the report in July 2016 — with the task of reviewing Jamaica’s relations within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and CARIFORUM which is Caricom plus Spanish-speaking neighbour, the Dominican Republic.
The commission was charged with making recommendations on how Jamaica should proceed in the future, although at the time when he commissioned the review, Prime Minister Holness made it clear it was a not about leaving Caricom.
The report was completed in April 2017 but for reasons yet to be explained it was not presented for almost a year, leading to concerns, both locally and abroad, given the drama, and some would say, trauma of Jamaica’s withdrawal from the West Indies Federation.
Still, one of the most interesting of its 33 recommendations is, arguably, that Jamaica must consider its options if there is no substantial progress in completing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) within five years.
Put another way, in our opinion, the review commission is saying that as things are, Jamaica is not benefiting sufficiently from the CSME to warrant staying in Caricom, and without any substantial change then we should go the way of the predecessor federation.
Given that the report languished on the shelf for one year, we are unclear whether the recommended stay-or-leave decision should still be made after five years or four years.
Essentially, the commission was charged with evaluating the impact of Jamaica’s membership in the regional grouping on the country’s economic growth and development, with reference to trade in goods and services, investment, international competitiveness and job creation.
The commission, which consisted of people from all walks of life, interviewed 30 knowledgeable individuals from Jamaica and the region, including former prime ministers P J Patterson of Jamaica and Owen Arthur of Barbados.
To speak frankly, the report confirmed what everybody has known for some time, namely that Caricom has a huge implementation deficit. It then sets out a strategy for fixing these deficiencies, based on 33 proposals.
One recommendation specific to Jamaica was about whether it leaves or stays, as mentioned earlier.
So far, there has been no debate of the report in Parliament and, even more lamentable, no attempt to disseminate its content to the public. The best we have had is a forum staged last Friday by The University of the West Indies, Mona which was carried live on radio and television and on the UWItv website, where it will be stored.
The centrepiece was a succinct presentation by its main author, Mr Golding. He was supported by speakers including former Caricom Secretary General Roderick Rainford; former GraceKennedy executive James Moss-Solomon; former Foreign Minister Anthony Hylton, and The UWI’s Dr Terri-Ann Gilbert-Roberts.
The Golding Report is essential reading for all who are interested in the future of the Caribbean, and is a worthy successor to the Ramphal Commission’s Time For Action report in 1992.