News: Single Caribbean market likely to grow

(PL 18/04/2006) St John - Experts from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are analyzing here Tuesday whether another six regional countries are ready to enter the Caribbean Single Market established last January.

The Caribbean bloc, presided over by the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister and CARICOM chairman, Patrick Manning, is considering if St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines meet the requirements for membership.

Were the requests accepted, the countries would join the partnership before June 30, the bloc spokesman Leonard Robertson indicated.

Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Surinam, and Trinidad and Tobago are the only members so far.

This mechanism will mainly facilitate the flow of goods and services, but will also deal with programs for the development of the industry and economic planning of the least advantaged countries.