St. Kitts and Nevis seeks assistance for CSME

Saturday, November 22, 2003

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: While totally committed to the free movement of CARICOM nationals that are graduates, media workers, artistes, musicians and sports persons to seek work or to work without the need for work permits, St. Kitts and Nevis needs further assistance for putting in place the required regulatory institutions which would have oversight of groups of workers in the various categories.

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said he has informed his colleagues at the just concluded Ninth Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Lucia that the twin-island Federation would need to ensure there is a local institution that each category of workers can subscribe membership to.

"They would want to make sure that those who are involved in cultural activities would seek membership to a national body and which to some extent can regulate and help in the development of a particular category of worker. Without this it would be very difficult for us to really regulate those persons who claim that they are of a particular category of the workforce," Prime Minister Douglas said on Wednesday.

He said a request has been made to the Georgetown-based CARICOM Secretariat and other Caribbean governments that have similar professional bodies in place to assist St. Kitts and Nevis as the December 31st 2003 deadline approaches. 

Eleven of the twelve Member States currently Parties to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas have the necessary arrangements in place to allow CARICOM nationals who are graduates, media workers, artistes, musicians and sports persons to seek work or to work without the need for work permits. The twelfth Member State expects to be in a similar position by 31 December 2003.

Caribbean leaders also noted with satisfaction that all Member States were working towards meeting the December 2003 deadlines for the removal of legal and administrative restrictions on the Right of Establishment, the Provision of Services and the Movement of Capital.

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