The change the Caribbean needs

The Change the Caribbean needs....a change of mindset...a more independent culture.??

When one considers the extreme wealth that the Caribbean has to offer , it baffles me that some Caribbean Countries are still categorized as Third World countries. According to a most recent population count for 2022, the Caribbean has a current population of 43,834, 062 individuals. Which is equivalent to 0.56% of the total world population (Worldometer.info) The Caribbean has a rich historical heritage with relics from the Spanish and the French, yet the islands are blessed with their own indigenous people. Research(Wikipedia) notes that the Caribbean is a region of the Americas that comprises the Caribbean Sea,?its surrounding coasts, and its islands. The region lies southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America and north of South America.

The Caribbean is blessed to have some stunning sceneries, vibrant cultures and cuisines that are waiting to be explored. Having had the opportunity to visit, work and reside on a number of Caribbean Islands, including the Cayman Islands and The Bahamas, I recognize the potential for economic growth , diversification, and an increase in business development, if only the people of the Caribbean can appreciate the fact that they have a wealth of opportunities that needs to be tapped into. Yes, the Caribbean Islands have a lot to offer in the avenues of the Tourism Experience. However Covid-19 has shown us that there is a great need for diversification which would certainly help increase the Gross Domestic Product of the Region.

The Caribbean’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ?contracted an estimated 9.8% in 2020 (wilsoncenter) and the business sector continued to suffer due to the closure of businesses and the high death rates due to the pandemic. While the Caribbean countries are vulnerable to climate change, which by the way is nothing new, the hurricanes that pass through the region cause devastation which reduces the fiscal and financial resilience of these islands.

The Caribbean people and the Caribbean Governments must understand that there has to be a balance between tourism and economic growth. The formation of a consortium and cooperatives must be the main focus going forward, whereby acquisitions and developments of local hotels and resorts can be achieved. The only way the countries can benefit fully through the development of hotels and resorts, is to have these properties developed and owned 100% by Caribbean People, who do their banking in the Caribbean.

That will create not only a Culture of Independence for our people, but also help to create?more industries, more manufacturing, and more jobs. I have always said that one travels to a country for the experience that the country offers. The myth that one visits the Caribbean just for the sea and sun is far from the truth. There is no better experience than sitting on the porch of your hotel room sipping a locally made drink, eating a dish that is unique only to that country or just experiencing something unique and indigenous to that country. We have to be authentic about the experience we provide which encourages the development of agriculture, culture, and community development.

The Caribbean has one of the largest net immigration rates (The Caribbean Research and Policy Center) ?and that number grows daily as persons move away from the islands to find a better life, even among the stresses of a pandemic. ?Who can blame them, when the Caribbean really offers very little opportunity to those who seek a better life? The low salaries and wages, the red tape to start business, the colonial traditions imposed by the banks and government statutory bodies have all had their effect on the population.

?The Caribbean diaspora is located in Europe, the United States, Canada and even as far as Iceland, all out there seeking and accepting opportunities that they may not have in their homelands. If the Governments of the Caribbean would realize the cost of migration, which includes the loss of highly skilled labor reduction in growth and the productivity force , the lost of fiscal revenue from taxation of workers and business owners, these Governments would implement policies that would encourage the diaspora to make contribution to the economies of their country.

?Imagine if every member of the diaspora contributes $100,00 quarterly to a special development and social cause. That would help reduce the potential of inflation . But again, that can be a challenge unless the Caribbean home friends change their mindset, not only to accept their friends and families from across the ocean, but also understand that if the economic opportunities existed, the diaspora would be reduced. Both the locals and the governments have to stop being anti- diaspora?but collaborate with these people who are overseas who want to contribute to their country of origin. A rough estimate has the total 3.4 million combined CARICOM Diaspora in the UK, USA and Canada. That does not include all of Europe and Asia. Imagine the difference their contributions in technology, finance and investment would make.

The Caribbean people must understand that it is not the Governments that determine their progress, but the art of working together that will create the platform that will be a force to reckon with. Improving regional integration through inter regional trade and policy coordination will help the region’s economies build greater sustainability, economic growth and give them the power to negotiate with the first world countries with greater confidence and enough skin in the game.

I had the opportunity to speak to some members of the CARICOM Secretariat recently on the subject of Agriculture and Trade among the Caribbean Countries and I was amazed to know that after over 40 years, CARICOM does not have the power to implement policies that would improve trade among the Caribbean Islands. The technocrats and Government policy makers must be willing to accept change, especially with this new generation of millennial who want change and who will move away from the colonial way of doing business .?If CARICOM and the CSME (Caribbean Single Market & Economy) have the power to implement change in the way business is conducted among the Caribbean Countries, they need to wake up. Investors want to invest in the Caribbean, but they face so many challenges which create constraints on development , trade, and movement of labor.

Barbados has been the forerunner in the development of Caribbean Integration, and while the Caribbean Countries have issued CARICOM passports, the immigration and labor restrictions have not changed. The use of a single currency such as the Eastern Caribbean currency would certainly help develop a stronger financial integration , interconnecting the financial system with less dependency on the United States currency as a common denominator. You may ask why the slow progress in some Caribbean Countries exists. It is easily defined as we say, “ The Caribbean people are too laid back”?The Caribbean needs a regional body with the powers and accountability that can help transform community decisions to binding laws .?The countries need to look at policies whereby there must be a referendum on any decisions made by any sitting Government, a change in our ancient colonial laws, be they legal or criminal laws.

The Way Forward

Today, with the way we have allowed our lifestyle to change due to the pandemic, our people must demand that Governments of CARICOM must engage in discussions to be more creative in obtaining taxes and stop relying on tourism, import taxes, port charges, air fares , the sale of passports and loans from first world countries. Instead , Caribbean Integration must be placed high on the table for discussion in a non “It is me, myself and I” but look at the benefits to our people, our communities, and our future generation. CARICOM means Caribbean Common Market. Well, let us make it happen. Remove these differing export/production structures and tariffs and replace these policies in a way that we can have harmony in our activities

. Airfare travel needs to be competitive enough to allow one to travel or ship goods to various Caribbean Countries and increase trade and inter regional development. Our politicians need a class in economics , which I am sure they understand. The old folks say that one drop fills a bucket. If there was a reduction by 30% in airfare, port charges, tariffs, and import duties, that would boost the economies of each country. People would start new businesses in agriculture, Agritourism, Manufacturing and Agro processing. But in order for that to happen, we have to put our governments to a test, a quarterly evaluation to keep the politicians on their toes. CARICOM needs to have a combination of hands-on qualified Advisers, Technocrats and Consultants who will challenge the decisions at the Head of Government meetings and all decisions must be put to a referendum.

Lastly, we have to merge agriculture with Tourism and economic development in our Caribbean Countries, so that we can reduce our extremely large food import bill which is now in US$ billions. We must start creating menus that are composed of local produce, herbs, and spices. We have to go back to the pattern we had prior to the 1980’s when agriculture was king in the Caribbean when agriculture made a great contribution to the national income. Today is no different, because food safety and security are very vital to the health and wellness of our people, nationals, residents, and tourists.

According to Dr. Bright Singh?“ Increase in agricultural production and the rise in the per capital income of the rural community, together with the industrialization and urbanization , lead to an increased demand in industrial production”

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