Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has acknowledged that the free movement of skills in the region may be the weak point in Caricom’s integration movement. She made this observation even as the National Assembly amended legislation to widen the categories of persons who can qualify for the Caricom skills certificate.
The Caribbean Community (Free Entry of Skilled Nationals) (Amendment) Bill was unanimously passed in the House on July 14. And Rodrigues-Birkett described the legislation as an important step Guyana has made under its obligations to the Treaty of Chaguaramas and the Caricom Single Market.
According to the foreign affairs minister, the issue of free movement creates quite a stir in the region, particularly in Guyana–a country whose citizens have been subjected to less-than- friendly conditions in the region.
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett believes that this sort of treatment brings into question the true meaning of ‘free movement.’ “One might be even tempted to conclude that this issue of free movement is the Achilles heel of the integration movement,” Rodrigues- Birkett told the House. “Hassle free travel within the community is fundamental if we are to allow greater interaction amongst our peoples.” Just back from the recently-concluded Caricom heads of government meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis, Rodrigues-Birkett acknowledges that there has been ‘considerable progress’ in Caricom, while declaring that Guyana continues to play its part.
According to her, there are hindrances to the movement of capital, right of establishment, transference of social security benefits, and avoidance of double taxation.
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett also revealed that Caricom nationals receive emergency and primary health care in Guyana as normal citizens although this country is not bound by the treaty to so do.
The bill formalises the categories of workers who qualify under the free movement of skills as declared by Caricom heads.
The principal act, which was passed in 1996, only featured persons with degrees from the Universities of Guyana, Suriname and the West Indies, or any other similarly recognised university.
But, since then, Caricom heads have approved nine other categories: media workers, musicians, artistes, sports persons, trained teachers, registered nurses, persons holding associate degrees, artisans possessing Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) or an approved National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), and domestics with CVQ. Additionally, the legislation features The Bahamas as a qualifying community state.
According to Rodrigues-Birkett, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has been facilitating the movement of other qualifying categories, with the exception of artisans and domestics. She told the House that these are still being worked out.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly was informed that, between 1997 and 2011, the ministry issued 3301 ‘CSME Certificates.’ Of this amount, 2204 are graduates with university degrees, 124 are trained teachers, 35 are registered nurses, 65 are musicians, 142 are artistes, 43 are media workers, 88 are sports persons, 400 are persons with associate degrees, and 25 are non- nationals.
“All of this is well and good in the law, and demonstrates that Guyana is playing its part in promoting the CSME, at least by enacting the relevant laws. But the practicalities on the ground say otherwise, sir,” said People’s National Congress Reform Member of Parliament Clarissa Riehl.
“How many Caricom nationals come here seeking employment, sir? The figure must be minuscule indeed.” According to her, the lack of jobs and low value of the Guyanese currency are among the deterrents to Caricom nationals coming here, as well as pushing skilled Guyanese out.
The practising attorney also compared Caricom with the European Union. She believes that this region is straggling behind in terms of development.
Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir, who spoke in support of Rodrigues-Birkett, accused the PNC/ R of being responsible for the devaluation of the Guyana dollar during its period in office. He noted that this was stabilised only under the PPP/ C administration in the last decade. In fierce defence of the government’s position, Nadir pointed to the St Lucian population in Mahdia.
According to the labour minister, Guyana was recently praised by other Caricom labour ministers at a meeting, “as a country not only with most impressive growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP), but it was also the country with the lowest unemployment rate in the entire Caricom.” In her closing remarks, Minister Rodrigues- Birkett said while it was good to look up to more developed groupings such as the EU, one must take into consideration size, years of existence, and other realities.
