Portia says Caricom negotiations must benefit nationals

[Dr.Dudd]

Portia says Caricom negotiations must benefit nationals

RICKEY SINGH, Observer Caribbean Correspondent
Thursday, February 15, 2007



KINGSTOWN, St Vincent - Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller feels that the people of the Caribbean must constantly be "at the centre" of the Caribbean Community's trade and external negotiations.

With such a perspective, the Community would be well placed to secure "our best interests" whatever the forum or the occasion, she said at a media briefing yesterday on Caricom's preparedness for coming trade and economic relations.

Simpson Miller, who chairs Caricom's Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on external negotiations, left the briefing to participate in a post-lunch caucus session with fellow Heads of Government attending the current 18th Inter-Sessional Meeting which concludes today.

Held at the official residence of host prime minister and current Caricom chairman Ralph Gonsalves, the caucus reportedly dealt with, among other matters, strategies to be pursued in Caricom-US relations at the upcoming Washington conference on the Caribbean.

Simpson Miller also said that consistent with a commitment to have people at the centre of what Caricom is all about, greater efforts would be made to have structured consultations with stakeholders on a regular basis, and in sensitising public opinion.

Questioned earlier about the status of arrangements for Trinidad and Tobago to supply, as previously agreed, liquified natural gas to Jamaica on preferential terms, Simpson Miller confirmed that some problems had developed.

Faced originally with difficulties in resolving the pricing problem for Trinidad and Tobago's liquified natural gas (LNG), there is now the danger of the twin-island state not having the capacity to meet its commitment as a supplier.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Portia says Caricom negotiations must benefit nationals

That is why the elite will move mountains to get rid of her. She is always talking about putting the ordibary people at the center of the benefits of the community.
She don't seem to realize the position reserved for ordinary people of the Caribbea.
she did not go to th eright schools.Did not hold membership to the right culbs,or be a part of the right families.
she certainly is not cut out to hold leadership position,much less Prime Mionister of the biggest cash cow, i mean Country, in the caribbean.

[Hopyoneson]

Re: Portia says Caricom negotiations must benefit nationals

I was all on board for Caricom initially but I am begining to question its real power if any after the incident with Trinidad and the natural gas fiasco, PJ went and signed the agreement, he did not obatin in writing the prefential price we would get, his bad, but then Portia went down there also and knowing this Pm Manning still assured her that Jamaica would be supplied with LNG. Meanwhile Alcoa waiting for the deal to close so they cano expand thier plant in Clarendon, now to get blindsided and waived off in a dismissive manner that Trinidad noh have enough gas. Is this not the very situation that Caricom should help facilitate.