(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A CARICOM Secretariat consultancy is investigating the circumstances that currently restrict the effective participation of Belize and the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The ongoing project is to identify and rank factors that currently limit the effective participation of Belize and the OECS in the CSME. The consultancy is funded by the Ninth (9th) European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Integration Support Programme (CISP) and is being undertaken by the team of Owen Arthur and Consortium.

The project will also provide a list of possible responses which when satisfied will improve the prospects of the disadvantaged Member States to better participate in the CSME within the shortest time.

The consultants are conducting in-country research and consultations and will identify and evaluate the unique national and sub-regional factors and circumstances which constitute prior disadvantages. In addition, the project will identify disadvantages resulting from forces of competition in the CSME. At the completion of the activity, the consulting team will prescribe the urgent, medium and long term interventions and remedies to the situation. The project is scheduled to end May 2010.

CONTACT salas@csmeunit.org