The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Monday launched a new regional platform to facilitate intra-regional trade in goods and agricultural products. CARICOM Chairman, Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi reminded all CARICOM nations that one of the key principles of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) “was and still is, to achieve regional integration, and economic growth, within our community.”
The initiative, dubbed “CIMSUPRO” – CARICOM Market Place and Suspension Procedure- will register suppliers and buyers of CARICOM originating goods.
Santokhi said CIMSUPRO provides a platform, where entrepreneurs, from CARICOM, can offer their products, from raw materials to finished products.
He said the region, faces many challenges, resulting from global developments, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” and in order to recover from that, the region needs to be better equipped and “must first work on strengthening our communities’ capacities and supporting each other.
“After all, the initial intention of the grouping of countries, now known as CARICOM, was to promote economic integration and cooperation, among its members. As the oldest surviving integration movement, in the developing world, CARICOM has the duty, to set forth, its goals, and be a model for regional integration.”
He told the ceremony that the region faces many challenges, such as the need, to enhance productivity and sustainable growth, which in turn, requires the ability, to transform our economic base.
“Trade and economic development shall only be achieved, through private-public partnerships. After all, it is the private sector that trades and does business. Therefore, I’m more than delighted, with the establishment, of CIMSUPRO,” he said, noting that it is helping in the formation of a CARICOM industrial policy.
“The extension of the regional integration, which has been sought, since the start of CARICOM, can now be reached, just by visiting the website, to seek the necessary inputs, from the CARICOM marketplace.”
Santokhi said CIMSUPRO, provides a strategic aim, towards improving the efficiency “of our regional suspension mechanism, which is directly aimed, towards encouraging production, more so, it seeks, to develop our industrial policy”
He said long waiting periods for suspension, granted by the CARICOM Secretariat, “and the uncertainty, of not knowing at which stage your suspension request is, are things of the past.
“With this platform, we have given the first step, towards further expanding our Industrial Policy strategies,” he said, urging all member states, to populate CIMSUPRO.
CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, speaking at the launch, said the initiative marks an important milestone in the evolution of the way trade and business can and will be conducted within the 15-member grouping.
Stakeholders, especially suppliers of regionally produced goods may access the portal and register at: https://www.cimsupro.com/user/register
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