Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told CARICOM Sunday Trinidad and Tobago will have to reconsider its position on assisting regional states through the Petroleum.
And she urged leaders to undertake a critical self-examination, suggesting that Trinidad and Tobago's benefactor role in CARICOM could change. She said perpetuating dependencies in not the way to help other states.
She added that Trinidad and Tobago "will not shirk in its responsibilities, but we must be conscious of the present fiscal deficit in T&T and the global crisis we’re in and keep that in mind and balance it with what we can give and what we cannot give...But this must result in a lifting—it must not be handouts."
Persad-Bissessar noted that the regional summit comes at a time of change Trinidad and Tobago as well as within and outside the region.
"Mr Chairman, the change in government which occurred in T&T will lead to certain shifts in the policy direction of my country,” she advised.
"However, I wish to assure you that T&T’s posture in relation to the Caribbean Community remains unchanged. My Government stands committed to the ideals of widening and deepening of the regional integration process within the Caribbean Community."
However she noted that there are new critical challenges that call for urgent responses by the regional integration movement.
"The time has come for us to re-examine whether the dynamism and versatility of the external environment has impacted on our ability to chart a clear and consolidated pathway to regional development,” she said.
“Today the Caribbean Community seems destined to take a backward step in addressing the issue of an adequate institutional structure to implement the idea of ‘Caricom as a community for all.’”
Persad-Bissessar, who heads Caricom’s security committee, also said the military and police alone cannot guarantee public safety in the Caribbean region.
The Prime Minister plans to raise all these are several other critical domestic and regional issues during the working sessions of the conference in Montego Bay.
Some of the issues include further assisting to other states on the CL Financial issue, ensuring CARICOM states meet the grouping's objectives and goals and governance.
Following the meeting, which ends on July 7, she will visit Kingston for meetings at the University of the West Indies. she will also meet the Jamaican business community and hold bilateral talks with her Jamaican counterpart, Bruce Golding.
She then goes to Florida where she will attend a reception with Trinidad and Tobago nationals on July 9. Persad-Bissessar returns home on July 12.
Works Minister and UNC chairman Jack Warner is acting PM while Persad-Bissessar is away. He has had to cancel his commitments to FIFA for now, which means he will miss then semi final and final matches in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
And she urged leaders to undertake a critical self-examination, suggesting that Trinidad and Tobago's benefactor role in CARICOM could change. She said perpetuating dependencies in not the way to help other states.
She added that Trinidad and Tobago "will not shirk in its responsibilities, but we must be conscious of the present fiscal deficit in T&T and the global crisis we’re in and keep that in mind and balance it with what we can give and what we cannot give...But this must result in a lifting—it must not be handouts."
Persad-Bissessar noted that the regional summit comes at a time of change Trinidad and Tobago as well as within and outside the region.
"Mr Chairman, the change in government which occurred in T&T will lead to certain shifts in the policy direction of my country,” she advised.
"However, I wish to assure you that T&T’s posture in relation to the Caribbean Community remains unchanged. My Government stands committed to the ideals of widening and deepening of the regional integration process within the Caribbean Community."
However she noted that there are new critical challenges that call for urgent responses by the regional integration movement.
"The time has come for us to re-examine whether the dynamism and versatility of the external environment has impacted on our ability to chart a clear and consolidated pathway to regional development,” she said.
“Today the Caribbean Community seems destined to take a backward step in addressing the issue of an adequate institutional structure to implement the idea of ‘Caricom as a community for all.’”
Persad-Bissessar, who heads Caricom’s security committee, also said the military and police alone cannot guarantee public safety in the Caribbean region.
The Prime Minister plans to raise all these are several other critical domestic and regional issues during the working sessions of the conference in Montego Bay.
Some of the issues include further assisting to other states on the CL Financial issue, ensuring CARICOM states meet the grouping's objectives and goals and governance.
Following the meeting, which ends on July 7, she will visit Kingston for meetings at the University of the West Indies. she will also meet the Jamaican business community and hold bilateral talks with her Jamaican counterpart, Bruce Golding.
She then goes to Florida where she will attend a reception with Trinidad and Tobago nationals on July 9. Persad-Bissessar returns home on July 12.
Works Minister and UNC chairman Jack Warner is acting PM while Persad-Bissessar is away. He has had to cancel his commitments to FIFA for now, which means he will miss then semi final and final matches in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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