US Congressmen tell Caribbean leaders there is strength in unity

Everybody, but the people in the Caribbean, including several of its leaders, seem to understand the need for integration and unity of purpose. This failure was not lost on a Congressional delegation from the United States which visited and held talks with several of  the region’s Prime Ministers and members of the private sector last week. One by one, spokesmen from the delegation took every opportunity to drive home the point of regional unity. One area highlighted was the region’s top dollar earner: tourism. Development of our tourism industry was thoroughly discussed last weekend between the visiting delegation and three Caribbean leaders and several prominent businessmen. The message coming from the US politicians on one particular aspect — cruise tourism — was that the various island destinations unite to ensure that their lobbies at international fora are taken seriously. New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne  took up the issue and advised that cruise tourism interests get together with cruise tourism stakeholders in the Caribbean to establish a consistent and satisfactory fee per cruise tourist to increase returns from the sector.

He said if all the cruise ships are charged the same amount per head for their tourists by all the destinations, “they (the cruise companies) will have no choice,” Payne pointed out. The large contingent of Congressmen and their aides flew into the Caribbean last week using two jets provided by Texan entrepreneur, Allen Stanford. Stanford, who is the owner of Antigua-based Caribbean Star Airlines and its sister carrier, the Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc, has millions of US dollars invested in a diversity of projects in Antigua & Barbuda and the St Kitts/Nevis Federation. The Congressmen, who are part of the US Congress Caribbean Caucus, held talks with St Lucia’s Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister Lester Bird of Antigua & Barbuda and Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell. The talks were held first in St Lucia and later in Antigua. Following the Antigua meeting, the visitors reiterated their plea to the Caribbean leadership to accelerate the pace towards Caribbean unity, particularly as it related to the need to lobby as a group on issues like the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Echoing the same unity theme, Barry S. Featherman, president of the Inter-American Economic Council (IAEC) said, “I think the important thing is that the region works together to continue to make the case that countries with smaller economies are more vulnerable and would need longer periods of adjustments within the context of the FTAA.” “I do not think it can be done individually. Antigua is too small. St Lucia is too small, but collectively as a Caricom grouping, I certainly think there would be adjustments that would be built into the FTAA process,” added Featherman. A similar comment came from a private sector member of the team. Raul Herrera, a senior executive of the Chicago-based international law firm Winston & Strawn, said, “There needs to be greater integration particularly among the eastern Caribbean states. There are a lot of areas where there is a lot to be said about working together. Should that be the case, the likelihood of a positive outcome would be greater.” The team also emphasised the readiness of the United States Congress Caribbean Caucus to spur the mobilisation of US investment interest in projects in the Caribbean, but made the point that the identification of the projects and the involvement of local participation must come from Caribbean governments or interests.

Congressman Gregory Meeks said the Caribbean was regarded as not just the United States third border, but also as a friend and that negotiating strength stemming from this fact was of relevance only in the context of a united position by all sovereign Caribbean States. Another problem raised by Herrera during the discussions in Antigua was the high cost of investment financing. He detailed multiple sources of financing available to investment interests in the region, but again he advocated a regional, rather than a state by state approach, as one way of increasing Caribbean options and countering size disadvantage to accessing cheaper financing. In paying tribute to entrepreneur Allen Stanford for creating the numerous investment opportunities he has in the region,  Featherman described Stanford as “a trailblazer.”

Featherman said that from the perspective of the IAEC, “We see Stanford as a trailblazer in setting the stage for major investments in the region. And his investments in this region have obviously garnered the interest on the part of other corporations, particularly multinationals, who see the opportunity that exists in this part of the region.” He said that Stanford’s investments were crucial to the economic prospects of the region and would translate into greater benefits for the Caribbean as a whole. “Every dollar that he continues to invest in this part of the region is a sign of the opportunity that exists and I think others will follow.” “There is no doubt that when you have an investor like Allen Stanford, who has led and made a commitment to the region and put, as they say, his money where his mouth is, it’s a standard to follow. And it’s a standard where you find not only the right returns, but do good in furthering the economic development of the countries in which the investments are made,” added Featherman.