PM: Govt’s objective — integration of the Caribbean

Government’s ultimate objective is economic, social and political integration of the Caribbean,  according to Prime Minister Patrick Manning. Manning was delivering the feature address on the last day of a two-day conference — the San Fernando East Constituency’s 38th Annual Conference of Delegates, which was held at the Mon Repos Community Centre on Saturday. Manning openly announced that his party, the People’s National Movement (PNM), with all due respect, prefers to differ on what some citizens of Trinidad and Tobago think of the economic situation of the country, which was deemed by some, as good.

“Some people ask how does the country benefit, from that, too many of us are taking the view that the economic situation of the country is good and therefore, other territories in the Caribbean tend to use this as an opportunity to ‘piggy back’ on the economic fortunes of the country and so improve the standard of living of their own citizens at the expense of the lives of the people of this country — the PNM prefers to differ on this matter,” Manning said. He proudly noted that his administration has actively pursued, more than any other country in the region, the development of a manufacturing sector and social development, by the creation of permanent and high quality jobs within the manufacturing sector and the developing on the basis of economic development, that is export oriented.

“This depending not in a small and restricted Trinidad and Tobago domestic market but moving in a market that is wider, in the first instance, a Caribbean market.” Prime Minister Manning explained a bigger market, meaning, that one can export more to that particular market, “When one looks at the trade figures today, one can see that apart from the United States of America (USA), the Caribbean market, depending as it does for the bulk of its manufactured products.” Manning, noting its importance, said that the people of the Caribbean should be able to purchase more goods, if their ability to purchase improves and increases “Then would it then present an opportunity for the local domestic manufacturer to export more to those countries,” he added.