Barbadian heads new regional association

Barbados has signed onto a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a new Caribbean Manufacturers’ Association (CMA).

The CMA was officially launched virtually recently with the presidents of manufacturing associations from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and St Lucia signing the MOU that ratifies the regional representative body.

Head of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA) Robert Noel was elected as the CMA’s first president while Dominica’s John Robin is his vice president.

While the trade and industry ministers of the countries of the six founding members gave brief speeches and promised to assist the ambitious mandate of the association, it was another new regional organisation, the CARICOM Private Sector Association (CPSO) that stepped up to the spirit of integration and cooperation with an immediate offer of collaboration.

After securing CARICOM Associate Member status at the 41st Heads of Government meeting on October 27th, the CPSO is now positioned to make a difference to business relations and transactions within the region.

After the CARICOM Heads agreed to the establishment of permanent headquarters in Barbados for the CPSO and ratified last month, Principal Consultant with the CPSO, Dr. Patrick Antoine, extended a firm invitation for the new manufacturers’ umbrella body to take a seat at the CPSO table and therefore have a direct say in matters impacting the sector.

The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association will serve as the Secretariat for the regional body with support from the BMA.

Some of the areas earmarked for cooperation between the region’s newest sectorial organisations were listed by Dr Antoine and included the stated 25 x 25 objective of Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, which would see the region’s food import bill reduced by 25 per cent by 2025. (EJ)