Minister Attending CARICOM Meeting in Antigua
The Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy is currently in Antigua and Barbuda, representing Bermuda at the 35th Regular Meeting of the Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM].
Minister Fahy will be representing Premier Michael Dunkley at the meeting, and is accompanied by the Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Derrick Binns.
A Government spokesperson said, “The meeting which takes place from 1 – 4 July, consists of the Heads of Government of the CARICOM Member States. It determines and provides policy direction for the Caribbean Community.
“The meeting, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, will discuss such matters as the economy, border and immigration matters, law enforcement, health and human development and provisional issues.
“A specific agenda item for this week’s meeting will be the Heads of Government’s review and consideration of the final draft of the Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Community.
“The Strategic Plan identifies six integrated Strategic Priorities for the Community over the five-year period 2015-2019 and key areas of interventions for each.
“The six integrated strategic priorities are: building Economic Resilience; Social Resilience; Environmental Resilience; Technological Resilience; Strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community; and Strengthening Community Governance.
“Two enabling priorities have also been identified. These are coordinated foreign policy and research, development and innovation.
“The Government of Antigua and Barbuda will provide complimentary accommodation during the period 1 – 4 July, for all Heads of Government/Delegation of Member States and Associate Members of the Community.
“As an Associate Member State, it is anticipated that attendance by Minister Fahy will provide Bermuda with invaluable insight on the way forward for the Caribbean Community as a whole as well as an open arena for information sharing.”
The CARICOM Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, while the Associate Members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos.
save the country money and end caricom membership. it costs too much and is of no real benefit.
since day one people have not wanted us to communicate for fear that we would learn from each other caricom is a great thing for the caribean islands and bermuda
Representing Bermuda ???? You mean representing Foreigners in Bermuda !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t believe the OBA is going.
Probably to do with our banking infiltration through purchase and irs tax laws conscerning wholey owned susidieries,and controlling share purchase as settlement on loans aquired during plp sellout of Bda through borrowing and spending….or looking at investments made during plp….well I would….
To all those who continually say that we don’t have any money, trust me the Government has money, but only when it wants it for things it wants to do. People are so easily lead to always state that Bermuda has no money. The Government must be smiling all the way to the bank to be able to have followers doing their bidding saying that there’s no money. If that were actually true then why are they always traveling and giving money away in the name of concessions to stimulate the country. I hate to say it but only in Bermuda can a Government get away with such foolishness.
They are trying to run the country….this still needs to happen contrary to what you believe. Where were you for the last 14 years when the PLP were trying to run the country….into the ground that is?
If P.L.P ran it to de ground then these Dreamers are running it to de earths core !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kinta: You are funny.
You should be a history teacher – cos that’s what PLP is.
HISTORY!
I have said it before and I will continue to say it, either get rid of the Governor and Deputy Governor’s post or get rid of the Premier and Deputy Premier’s post. If Bermuda was honestly broke then why keep meaningless positions get rid of all positions were there is Deputies. If the main post is vacant due to sickness or vacation then let someone act pending the return but to have Deputies in times like these does not make any sense. To pay to house the Premier and Governor makes no sense.
Deputy Premier doesn’t get paid anything extra – it is simply a title.
for a party that saw no value in being part of Caricom, they have gone on every trip.
Rhonda: Oh come on, Its Caricom – not the Playboy Mansion.
Waste of money yes – but not Beyonce.
Flatts, Bermuda
another remnant of the previous Government that should be ditched
Overseas CARICOM meetings for our broke Government is a waste of our money, time and effort but OBA Ministers “egos” (just like PLP before them) are getting in the way of common sense. Dunkley & Richards should quickly put a stop to these sort of wasteful, ego trips immediately – case closed.
For some reason, the cry of ego-driven or wasteful is not applied when the Government Ministers travel to the US or to the EU, but as soon as CARICOM is involved, it’s a whole other story.
(yes, I’m prepared for the Dislikes)
Until the recent IRS, and OECD changes in attitude towards OFCs and Bermuda, I too though that CARICOM and the Islands to the South were beneath us and not anything we should invest time and money in.
However, the world is changing and Bermuda is not part of any large trading or strategic negotiating block of Countries (e.g NAFTA, OECD, G7, EU etc) so our survival may become reliant on selling our expertise to entities in the Caribbean, or even formally forging an alliance with CARICOM that is in our best interests since we have no leverage with the US, UK or EU.
Our Tourism is cyclic and it may be in our best interests to form alliances with top end Caribbean chains so that we have potential even in our off-season.
If we do not change we will become irrelevant, so my full support is behind Minister Fahey attending so that Bermuda can make new Friends in various places so that we do not become irrelevant when the sun sets on what is left of our International Business Sector.
Yours Faithfully,
Conservative
I think caricom membership and relationships with the Caribbean are very important, however, its funny how the OBA had little support for this prior to December 2012 yet they have continued to attend and support. Have they seen the light or do they just like to take trips?
We bash them (OBA) for ignoring our non-traditional partners (non-Europeans), now we bash them for engaging with our non-traditional partners. Why not commend them for finally demonstrating more flexibility and the willingness to embrace our island partners to the south.
As a partner in CARICOM Bermuda is a part of a much larger international community of smaller island nations. It took a long time to get us to this point(of having faith in the abilities of CARICOM).
I remember that the late Nelson Bascome played a major part in issuing in the change in perception when he led the way in securing considerable savings for Bermuda with regard to HIV drugs bought through our CARICOM partners whose connections and international agreements brought about this healthcare savings for the entire Caribbean region.
Rather than smacking each other on the heads at every opportunity,(some of you must suffer from major migraines!), why not acknowledge when and how progress has been made, and encourage the OBA to continue?
Perhaps, one day CARICOM may have their meetings in Bermuda, and then Bermuda can host our West Indian partners and distant relatives in true Bermudian tradition.
London, England
The OBA government can not be trusted even their recently appointed emperor admitted that they are going to have to rebuilt trust; but they are going to have to do more than dancing the Gombeys on Bermuda Day; visit Barber shops in the black community.
Ms Akinstall you are right in other countries there would be some common ground; but in Bermuda there is a civil war going on and we in the black community did not start it.
Even under this new emperor there is no indication that this government is going to change course and reverse those ant-Bermudian policies they have put in place and therefore they leave us no choice but to resist.