REGIONAL

Caribbean leaders have differing approaches to economic problems Published on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Email To Friend    Print Version By Oscar Ramjeet Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com   PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government have different views how to approach the financial crisis that is affecting the Caribbean and the entire world. The leaders met in Port of Spain on Sunday and discussed ways and means to solve the problems now gripping the region. Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is a Russian trained economist, said that it was vital for all the leaders to have a common approach before they meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) since they have to know how much funds would be required to sustain the various countries Moreover, Jagdeo said that it is essential for the region to present a proper case before these big international agencies, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that the region will have to work out a a strategy to present not only to the IMF and the IADB, but a proper proposal when they meet with President Obama in Washington later in the year. Chairman of CARICOM, Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, said there is a need for the regional bloc to implement a clear strategy to deal with the crisis and announced that a five-member task force will be set up to advise and make recommendations to CARICOM leaders. Some economists in the region asked if it is was really necessary to have yet another task force when a group of top government advisors can meet and formulate a proposal. Jagdeo, who takes over the chairmanship of CARICOM in July, said that it is imperative that CARICOM countries have some clarity about the framework that they will present to Washington. This should be worked on immediately. Meanwhile, top officials of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and representatives of members of regional institutions are now in Turks and Caicos discussing the financial situation in the region That meeting opened on Monday.   Reads : 315 Back... Comments: No comments on this topic yet. Be the first one to submit a comment. Back... Send us your comments!   Send us your comments on this article for publication in our Readers' Forum or as a Letter to the Editor. All fields are required and in the interest of openness and transparency we will no longer accept anonymous submissions. We therefore request that all submissions include a name for publication, regardless of content. We will in special circumstances protect a writer's identity only after we have established good cause for anonymity, otherwise we will not be able to publish the submission. For your contribution to reach us, you must (a) provide a valid e-mail address and (b) click on the validation link that will be sent to the e-mail address you provide.  If the address is not valid or you don't click on the validation link, it will be a waste of your time typing your submission because we will never see it! Your Name: Your Email: (Validation required) Comments: Enter Validation Code *