The Caribbean Community is on the right track to achieve its goal of reducing its high food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, according to President of Guyana, His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

President Ali, who is the lead Head of Government with responsibility for Agriculture in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, is confident of success even as he pointed out that “circumstances around us are changing every single day”.

“Thank you, Prime Minister Skerrit, for your very kind and generous introduction. I am honored to be here for the Forty-Fifth CARICOM Heads of Government Conference. This is my second international trip as House Democratic Leader, but first to the Western Hemisphere. It’s an honor to touch down in the Caribbean.   I want to first acknowledge all of the CARICOM heads of government and dignitaries here today. Thank you to CARICOM Secretary General Ms.

“We believe that this is a fundamental part of the integration architecture, and at 50, we could not leave Trinidad and Tobago and not speak about the core of the regional integration movement, that is, people’s ability to move freely within the Caribbean Community. I think we would have served and we have served the Community well at this meeting by arriving at that decision and we hope to see that it is implemented by the 30^th of March 2024.” – Chair of CARICOM, the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica

I take great pleasure in extending greetings to the honorable heads of governments and other dignitaries assembled. I also greet Kaikom officials and everyone else. I want to first express heartfelt thanks to Almighty God for preserving me. Throughout the past 50 years, my life has gone through many twists and turns, and I believe that I am still here because of God's direct intervention. I will always be eternally grateful to him. Let me now say up front that I am sincerely thankful and appreciative for this moment.