(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “Towards the Single Economy”, a report compiled by Professor Norman Girvan will be presented at a Consultative Symposium at the Savannah Hotel in Barbados on Friday, 6 October 2006. This Symposium is a follow-up to that entitled Caribbean Connect which was held at the Sherbourne Centre from 28 – 30 June 2006 and is being organised by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the University of the West Indies.

According to Professor Girvan, the paper is an attempt to synthesise the previous Symposium presentations and policy recommendations and integrate them with an earlier Report on a Vision for the CARICOM Economy for 2015 which he prepared in December 2005. The paper is meant to be the first draft of a concise report with recommendations to be presented to the CARICOM Heads of Government at their special meeting in November 2006 in Trinidad and Tobago. It comprises four sections which deal respectively with the Vision; the Economic Drivers; the Enabling Environment and Sequencing.

The presentation will be followed by a Plenary Discussion which will include remarks by the Caribbean Business Council, Caribbean Congress of Labour, Caribbean Policy Development Centre and UWI/CARICOM Secretariat representatives.

The Right Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados is expected to deliver the Opening and Closing Remarks. Among those who have indicated their participation are His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community; Dr. Compton Bourne, President of the Caribbean Development Bank; Dr. Richard Bernal, Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery; Ms. Carol Ayoung, Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce; and Mr. Marcel Mayers, President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation.

The University of the West Indies will be represented by Professors Wayne Hunte, Andrew Downes, Dennis Pantin, Claremont Kirton and Gregory Mc Guire.