Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Deputy Secretary General Dr. Manorma Soeknandan is reminding CARICOM Member States of their responsibility for the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Economic Integration Programme (EIP). This is a financing agreement signed with the European Union for over 28 million Euros of which approximately 19 million Euros is for implementing the CSME. Dr. Soeknandan was speaking at the opening ceremony for the Regional Technical Meeting on the implementation of the Agreement. As of June this year, there was an implementation of 53% of the resources and the meeting was called to seek ways of increasing delivery.

The agreement was signed in 2012 and ends in March 2017. Permanent Secretaries, National Authorising Officers and National CSME Focal Points were today meeting in Barbados seeking ways to overcome project delivery hurdles.  The CARICOM Deputy Secretary General says that if funds are not used then they will be lost and the active input of Members States is crucial for success. She stated that as we look towards an 11th Economic Development Fund (EDF), CARICOM should ensure mistakes are not repeated and called for a preparatory phase before future projects are rolled out.

Giving the feature address at this morning’s opening ceremony was the Chairman of the CARICOM Commission, Senator, Darcy Boyce, Minister within the Prime Minister’s Office, Barbados. The Head of the European Delegation to the Eastern Caribbean Countries, OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM Ambassador Mikael Barfod also gave opening remarks.