(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Edwin Carrington told a business forum in Mexico that with a functioning Single Market and a population of approximately 15 million, the Region stands ready to welcome business enterprises.

Speaking at a CARICOM-Mexico Business Forum in Mexico City last Friday, the Secretary-General explained in detail that the CARICOM Single Market has created a favourable climate for investment. He said Mexicans establishing a business in any CARICOM Single Market and Economy Member State would benefit from some key elements of the CSME.

These included Free Movement of Goods as well as the ability to make use of a number of trade agreements entered into which allowed goods substantively produced in CARICOM to have preferential access into many markets across the world. He also alluded to the free movement of skilled workers and capital as key elements of the Single Market which could benefit investors.

The Secretary-General said that the Community recognises the importance of private sector investments and is therefore going the distance to make the business environment a more conducive and facilitative one.

“In this regard Member States are in the process of developing as part of the Single Economy a harmonised investment policy framework which would be designed to achieve increased flows of investments and improved competitiveness of the Region’s business sector,” Mr Carrington informed.