Six manufacturing associations across the Caribbean have agreed to join forces under a new CARICOM Manufacturers’ Association (CMA).
The association seeks to provide a unified position on regional matters as well as identify and treat issues that transcend any one territory.
The regional body will initially include the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA), Dominica Manufacturers’ Association (DMA), Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), St Lucia Manufacturers’ Association (SLMA) and Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA).
According to George Namie of the TTMA, the hope is that the unified approach will help to carry out the mandate of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. This will be done through the sharing of information and the deployment of virtual technologies.
“The core values shall revolve around self-sufficiency, the ability to fund and maintain ourselves, free from outside influence and control, promoting harmonisation on all common policies, fostering Caribbean integration and promoting products that showcase a Caribbean brand, Namie said.
Speaking at the virtual signing ceremony on Wednesday (November 27) he said the group will focus on trade policy; labour and human resource development; skills development and ease of movement of CARICOM nationals.
Emphasis will also be placed on promoting environmental protection and meeting regional non-communicable diseases (NCD) reduction goals.
He said the CARICOM Manufacturers’ Association, which is to be chaired in the first year by the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association, will work with other regional entities to achieve the goals.
Meanwhile, deputy president of the JMEA, Jerome Miles believes the formation of the CMA is timely since the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the world and businesses are seeking ways to recover.
“The imperative of cooperation between like-minded regional friends and competitors will only result in improvement for all our nations as we strengthen our manufacturing base,” he said.
He added: The CMA is really about accelerating regional growth by working together on crosscutting member issues and providing that mechanism for the membership to work out our differences effectively.
