BVI should become a full member of CARICOM
Talk show host Claude Skelton Cline has said he believes the BVI would benefit more from becoming a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Currently, the BVI is an associate member of CARICOM and would need the approval of the United Kingdom to achieve full membership status. Skelton Cline said full membership would give the BVI a bigger voice “at the table” when it comes to international advocacy and trading.
He also said full membership would be a natural progression for the BVI since the territory already has strong ties with Caribbean countries whose nationals work here and start families with BVIslanders. However, Skelton Cline said he knows many BVIslanders will not agree with becoming full CARICOM members because they may not agree with the free movement of people, which would probably make it easier for Caribbean nationals to migrate to the BVI.
“The big elephant in the room is the fear of the free movement of people. But the truth is, as Virgin Islanders no one is more familiar with the free movement of people than us. We have some 132 nationalities living in this country,” Skelton Cline posited on the Eye On The Future of The Nation talk show. “The truth is Bahamas, Haiti and Montserrat, who are full CARICOM members, have a carved out position where they don’t participate in the free movement of people component so there are ways in which that can be addressed.”
BVI better off with OECS?
While agreeing that the BVI has gained much from CARICOM, Skelton Cline’s co-host Dr Kedrick Pickering said the BVI would gain more from becoming a full member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) rather than CARICOM.
“The BVI has not only benefited tremendously from its relationship (with the OECS) but has participated very much in it. We pay our dues, we attend the meetings, and we are part of the decision-making process. Apart from the OECS Central Bank, the common currency and the free movement of people, by and large, the BVI participates in the OECS in significant ways,” Dr Pickering said. “The OECS Supreme Court which we have been a part of for a very long time, if we had to establish our own court — it would not only be expensive but difficult to administer. So our participation in there (OECS) speaks volumes. Why not at this point concentrate on solidifying our relationship with the OECS.”
The former elected representative also said the BVI has managed to achieve much on its own without being a full member of CARICOM, adding that full membership brings responsibilities the BVI may not be able to live up to right now.
“Here’s the big point I want to make – do we have the administrative infrastructure at this point to deal with full CARICOM membership? My research tells me that the International Affairs Secretariat – the body in our government that handles regional and international affairs – is not at its optimal right now. Our leaders will go to CARICOM and when decisions are made, we need the personnel to implement those decisions if we are going to benefit from them and contribute to the greater debate in the wider Caribbean region,” Dr Pickering explained.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has indicated that his government isn’t opposed to becoming a full member of CARICOM but has not indicated that concrete steps will be taken to achieve this.
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Agree. 100% Our professionals will be able to work in Caricom countries without permit, But would they agree to accept caricom professionals to work in the BVI without work Permit. That the Issue. Just a few days ago I spoke with a Teacher from the BVI who tired of the BVI and liked SK and wanted to move to SK. If we were a full signed up member her wishes would have been possible.
Just because there are allegedly 132 nationalities in the BVIs does not mean there is free movement of people.
You should be sent back to Detroit. Have this man no shame?
Having blown years of easy money taxed from IB we now try to fully join a club we felt previously was of no benefit to us cap in hand looking for donations.
I was just about to type this very same thing!!!
Almost every Caricom member state has a larger GDP than the BVI. Yes their citizens come to your country to seek employment and better lives, but don’t your citizens go to other countries to do the same?
Furthermore, instead of talking out your *ss if you did a bit of reading you would know that countries like India with the fourth largest economy in the world still receive foreign aid. But then again, as was illustrated by events roughly two years ago, your expertise is in the narcotics trade and not international relations and diplomacy.
Please just stop forcing this disgrace to clergy and every other ‘cult of personality’ to live rent free in our heads. Blatantly biased stir the pot journalism is no service to the public.
BVI better off without Claude Skelton Cline. That’s my slogan
His face looks like CARICOM…a muddy virus of destroy.
Free movement and freedom to work. It would be awesome and blow the labour department and work permits out of the water.
Sir, you should have stayed ghost like you were doing. Your buddy the former HIP HOP MAYOR OF DETROIT HAS NOW CAUGHT THE RELIGIOUS BUG AND IS LOOKING TO OPEN A CHURCH IN TENNESSEE.
The Piranha Posse would love that they would leave the BVI like a skeleton.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM is no benefit to the people on the British Virgin islands, tell us how many people from the BVI goes to any of the other Caribbean islands to work for EC dollars when back home we make and spend the US dollar. The people of the BVI would be very stupid to vote or let something like that to happen. A lot of the CARICOM islands owe China so much money that one day China will own them. What is the Benefit of the BVI joining CARICOM?
Caricom is of great benefit to the BVI. We already have many Caricom citizens working as doctors, teachers, engineers, cleaners, etc that are holding our economy up like glue. With out them the BVI services will come to a massive slowdown and the economy will suffer. Why? There is not enough Virgin Islanders to fill all those positions held by Caricom citizens.
What you just said is a benefit to those people and the island the sending money to/building they house in.
The BVI will not benefit, and when the crime rate rises and the economy collapses (because tourists don’t want to come to 54sqm of daily petty crime) everyone will return to where they come from.
We already on a downward slide, so just let membership in CARICOM finish the downgrade.
WELL TRY INDEPENDENCE AND YOU WILL SEE IF IS BECAUSE IT IS CARRICOM THEY LOOK TO CHINA, IT IS THE GREED OF THE LEADERS THAT HAVE THE ISLANDS IN THE STATE, BASE ON THE COI; YOU ALL CAN GO AHEAD WITH INDEPENDENCE AND SEE IF YOU ALL WONT NEED CHINA TOO 😉
NOT
Stupidest idea I ever heard.
If anything you said didn’t make sense !
This make sense !
Now slowandeh start move on this !
I disagree wholeheartedly. It’s difficult enough to keep track of or detect the criminals who come to the Virgin Islands. Right now Trinidad is riddled with crime and the influx of migrants into the country is contributing to that. You can walk out of Jail in your country and walk into a job in the BVI meanwhile BVIslanders who have been incarcerated cannot find employment. The BVI gives everyone a second chance except its own. Becoming a full member of Caricom would be the biggest mistake the BVI has ever made. The BVI has no proper management for such a move.
Claude get to hell off the podium. I saw an Asian in his business and I stop going.
we are the best in yhe west indies , independiente is what we need and the it’s party time free weed , free jams , everything will be free and we can all shout out FREEDOOOOOOOMMMMMMM
The BVI is not a ‘better life’ – it’s the U.S. dollar they are there for. Wise up. If the other lovely Caribbean islands with much friendlier people paid in the USD, NO ONE would live in BVI but their own islanders.
That’s why we are been out numbered here because u all are bbbzzz sending home the US dollar and brag about when u make enough u going home the bvi is been rape
We’d be better off with a deeper BVI/USVI arrangement.