Dr Edwin Carrington, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) secretary-general, makes a compelling argument for regional governments to structure their economies in order to stem the brain drain affecting the region.

In fact, Dr Carrington, in his address to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2006 Caribbean Media Awards ceremony at the University of the West Indies last Saturday night, told us what we already know - that Caribbean countries could not continue relying on remittances as a major source of foreign exchange inflow.

Dr Carrington's advice, we believe, would not encounter any opposition from Caribbean governments. Surely, the region's leaders - at least those who are in support - would argue that one of the aims of establishing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) is to ensure that the region is able to retain its brightest and best skilled professionals.

The intention, as we understand it, is for the creation of jobs through increased investment, particularly within the micro business sector, and the opening up of trade opportunities in external markets that will help improve efficiency.

In addition, the agreement for the free movement of skills throughout the region is designed to expand the pool of resources from which firms and governments can choose.
The CSME, therefore, holds immense potential for the economic survival of the region, and our governments would do well to move more quickly on its full implementation. For the International Monetary Fund (IMF) data highlighted by Dr Carrington on Saturday night give cause for grave concern.

According to the IMF research, the Caribbean is losing about 400 nurses per year to developed nations, and Guyana, in the last five years alone, had lost 80 per cent of its tertiary-educated citizens.

The majority of Caribbean countries, Dr Carrington disclosed, have lost more than 50 per cent of their labour force in the tertiary segment and more than 30 per cent in the secondary education segment.

These figures, as we have said before, are not encouraging, even when one factors into the equation the possibility of making an industry of training professionals for export.

We agree with Dr Carrington's analysis that this migration of professional skills is compromising the Caribbean's ability to achieve its broader development goals and that the loss of skills far outweighs the recorded remittances to the region.

Of course, we do not believe that full implementation of the CSME will be a panacea for the brain drain. For people, particularly those who are highly qualified and experienced, will always move to jurisdictions that will adequately reward them for their expertise.

However, Caricom leaders cannot simply sit back and allow the seepage to continue. But even as we move towards creating the environment that will open up more and improved employment opportunities, we need to ensure that the job displacement problems that are being experienced in some members of the European Union are not replicated here. For that would surely affect the free movement of skilled labour and the potential that that policy holds for improving regional integration.

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Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World