THE Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has expressed disappointment at the reported denial of entry of a number of Jamaicans into Trinidad recently, describing it as “a retrograde step” in the development of the so-called Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Trinidadian immigration officers denied 13 Jamaicans entry into that country on Tuesday night, detained them and sent them back home on the first flight Wednesday morning. According to the distraught Jamaicans, their passports were confiscated by the Trinidadians and they were ordered to sit on a wooden bench throughout the night before they were rudely bundled on a Caribbean Airlines flight.

It is the latest publicised incident involving Jamaicans being denied entry into a fellow Caricom member state, bringing into question regional co-operation. It follows the recent Shanique Myrie ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice.

“This calls into question the acknowledgement of the recent ruling and the future of Caricom, in particular the CSME single market,” the PSOJ said yesterday.

“We call upon the governments of Caricom to quickly deal with the issues surrounding this recent development, by initiating urgent dialogue and consultations, in order to prevent the further deterioration in Caricom relations, which can result,” the local private sector lobby group continued. “Aspects of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, in particular how it is being interpreted and implemented, must also be urgently addressed.”

The PSOJ also noted its own objections to certain trade arrangements and its willingness, the organisation said, to find a resolution without public confrontation because of its commitment to the idea of the CSME and Caricom, and because of the important role it believes regional co-operation plays in prosperity.

“Our hope is that this position would have been the view of all territories,” the organisation said.

Jamaica is a major market for Trinidadian goods, but the country has had an uneasy trade relationship with the twin-island republic for many years. Earlier this year, Trinidadian exporters to Jamaica were accused of violating trade rules by misrepresenting products as being of Caricom origin, allowing them to benefit from lower customs duties and price advantages in the local market.

Additionally, Jamaicans for years have complained that they have been subjected to sub-standard treatment at the hands of Trinidadian airport officials and have advocated a boycott of goods from that country as retaliation for the xenophobic behaviour of the Eastern Caribbean nationals.