IN a bold move toward regional transformation, Caricom has announced sweeping plans to reform the Caribbean’s telecommunications, trade, and education sectors — changes poised to reshape the region’s economic and social landscape.

The regional body announced major plans to review the consumption of US streaming giant Netflix and US messaging service WhatsApp, owned by Meta, across the Caribbean. Prime minister of Barbados Mia Mottley revealed that Caricom is in the exploratory phase of determining how the region can benefit from the high usage of these platforms, which currently contribute little to no revenue to the Caribbean economy.

“Many of us use WhatsApp, Netflix — all of these things for which there is little to no payment. The reality is that these entities earn as much as US$11.6 billion a year, yet they pay no taxes and make no contribution in any way to the regional economy,” Mottley stated at the closing press conference of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom on Friday.

She noted that this lack of revenue has hindered telecommunications firms from reinvesting in strengthening the Caribbean’s telecommunications infrastructure. The announcement follows a comprehensive review of the telecommunications environment conducted by the Caribbean Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) which included non-Caricom territories such as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, due to their significant role in regional telecommunications.

“We are conscious that the Caribbean, as small states, has higher telecommunications costs than we would like to see, compared with other regions,” Mottley said.

To address this imbalance, Caricom has tasked premier of Nevis, Mark Brantley; prime minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell; and Mottley, in her role as chair, to explore strategies that would ensure fairness to both consumers and providers while fostering a competitive environment. At the same time, Caricom is also bracing for potential US tariff changes that could reshape trade relations between the Caribbean and the United States. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness emphasised that while such changes might disrupt routine trade, they also present significant opportunities for the region.

“With these changes, the concerns shouldn’t only be about disruptions in the normal routine of trade but also about the great opportunities they could present for the region,” Holness noted.

In urging businesses and private stakeholders not to panic, Holness highlighted that Caricom’s well-established trade negotiation mechanism is actively studying potential challenges and guiding member governments on structuring trade policies to mitigate risks, while capitalising on opportunities.

“We’re dealing with speculation right now as to what the tariffs could be; there’s been no announcement specific to the Caricom region. What we are being is proactive and prepared,” Holness added.

Holness assured that Caricom expects to complete a detailed review within three to four months. The resulting policy document will offer strategic advice to member governments, ensuring the region is prepared to negotiate if necessary.

In addition to telecommunications and trade, Caricom is also embarking on significant educational reforms. Prime Minister Mottley revealed that the community will establish a Caricom Educational Transformation Commission to redesign the region’s educational systems. The commission will oversee changes to how secondary high school CXC examinations are conducted, and develop new educational targets aligned with the needs of the modern Caribbean.

“We all accept that our educational systems are not fit for purpose. They were designed for a colonial period, with a hierarchical structure that only saw a few of our people and not all of our people,” Mottley stated.

The reforms extend to tertiary education as well. Caricom Educational Transformation Commission has agreed to commission work on a treaty to effectively repatriate The University of the West Indies (The UWI), ending its governance under a royal charter — an arrangement Mottley described as outdated in today’s era.

“The time has come now,” Mottley declared.