PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad and Tobago government says it is considering the proposed change to the free movement aspect of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Single Market and Economy (CSME), intended to facilitate hassle-free movement across the regional integration grouping.

Caricom leaders ended their 49th regular meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Tuesday, but no official communique has yet been issued.

Speaking at a post-cabinet news conference on Thursday evening, the country’s Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, Sean Sobers, told reporters matter is under careful review and that this evolution allows free movement without requiring the certificate currently prescribed by law.

The CSME, formally established in 2001 with the revision of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

Speaking at the news conference at the end of the summit, Jamaica’s Prime Minister and Caricom Chairman, Andrew Holness, said, “We agreed that the pace and scope of implementation was too slow.”

“We agreed that we will do everything in our powers to speed up implementation,” he continued, adding “We are now moving from applying administratively, the protocol on enhanced cooperation which all member states have signed with now four countries, Barbados, Dominica, Belize and St Vincent and the Grenadines, reiterating their willingness to implement full free movement under the protocol starting October 1, 2025.”

Sobers, who headed the Trinidad and Tobago delegation to the summit, said the Kamla Persad Bissessar government is considering consulting with members of the population before implementing the proposed changes, noting that currently, if certain category of people wanted to move throughout the community, they had to first obtain a CSME skills certificate.

“This particular evolution of the CSME now will see people moving throughout the Caribbean region without having to obtain that skill certificate. Prior to the meeting in Jamaica, this was an issue being dealt with at a prime ministerial level and Trinidad and Tobago has had extensive discussions internally with various Cabinet ministries so everyone is on the pathway for readiness as it pertains to eventual implementation of this framework.”

Sobers said that the government, which came to power on April 28 this year, thought it was important for the public to understand and fully appreciate what that would mean for the oil-rich twin island republic after it was implemented.

“Some people are considering whether to have public consultations on the issue because it was not done before. As much as the prime minister would have indicated through us and during her own discussion that we are fully engaged with Caricom… and we want to reassure our Caribbean partners about it, we also need to balance that with our obligations to nationals here and how our own nationals would feel about something like this.

“That is where we are at, and that is the position adopted by other countries in the region. They are reviewing it and will signal Caricom when they are ready to implement a total free and full movement of people,” Sobers added.

He said there had been submissions from the Homeland Security Ministry regarding immigration, the Health Ministry regarding the health sector, and the Education Ministry, which had been reviewed and responded to by his ministry.

“As we are a new administration, we are reviewing the consultations they would have had internally to ensure we are absolutely ready when we give this nod to Caricom that this rollout of this new evolution of the CSME could take place.

“We are at an advanced stage as it regards the full and fair movement of people, but we just want to pause a bit on certain aspects of it until Cabinet has a proper understanding of what this would look like.

“We have not imposed a timeline. I have certain things I need to present to Cabinet, which I will do in short order, and then Cabinet will make a decision on how to move forward,” Sobers said.

Meanwhile, the Trinidad and Tobago government is to hold talks with United Kingdom officials regarding the decision by London to impose visa requirements on Trinidad and Tobago nationals earlier this year.

Sobers said that while Trinidad and Tobago had been formally notified of the move before it was officially announced in March, the former administration did not amend key legislation that could have prevented the measure from taking effect.

“They (the former government) were told well in advance of the March deadline that they needed to address certain issues. One of the things requested was an amendment to a specific piece of legislation,” he said.

Sobers said that discussions with the British High Commission are ongoing, with another virtual meeting scheduled for next week. However, he cautioned that passing the necessary legislation would not automatically lift the visa requirements.