Remarks by the Chairman of CARICOM, President of Suriname, H.E. Chandrikapersad Santokhi at the launch of the CARICOM Interactive Market Place Suspension Procedure (CIMSUPRO),[...]

• Colleague Heads of Government,
• Minister Rishma Kuldipsingh, Minister of Economic Affairs,
• Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community,
• Distinguished Ministers,
• Caricom Secretariat Staff,
• Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good day to you all!

• As we all can recall, one of the key principles of establishing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), was and still is, to achieve regional integration, and economic growth, within our community.
• The ways in which businesses are conducted shall significantly impact the achievement of sustainable development and growth.
• Abiding by the principles set out by the CSME and full implementation shall pave the way for sustainable growth and establish reliability for our business community.
• As Chair of CARICOM, I also wish to emphasize the need for our business society to use the CARICOM common market.

• Hence, the CARICOM INTERACTIVE MARKETPLACE SUSPENSION PROCEDURE (CIMSUPRO) portal is the tool to achieve the aforementioned, since CIMSUPRO provides a platform where entrepreneurs from CARICOM, can offer their products, from raw materials to finished products.
• The region faces many challenges resulting from global developments, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the recovery from that.
• To be better equipped to face all challenges, we must first work on strengthening our communities' capacities and support each other.
• After all, the initial intention of the grouping of countries, now known as CARICOM, was to promote economic integration and cooperation, among its members.
• As the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world, CARICOM has the duty to set forth its goals and be a model for regional integration.
• As mentioned, the region faces many challenges, such as the need to enhance productivity and sustainable growth, which in turn, requires the ability to transform our economic base.
• Trade and economic development shall only be achieved through private-public partnerships.
• After all, it is the private sector that trades and does business.
• Therefore, I'm more than delighted with the establishment of CIMSUPRO.
• With the aim of developing a CARICOM Industrial Policy, we are now focusing on that direction by establishing and using this platform.
• The extension of the regional integration, which has been sought since the start of CARICOM, can now be reached just by visiting the website to seek the necessary inputs from the CARICOM marketplace.
• CIMSUPRO provides a strategic aim towards improving the efficiency of our regional suspension mechanism, which is directly aimed towards encouraging production. More so, it seeks to develop our Industrial Policy.
• Long waiting periods for suspension, granted by the CARICOM Secretariat, and the uncertainty of not knowing at which stage your suspension request is, are things of the past.
• With this platform, we have given the first step towards further expanding our Industrial Policy strategies.
• Having said that, I now call on all Member States to populate the CARICOM INTERACTIVE MARKETPLACE SUSPENSION PROCEDURE (CIMSUPRO).
• I thank you and God bless you.