Jamaican products not intentionally barred from Trinidad, T&T PM assures

Jamaican manufacturers are being assured that local goods are not being intentionally barred from entering the Trinidad and Tobago market.

   

The assurance has come from Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Keith Rowley. He was speaking at a media briefing Thursday morning, at the end of his visit to Jamaica.

   

Trade relations between the two countries have been tense, with local manufacturers being vocal about their challenges in accessing the Trinidadian market and some even calling for a boycott of goods from the twin island republic.

 

However, having met with local manufacturers on his visit to Jamaica, Prime Minister Rowley said he is satisfied that the local business community has accepted that there are no "impediments to trade".   

 

"In fact," he said, "they are excited about doing what Prime Minister Holness said, which is expanding Jamaica's footprint into Trinidad and the rest of the region."

 

Dr. Rowley acknowledged that there were some misunderstandings, but said it was "nothing that could not have been cleared up by frank and clear discussions on the matter - and that's what we've done." 

 

He called for more to be done to inform Jamaicans about trade policies.                

"There is work on both sides - Jamaica (and) Trinidad and Tobago - for the public officials to understand the law, what is expected, and to carry out their duties in the letter and spirit," he said.  

 

Another issue which was on the agenda of meetings with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Dr. Rowley was the matter of Jamaicans being denied entry to Trinidad.

    

Both leaders agreed that Jamaicans need to be educated about immigration rules as there are misconceptions regarding free entry.

 

"Every person arriving at every border is and ought to be assessed on an individual basis, and your individual circumstances are what would be assessed by the receiving officer (so) a Jamaican having a difficulty, does not mean that Jamaicans have difficulty. By the same token, a Trinidadian, coming to Jamaica and having a difficulty, does not mean Trinidadians have difficulty," the Trinidadian prime minister said.  

 

Prime Minister Holness encouraged Jamaicans to understand that free movement does not mean unbridled unrestricted access.

 

"We will try to give information to people who intend to travel from Jamaica to Trinidad so they are aware of the legal requirements that apply in those jurisdictions," he declared.