By Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 27, 2018 – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris is a no-show at the Twenty-Ninth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference Heads of Government of CARICOM in Haiti.
This is the second successive CARICOM Inter-Sessional that Harris has missed. No St. Kitts and Nevis delegate attendee last year’s Inter-Sessional in Guyana.
The conference is examining the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), particularly Administrative Requirements in the Skills Certification Process as it relates to the Requirement for a Police Certificate of Character.
They are also looking at Procedures to which Member States would adhere on the Refusal of Entry of CARICOM Nationals and Foreign Exchange Difficulties Affecting Trade between Member States.
Against the backdrop of last year’s devastating hurricane season, significant attention is being placed on finding solutions to Disaster Management and Recovery.
Last year Dr. Harris was notably absent from several important regional and international meetings.
These included the 42nd Regional Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) held in St. Kitts, the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) forum of Regional Parliamentarians Forum in Kingston, Jamaica; Antigua and Barbuda’s 2nd Annual Citizenship by Investment Conference; the 47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
He also missed the annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in his capacity as Minister of Finance and the International Emigration & Luxury Property Expo at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes.
His absence from those regional meetings has prompted speculation the Prime Minister is avoiding Caribbean leaders and the media on several issues.
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