Opposition parties discuss foreign trade policy

Contributed
Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr. Anthony Hylton (centre), speaks with Senator Oswald Harding (left), who represented the Jamaica Labour Party, and Mr. Hugh Thompson, who represented the National Democratic Movement, at the consultation at the Ministry on Monday with opposition parties on a draft trade policy document. The People's National Party was also represented.

THE MINISTRY of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in its objective to obtain a national consensus on Foreign Trade policy has initiated a series of discussions with a cross-section of different groupings in the country on a draft document: "Adjusting Trade Policy to Meet the Challenges of the New Order."

On Monday at the Foreign Ministry, it was the turn of the Opposition parties to participate in consultations on the document which is to go to the Development Council and the Cabinet this month.

Minister of Foreign Trade, Anthony Hylton, announced that islandwide consultations are to be held.

He left the island on Tuesday to attend a series of regional meetings in Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

Mr. Hylton, who is also chairman of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Special Committee on Trade Development and External Economic relations, was scheduled to attend a meeting of ACS Trade Ministers in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday.

He made a presentation and led discussion on the treatment of small economies within the framework of international trade negotiations. The meeting aimed at reaching a consensus on this topic with a view to making a presentation to the ACS Third Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held December in Venezuela.

The Minister also participated on Thursday in a special CARIFORUM Ministerial in Port-of-Spain which primarily will guide Secretary General Dr. Edwin Carrington in mid-month negotiations with the European Commission on the future of CARIFORUM and the development of a Regional Support Strategy.

Mr. Hylton was scheduled to attend a joint Council for Trade and Economic Development and Council for Finance and Planning meeting in Grenada yesterday to examine under Protocol Two provisions of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, the removal of restrictions from the financial sectors.

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