Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Anthony Hylton believes that Jamaican Government officials have done a 'commendable' job in informing stakeholders who may be affected by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM countries and the European Union.

The minister's statement comes against the backdrop of comments made by President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo that other regional leaders have not been truthful to their people about the nature of the deal and that the region has little to gain from it.

Significant effort

"President Jagdeo can speak clearest for Guyana. For Jamaica, we have made significant effort over the years on a consistent basis. We have, in fact, built an institutional arrangement called JATAT (Jamaica Trade and Adjustment Team) and through that process we have engaged many of our stakeholders, not only those in Kingston, but those in hinterlands," he told The Gleaner yesterday after a briefing of Parliament's Internal and External Affairs Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade at 21 Dominica Drive, New Kingston.

The EPA, for which negotiations were completed on December 16 last year, is a new trading arrangement which is intended to provide a secure basis for reciprocal trading in goods and services between the trading blocs.

Mr. Hylton, who is chair of Parliament's Internal and External Affairs Committee, said the work that has been done to sensitise the nation would need to be supplemented as the new agreement becomes more of a reality.

"The ministry and the Government and within the NGO community have made a commendable job to engage the process, but more needs to be done and we need to take the process forward," he added.