No CSM&E, we want CSM&V

Ah wish somebody will tek time out and sit down with me just to explain what this CSM&E is all about because ah don’t over-stand what it means. All ah been hearing is frightening things like: “Yuh better get ready foh CSM&E because come 2006, this will happen and that will happen”. How all the bigger countries in the region just waiting to swamp these lickle islands, set up business that locals will have no choice but to shut up shop.{{more}}

Anyhow, until ah get ah explanation ’bout this CSM&E, ah will watch and wait, because initially ah was sold with the I-dare that in order foh we in the Caribbean to survive, we have to Come To-gather, again? and do it as one people, buy and sell to each other, again? give it ah powerful name like Single Market and Economy. But yuh done know how these new ventures does ex-sight we, just like the WTO that was supposed to bring Order in World Trade, so that the lickle countries like we with small Banana fields don’t perish; but from the time WTO start is all kind ah hassle we getting with our two bunches ah Bananas.

CSM&E was supposed to be the answer to all trading problems in the region. Our leaders met, fix ah date when the thing will come into effect, send everybody home to get dey house in Order foh that date, January 2006. As usual the bigger and more developed brothers and sisters with their abundant energy supplies and stronger economy went ahead getting ready. Importantly there was suppose to be ah $200 million pool to which we will all subscribe, mainly to help we, the less developed and lickle ones Prepare, ah hear the fund sorry, the Fun only reach $6 million but that ain’t their concern, as long as the big countries Prepared, they will start. That reminds me ah the Federation all over again.

Now how do we in these small islands react to all ah this Scheme? We don’t! We know we don’t have the means or the will to prepare, we know that foh us “Prepare” means prepare to buy what the bigger ones produce and dump pon we, and we in turn can compete. This reminds me of the man in the Scriptures who was bed-ridden foh thirty-eight years, waiting with the other sick people by the pool foh when the Angel come to stir-up the water, and the first person to reach the water will get healed. But the man was never able to get to the pool in time, he had no one to help him, it was dog eat dog, every man foh he own self. The story ain’t end dey, Jesus passed by and the man put his problem to Jesus who tells the man to forget it, just tek up his bed and walk, that his faith alone had made him whole. Yuh know when the man went rejoicing in the street, the Jews like our Carry-Come big brothers who never offered to help him get to the pool chanted him down, how it’s the Sabbath, he not suppose to walk with his bed on that day, and then they went looking foh Jesus and chanted Him down too, foh healing someone on the Sabbath.

So we come like the cripple man, we don’t have the means to prepare we-self foh CSM&E or nothing, well with no help at all coming from we more able and strong Carry-Come brothers, we had to mek friends with Venezuela whose Pet-throw-carib (Vincy) ah promise to help we to get to the pool when next the Angel stir-up the water. Yuh know that Part-trick Man-in T’n’T, like the Jews in the story, tek offence, telling we that we breaking de Sabbath, we not suppose to do that, and if we try that and we fall thru, don’t expect him to come to we rescue. Now he was never to we rescue, yuh would think that at this late stage, that the brotherly thing foh him to do is to offer we the same deal that Venezuela offering. Never, that’s not in the best interest ah T’n’T, his only suggestion is to threaten and black-male we. As far as ah can see we should not be signing any CSM&E agreement, we not ready, we will never be ready, so it is sue-side-all; the only Market arrangements that we in SVG should get into, is one that spells CSM&V that’s C as in Cuba, S as in St. Vincent, M as in Mexico and V as in Venezuela.

MEK MIDDLE STREET AH SHOPPING MALL

It seems that one ah the burning issues at the Kingstown Board is to get the vendors off the street. That’s ah ole story, PR could tell them what he met up with trying to move them. In Middle Street alone ah check over fifty Vendors. Street Vendors want to be seen as straight people, trying to mek ah honest living, rather than steal or sell Drugs, they sell clean stuff. So it will be wicked to just dump them like that, they must be given at least two days ah week to mek ah honest living; ah rotation system will help. Doesn’t it bother us that as we go thru all the stores in town, ninety percent ah the businesses belong to far-rainers of one race and colour; no attacks intended; and foh ah local to mek ah honest living s/he got to stand at the side ah the street, in rain and sun, with temporary stands and plastic covering? And as if it is not humiliating enough foh our locals to be pushed aside on the street corners and sidewalks, the authorities of the town-board appealing to Minister Browne to have them removed. Jack-ass had ah right to say that this world ain’t level at all. Man is time we mek Middle Street ah Shopping Mall that will accommodate ah wide variety ah street vending.

LIAT AGAIN?

Doesn’t LIAT remind us of a prodigal son who keep messing up and every time he needs re-financing he heads back to dad foh more help? Ah couple years ago millions went into LIAT with the over-standing that everything will be fine. Now ah hearing that LIAT again, looking foh another forty million dollars this year to keep the planes in the sky? Lie-Za’s friend, who been flying these parts foh quite some time, told her to add-vice the Vincy arm of LIAT to get out! Use what ever money we were going to put into LIAT and purchase three 19-seater planes and do ah shuttle service to Bo-bathe-us; then three days ah week those same planes can do ah direct flight up to the Virgin Islands. We can safely absorb the LIAT wukers stationed here in SVG. He didn’t stop there, he thinks that extending the Canouan strip likewise will solve ah lot ah we problems.

And with that mouth-full, ah gone again.

One love Bassy.