Genesis of a Regional Contractors Association

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The contractors associations of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica and Dominica have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form the Coalition of Caribbean Contractors Association. Presently sitting on the organization’s steering committee are presidents of the various regional associations Ronald Cooper (Jamaica), Achal Moorjani (Barbados), Mikey Jospeh (T&T), and Stuart Parris (Dominica’s immediate past President). According to Cooper, the  committee’s chairman, the coalition was formed with the objective to protect and promote the region’s construction industry and facilitate corporation between Caribbean contractors as well as to provide a lobby at the level of CARICOM.

Secretary-treasurer of the association, Mikey Joseph compares the new association to CSME. He says that one of the most prominent characteristic of the association is to enable contractors from around the region to freely operate in any island without having to immobilize mass amounts of resources. Both presidents have indicated that once the coalition is fully operational there will be funding available for the strengthening of institutions, training, etc. Once accessed, this funding is anticipated to work in tandem to bring the entire regional construction sector to a higher standard of performance through a combination of business interest and industry development.

Cooper further stated that since the organization’s inception there have been a few joint venture initiatives in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago as well as between Jamaica and Barbados. The next step for the coalition will be the establishment of a secretariat as well as an invitation to all interested regional associations to sign the MOU. Other countries which have expressed interest in the coalition are Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada. The Coalition of Caribbean Contractors Association is hoping to meet again in Jamaica between June and July.