CARICOM to cut spending

The CARICOM Secretariat may be forced to further cut spending in an effort to meet its financial obligations.



The Guyana-based secretariat has been operating on a budget of about $8 million since 2008.



CARICOM ministers failed to agree on a 2011 budget in December.



They are scheduled to meet again later this month.



Senior CARICOM secretariat officer Irwin LaRocque says more cuts are needed because member nations have not been meeting their annual contributions.



LaRocque, an Assistant Secretary General, says the secretariat expects to cut back on travel this year by relying on video conferencing for the more than 100 meetings scheduled annually in the region.



There are also talks that some of CARICOM’s more than 200 workforce will also be sent home, but LaRocque has declined to provide details.