CARICOM Summit |PSOJ president urges Caribbean leaders to fast-track regional integration to boost growth
Published:Tuesday | July 8, 2025 | 1:47 PM
President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Metry Seaga, is urging Caribbean leaders to take immediate, pragmatic steps to deepen regional integration, warning that the survival of the region depends on it.
Speaking this morning at the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) Business Breakfast held at Sandals Montego Bay in St James, on the sidelines of the 49th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference, Seaga said the region could no longer afford to operate in silos amid rising global protectionism and shifting geopolitical alliances.
“Regional integration isn’t just a lofty ideal anymore. It’s a necessity—not just for governments, but for businesses, for jobs, and for the quality of life we all want to secure for future generations,” said Seaga.
In a frank address to regional heads and private sector stakeholders, the PSOJ president emphasised the urgent need to harmonise customs regulations, modernise logistics and infrastructure, and remove non-tariff barriers that make intra-regional trade harder than exporting to far-flung markets.
Seaga, who has been a vocal advocate for private-sector-led growth, reaffirmed the PSOJ’s commitment to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), but cautioned that without decisive policy changes, the vision would remain aspirational.
“We fully support the goals of the CSME, but those goals need action,” he said.
“We don’t need more red tape. We need more action—practical, pragmatic decisions that will unlock our regional potential.”
The Montego Bay breakfast was part of a broader push by the CPSO to deepen collaboration between Caribbean governments and businesses, especially in light of the slow progress made since the CSME was first agreed to in 1989.
The event drew several CARICOM leaders and trade ministers, as well as representatives from regional chambers of commerce and industry associations.
Seaga called for businesses across the region to move beyond competition and embrace cross-border partnerships—such as Jamaican manufacturers working with Bajan distributors, or Saint Lucian and Trinidadian tech firms co-developing solutions.
“We have the talent, the creativity, and the natural resources. And with the right framework, we can finally compete on a global scale,” he said.
Appointed PSOJ president in 2022, Seaga has consistently championed public-private partnerships, greater economic resilience, and private-sector innovation.
He also sits on the board of the CPSO, an entity established in 2020 to give the Caribbean business community a formal voice in shaping regional economic integration.
Ending his remarks with a touch of levity and national pride, Seaga invited attendees to support the West Indies cricket team at an upcoming day-night match at Sabina Park, quipping that he remains “one of the long sufferers.”
Still, his overall message was serious: regional development will only come if bold leadership is matched with decisive execution.
“The PSOJ is all in on regional integration,” he said.
“We are ready to do the work.”
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