CARICOM – CPSO

CPSO Applauds Belize and Guyana Sugar Refinery Projects as Strategic Investments to Reduce CARICOM Food Import Bill

By Afiya RayBelize, Guyana, news, Press Release, pressreleaseNo Comments

Bridgetown, Barbados — The CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) expresses support for the sugar refinery investments being made in Belize and Guyana by joint ventures involving Sucro Limited, Santander Sugar Limited, and GAICO Construction & General Services Inc, which will expand the regional supply of refined sugar within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

CARICOM currently sources a significant amount of refined sugar from extra-regional sources. According to CPSO estimates, in 2024, the Region imported just over USD150 million in refined sugar. The Belize and Guyana sugar refinery investments will therefore add regional refining capacity and reduce the Region’s dependence on external sources by allowing more of the Region’s raw sugar to be processed within the Community.

The Belize project, under Caribbean Sugar Refinery Limited, will be located within the Santander complex in the Valley of Peace and is expected to commence operations before June 2026. In Guyana, Demerara Sugar Refinery Inc., located at the former Wales Estate, will utilize proven refinery assets and technology being relocated from Canada, alongside raw sugar produced by Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), to support a quick commencement of operations.

The CPSO commended His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the Honourable John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize, for their leadership and commitment in championing the refinery investment and for their support for the CARICOM sugar industry. Noting that this policy commitment was publicly reaffirmed before the Belize National Assembly on February 2, 2026, the CPSO emphasized that the clear policy signal transmitted from the highest political level would further bolster private sector confidence to increase investments in the agri-food sector and position CARICOM as a stable and secure market for regionally produced goods.

Dr. Patrick Antoine, Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director of the CPSO, described the refinery investments as strategic for the rebuilding of CARICOM’s sugarcane production capacity. He noted that the projects are closely aligned with both the region’s agri-food policy and strategy, under the 25 by 2025 plus 5 (2030) agenda, and the Community’s Industrial Policy.

Dr. Antoine further noted that the immediate priority must be to meet intra-regional demand with regionally processed output. By securing the CARICOM market first, the CSME will provide the opportunity for the refineries, supported by expanding sugar production, to achieve the scale and competitiveness required for long-term sustainability.

He added that strong regional policy coordination will be essential to support investments of this scale, making the point that “Private capital can only transform regional agriculture into agroindustry, where market certainty and policy coherence exist across CARICOM. For these investments to achieve their full regional impact, they must be supported by coordinated trade, agriculture, and industrial policies.”

The refinery projects, together with expanded sugar cane production, represent a critical shift for the Caribbean sugar and sweetener value chain. The expansion of regional refining capacity is fully aligned with the Community’s objective of reducing the extra-regional food import bill and deepening regional value chains under the 25 by 2025 plus 5 (2030) agenda.

February 7, 2026

CPSO Welcomes The Commencement of Full Free Movement Among Four CSME Member States

By Afiya RayPress Release, pressreleaseNo Comments

Bridgetown, Barbados – The CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) welcomes the implementation of full free movement rights for nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Full free movement for these nationals comes into effect today, October 1st, 2025.

The implementation of full free movement represents a defining milestone in the realization of the CSME and brings tangible meaning to the vision of a borderless regional economy. Full free movement for all nationals of these countries will contribute to cross border enterprise and will facilitate the ease of doing business for the private sector, thereby strengthening intra-regional economic activity, competitiveness, and economic growth.

For the private sector, it signals a deeper commitment to a unified economic space where goods, services, capital and skilled labour move freely, enabling firms to scale, invest, and innovate more effectively across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Commenting on the official start of the regime, Dr. Patrick Antoine, CEO and Technical Director of the CPSO, stated:

“The regional private sector has long advocated for the removal of barriers to the free movement of people within our Region. This move by Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines demonstrates the kind of action-oriented leadership needed to make regional integration a lived reality for businesses, workers, and families.”.

Dr. Antoine further noted that as the first CSME Member States to implement full free movement, these four countries now have the opportunity to demonstrate how labour mobility can strengthen economic opportunity, deepen social cohesion and build long-term resilience.

The CPSO pledges to work closely with Governments, the CARICOM Secretariat and other stakeholders to support remaining the CARICOM Member States in their journey toward full free movement, fulfilling the vision of the Framers of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and the aspirations of our people for a united, borderless Caribbean Community.

October 1, 2025

CPSO congratulates Caribbean Chemicals on the success of its proposal in the IDB Sargassum Innovation Quest

By Afiya RayPress ReleaseNo Comments

The CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) congratulates Caribbean Chemicals and Agencies Ltd, (CC), a leading regional supplier and producer of agricultural inputs, on the success of its proposal in the Sargassum Innovation Quest: Building Resilient Coastal Ecosystems, an initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and its innovation arm, IDB Lab, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Image courtesy Ms Carina Cockburn, IDB Country Representative, Barbados.

The submission by CC was the culmination of its active collaboration with Plant & Food Research, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) with the Concept Note and the Pitch Deck prepared by Business Systems Expert, Mr. Dale Chesney.

The collaboration included successful preparation, from Sargassum, of a bio stimulant liquid that did not increase plant or soil levels of arsenic and other heavy metals, the design of a pilot plant to manufacture same and its testing for use as a bio stimulant under experimental and farmer conditions for a wider range of crops and conditions.

The Sargassum Innovation Quest was launched in 2024 to identify and support solutions that leverage advanced technologies and innovative practices to harness the potential of Sargassum biomass and enhance the resilience of coastal communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The CC submission was one of 72 from 13 countries across the Region. It was also one of five initiatives which were announced on January 14^th, 2025 by IDB and IDB Lab as being preselected. The five initiatives all aim to harness the potential of Sargassum as a resource for various industries. The other named beneficiaries are Waste Recycling Environment Network (Belize), C-combinator (Mexico), SOS Carbon (Dominican Republic) and Origin by Ocean (Dominican Republic).

As a part of the next steps in the process, CC is scheduled to undergo a due diligence process. Upon successful completion, they will proceed to design their projects and become candidates to receive funding from IDB Lab and USAID to develop their innovative models. All organisations will also join the IDB’s global innovators network to address the sargassum management needs and the conservation of coastal-marine ecosystems across Latin America and the Caribbean.

CEO and Technical Director of the CPSO, Dr. Patrick Antoine, in extending congratulations to CC, noted that its success in the Sargassum Innovation Quest is a clear demonstration of the Region’s ability to leverage cutting-edge solutions to turn environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities. He also underscored the CPSO’s commitment to fostering impactful collaborations between public and private sector stakeholders that drive innovation to address critical agricultural and environmental challenges for CARICOM Member States.

Mr. Joe Pires Jnr, Chairman and CEO of CC has recognised the role of CPSO in effectively bringing the private sector and the development agencies (CRFM, Plant & Food Research, with support from CARDI and UWI) together in partnership that will substantially contribute to the success of the CARICOM Heads of Government Mandate of 25×2025 – food import reduction Initiative.

January 23, 2025