GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC(:

The Guyana government has set September 6 and 7 for national consultations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced on Wednesday.

Jagdeo had publicly stated that Guyana would not sign the EPA until consultations on the issue were completed.

The trade agreement, negotiated between the European Union (EU) and CARIFORUM - which includes the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic - is due to be signed on September 2 in Barbados. It replaces the old preferential arrangements for regional goods in the European market.

Implications

Earlier this week, the St Lucian government said it too would delay signing the agreement. Prominent regional academics have also raised concerns about the EPA and its implications for the region.

Jagdeo, who made the comments at a seminar on the EPA, which was organised by trade union groups, said if the deal is signed in its present form, other trade partners such as Canada and United States would demand similar concessions in future negotiations.