Caricom leaders holding their annual summit in Barbados were getting down to business on Monday in a meeting with US congressman Charles Rangel. Mr Rangel who chairs the powerful congressional Ways and Means Committee, was a key figure in last month's US/Caricom summit in Washington. He's expected to work out a plan of action with the regional leaders for future relations with the US. The heads of government expect much of the focus of this week's meeting to be on functional cooperation. Cooperation issues Some leaders are demanding action and functioning and willing cooperation on more delicate and thorny issues, including air transportation, the financing of inter-island airline Liat, and the cost of air travel. The heads are hoping that the Caribbean Single market and Economy will be fully operational in eight year's time in 2015. But outgoing Caricom Chairman Ralph Gonsalves, the Vincentian prime minister has been explaining that there's a lot still to be completed in the CSME's current first phase. The single market Dr Gonsalves said this included the bringing into effect of the Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals Act in one member state, thought to be Antigua/Barbuda. He also listed some of the other ongoing tasks aimed at consolidating the single market: "The establishment of the competition commission, the operationalisation of the Caricom Development Fund, the possible setting up of a regional development agency," were some of those he mentioned. Dr Gonsalves added that the enlargement of categories of employees in pursuance of the objective of freedom of movement of labour, was also a priority. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com