Associate membership of Caricom offers a number of practical benefits, including sharing educational resources and providing catastrophe risk insurance to the region, an audience was told at a forum last night.

And, according to Government Senator Calvin Smith, one of the forum's six panellists, based on past practice with countries of similar size, Bermuda will not have to fork out more than $50,000 annually in membership fees.

While the regional organisation Caricom announced last month that Bermuda and Cayman are now officially associate members, Government has once again reassured the public that a decision will not be made until after full public discussion, the preparation of a position paper and a Parliamentary debate.

"It is Government's intent to see that the people of Bermuda are fully informed on this topic of Caricom and Associate Membership," Health Minister Nelson Bascome told a Bermuda College audience last night.

The Minister was speaking in his capacity as chairman of the Cabinet-appointed Bermuda Caricom committee at the forum on the pros and cons of Caricom Associate membership held at the Bermuda College and organised by the West Indian Association and the College.

He promised that the committee will fulfil its duty to fully inform the community and that details of a public relations campaign - to include "town hall meetings, and forums... as well as discussions with all major stakeholders, including the business, sport and cultural communities" - will be announced shortly.

Brandishing a communique issued by Caricom, panellist David Sullivan said that as far as Caricom was concerned, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are already members. And he criticised Government for not fully informing the people.

Political scientist Walton Brown, who was also on the panel, praised the Government for the initiative but said it should be "gently chided" for not coming forward with information.

About 130 people turned up for the discussion and many of them appeared to be in favour of Bermuda becoming an Associate Member of Caricom, judging from audience reaction and questions that followed the presentations.

Only one of the six panellists - Wayne Scott - voiced strong opposition to Government's initiative.

Mr. Scott said he was saw no tangible benefits of associating with Caricom and he was concerned that a group of professional Caribbean journalists had charged that Caricom had a tendency to interfere in the politics of some member states.

Mr. Scott added that Bermuda had done better than countries in the region without such membership and existing links were no reason to join up as a country.

"Where is the need?

"I don't see it," Mr. Scott said.

The charge of political interference was countered by West Indian Association president Trevor Fyfe and Pauulu Kamarakafego (Roosevelt Brown) who said that Caricom only intervenes in member states affairs when invited by the affected country.

And panellist Rolfe Commissiong said that Mr. Scott's interpretation of the media reports in which the charge was made, misinformed the public. He also stressed in his presentation that Bermuda could tailor its membership to its circumstances and would not be joining the common market.

Former Premier Sir John Swan, who has been the most vocal and consistent opponent of the proposal, was invited but declined to attend the forum, the audience was told by West Indian Association president Trevor Fyfe who served as moderator.

Organised by the West Indian Association and the Bermuda College, the forum lasted just under three hours.

"We're not a member.. there's no way you can be a member unless you have the terms and conditions and they haven't been forwarded to us," said Mr. Bascome after the discussion. "Until we agree the terms and conditions.. we are not members."

He said there was "a lot of truth to" Senator Smith's comment about the costs of membership.

"I don't think we'll be beyond that ($50,000) either."

But several members of the audience and panellist Walton Brown said Bermuda was too obsessed with the balance sheet.