OECS Heads of Government opened their 40 th Authority meeting at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall in Tortola, Wednesday, with strong reassurance to the people of hurricane ravaged Grenada of the sub-region’s continuing support for their recovery effort, and an impassioned plea from the Chairman of the nine-member grouping for even greater commitment to the 23-year old organization. 

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, to a standing ovation, recounted the several areas of help from the governments and especially “the ordinary citizens” of the OECS and wider Caribbean. 

Heads of Government and Representatives for the 40th OECS Authority

Dr. Mitchell announced the establishment of an Agency for Reconstruction and Development to be headed by noted Grenadian and Caribbean Sir Alister Mc Intyre, with a mandate to lead the economic, social and infrastructural recovery of Grenada. The agency will be supported by a National Council for Reconstruction and Development that will serve as an advisory body to cabinet and a forum for policy dialogue on issues arising from the recovery effort.

Hurricane Ivan cut an eleven-hour path of destruction across Grenada on September 7 th hitting 90 percent of the country’s housing stock, over 90 percent of the rainforest, electricity and telecommunications and the critical tourism and agriculture sectors.

OECS Director General Dr. Len Ishmael OECS Director General Dr. Len Ishmael who lead a ten-member macro economic and social assessment team to Grenada shortly after Ivan’s passage, reminded the opening ceremony that damage had amounted to 2.4 billion dollars.She noted that the Grenada’s economy that was poised to grow this yearby 5.7 percent will contract by minus 1.4 percent because of Ivan. A projected fiscal surplus of 70 million dollars, she added, will instead translate into a deficit of 54 million dollars. Dr. Ishmael however pointed to the irony of the destructive hurricane Ivan being at the same time our brightest hope for the future. In Grenada’s hour or need, she said, everyone in the region rallied around Grenada and “we were able to say to our international development partners we were there first shouldering our collective responsibilities with purpose and resolve”. Dr. Ishmael said this sensibility speaks to the fact that the sooner the countries of the sub-region implement the various integration initiatives, including the proposed OECS Economic Union, the better their chances of riding the various economic, social and other storms of the day.

The audience at the opening ceremony included a number of school children whose schools had staged food drives to assist their counterparts in Grenada.

Host Chief Minister Dr. Orlando Smith, addressing the gathering said the value of nations pooling resources is becoming an increasingly important lesion.

Highlighting the many regional initiatives from which the BVI has benefited, including tourism development, education and environment programmes and a national statistical programme, Dr. Smith said the OECS has proven that standing together can allow States to draw strength from each other, while standing alone in this complex world can cause you to be easily overwhelmed. 

OECS Chairman, Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia, speaking to the theme of Challenges and Commitment, emphasized the benefits which working together has brought to the sub-region, pointing to telecommunications liberalization, development of civil aviation, cheaper pharmacuetical procurement among others, and called for the two day meeting to introduce a revenue measure to help Member States better meet their obligations to the organization. 

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada 

Dr. Anthony said while there is obvious recognition and acceptance that future progress is linked to the sub-region’s ability to cement the integration momentum, Member States seem unable to translate this into tangible action. “This, despite diminishing returns from expensive, often archaic public sectors, declines in traditional exports, creeping poverty, and shrinking recurrent revenues associated with lower tariffs and dismantling protectionism,”he said.

The OECS Chairman called for serious attention to be paid to the several integration initiatives before the meeting including a creation of a three-tier process to deal with implementation in Member States of decisions taken at the regional level, and pulling together the various social partners into a regional constituency with which governments can consult on the development of the OECS Economic Union.

The Heads move on to the Long Bay Beach Resort on Thursday and Friday for deliberations on a packed agenda which includes advancing the economic union process, trade negotiation issues and economic development matters including tourism, and agriculture. 

For further information please contact: 

Senior Communications Officer Kendol Morgan at Tel: (758) 452-2537 ext 8120 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Communications Officer Raymond O’Keiffe at Tel: (758) 452-2537 ext: 8121 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it