OECS tries to fast track political union

With CARICOM dragging its feet on establishing an economic union, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his counterparts in the OECS are moving speedily to fast track their own economic union within the Eastern Caribbean bloc.{{more}}

On Monday, August 18, 2008, Prime Minister Gonsalves, at a press conference held at Cabinet Room, used the opportunity to update the nation on a meeting held during his latest trip to Trinidad and Tobago, which was attended by a number of other OECS Prime Ministers, mainly on the issue of deepening regional integration.

He said the leaders reflected collectively that the move towards a single economy within CARICOM is unlikely to be achieved by 2015 and that if indeed that achievement occurred it would not be fashioned in the most advantageous ways towards the OECS union.

As a result, the OECS countries have decided to move towards its own economic union.

Dr. Gonsalves disclosed that the members of the OECS have resolved to move towards an economic union before the end of 2009 and a political union by 2013.

Originally, the meeting was intended to be between Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St.Vincent and the Grenadines and St.Lucia, but Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago felt that Guyana and Barbados should be included in the discussion, Dr.Gonsalves disclosed.

At the end of the discussion, which was wide ranging on regional matters, and on how they could together alter the economic arrangements and the governance arrangements, Manning, Stevenson King, of St.Lucia, Tilman Thomas, of Grenada, and Dr. Gonsalves, signed a memorandum of understanding in which they acknowledged that the OECS is moving towards an economic union by 2009, and that Trinidad and any other country that wishes to come along could do so by 2011, and by 2013 they would move towards a political union.

On Wednesday, August 20, 2008, Prime Minister Tilman Thomas, the current Chairman of the OECS, and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, will visit the Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis to bring them up to date and to have them come aboard with this particular exercise.

“I know at an operational level some individuals may say: ‘But why is it that you going towards an economic union when there is something within CARICOM for a single economy’…It is unlikely that we are going to reach a single economy by 2015 or indeed whether some countries are willing to go to single economy,” said Dr.Gonsalves.

Also at the meeting, Trinidad and Tobago reconfirmed that they would carry out the study on the proposed fast ferry service which would operate between Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, St.Lucia and perhaps Dominica. Dr.Gonsalves said this study would be finished by the end of the year.

Dr. Gonsalves said discussions were also held on the possible linkage of Caribbean Airlines and Liat. The Prime Minister outlined that he was asked to organize a meeting between the three shareholder Governments of Liat and Prime Minister Manning of Trinidad, the respective boards and senior management personnel next week.

“I want to see a greater nexus between Caribbean Airlines and Liat. We have to see how that goes forward. It’s an intricate involved business, but I think we need to put some political push to the process because I fear that if we leave it simply to respective boards we may not get as much pace on the issue,” said Dr.Gonsalves. (HN)