Economic Union important for small states – PM

Tuesday, May 24, will be recorded in the annals of St.Vincent and the Grenadines as a significant day, as it marked the successful passing in the House of Assembly{{more}} of a Bill for an act to make the Revised Treaty of Basseterre establishing the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Economic Union part of this country’s laws.

The milestone achievement was announced by Hendrick Alexander, Speaker of the House of Assembly, at 4:23p.m. on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Dr.Ralph Gonsalves tabled the Bill and Minister of Tourism, Saboto Caesar, presented supporting arguments for it to be enacted as part of the national laws.

Gonsalves slammed the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) for walking out of the House earlier, missing the successful passage of the Bill.

“On the 5th of April this year, this Bill had its first reading. The Opposition was absent, but because of the nature of this particular Bill, a Bill which when it had come here as part of a motion for the purpose of its adoption in principle, they gave their unanimous support. I felt that it was only right and proper that they be given an opportunity to debate this Bill.

“Sadly, on the most spurious of grouses, absolutely without any merit, they have chosen to absent themselves yet again from this august assembly. …There is a certain boring and unreasonable, even senseless repetition of this tactic of withdrawal,” said Gonsalves. He said the Opposition’s actions on Tuesday are a kind of infantilism, which is dangerous to the body politic of the country.

Of the day’s substantive matter, Gonsalves said strategically, it is one of the most important Bills to have been brought before Parliament in the last 10 years.

The revised treaty addresses matters of governance, the functional integration purposes of the OECS, new areas of governance, and restated and expanded areas of functional cooperation.

Six independent countries and three non-independent states of the OECS Economic Union, namely Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St.Lucia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat, are engaged with the functional aspects of the Union.

At Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament, the Protocol of the Economic Union also became a part of the domestic laws.

Gonsalves explained that the Treaty strengthens the OECS as the most tightly integrated mechanism in the Caribbean.

He also sought to establish the difference between CARICOM and the OECS.

CARICOM has functional cooperation, coordination of foreign and security policies, economic integration on trade, but the new OECS framework goes a bit further with the establishment of an economic union.

Outlining the Union’s architecture, Gonsalves said the highest decision making body in the OECS remains the OECS Authority, which consists the Heads of Government. This is followed by the OECS Council of Ministers and the Economic Affairs Council. The revised Treaty has created provisions for two new entities, the OECS Assembly and the OECS Commission.

The Assembly is a consultative non-legislative body which comprises two members representing governments of member states. A representative from each opposition within the Union will also be appointed.

The OECS Secretariat will be transformed into the Commission. This area will oversee the day to day administration of the OECS.It is made up of the Director General plus other commissioners, each of whom holds an ambassadorial rank within the six independent states.

“The OECS Economic Union is a strategic path to assist us in these small vulnerable countries to enhance our capacity to address more efficaciously the challenges from the external environment in the interest of our people,” said Gonsalves.

Freedom of movement which is secured by the provisions of the new Economic Union was described by Gonsalves as fascinating.

“Economic union is a matter of existential importance for small states. Without it we can’t survive and thrive in the challenging world in which we are in. Not only are we in a challenging world, we are in a dangerous neighbourhood and we are in a dangerous world and we have to work with one another ,” said Gonsalves.(HN)