In
a CMC article dated 24 September 2012, it was reported that Prime Minister Dr.
Kenny Anthony said “St. Lucia is singlehandedly keeping the Eastern Caribbean
economy afloat, and therefore has to exercise fiscal responsibility in the
interest of monetary stability in the sub-regional currency union”.
CMC
claims that the comment was made while Dr Anthony was addressing the 51st
annual general meeting of the St. Lucia Employers Federation. CMC reported that
the St. Lucia PM said several OECS states of the sub-regional Organisation (including
Antigua and Grenada) “were in financial trouble with St. Kitts and Nevis having
to undertake major debt restructuring”.
Dr
Anthony went on to say in his address that “the reality is the two countries
that are largely responsible for the foreign exchange reserves of the ECCB are
St. Lucia and Antigua” and went on to conclude that “St. Lucia therefore
remains critical to the continued viability of the OECS region. Whatever
decisions that we make here we not only make it for ourselves, but the truth is
we make it for the entire region”; but the St. Lucia PM denied ever having said
that “St. Lucia is singlehandedly keeping the Eastern Caribbean economy afloat”.
HTS
reported that while Dr Anthony has refuted the CMC comment as being “incorrect”,
he has also affirmed that “the role Saint Lucia plays in ensuring the OECS
remains buoyant cannot be overstated”.
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