By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
June 20, 2023
St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr Terrance Drew, has assumed the role of Chair of the OECS and addressing the flag hoisting ceremony to mark its 42 years of existence, he is vowing to push for accelerated “development, advance equity, and inclusion, and build social, economic, and environmental resilience. My determination and commitment are to ensure people-centred development for the people of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the OECS”.
Established on June 18, 1981, and now dubbed OECS Day, Dr. Drew spoke of the importance of the rich legacy of the regional integration movement and the connection of a common history and cause.
Remarking that he had been chosen to serve as chairman so early in his tenure as Prime Minister of his nation, he expressed the understanding of being ready to serve and lead whenever the calling arises.
However, during his chairmanship, he is vowing to make some changes as to how the group of islands provide a future for its youth, as well as health care systems, and supporting sports.
Noting that “OECS which rests on securing the future of our young people”, Dr Drew says there is a need for the youth to feel that “our countries have something to offer them; that they have opportunities for economic and social growth in their home countries; that they are valued; that they will be allowed to contribute to their societies; that they can receive living wages and income; and that they are being trained and invested with skills which enable them to flourish at the national level and compete at the global level”.
Speaking to the new global digital economy as the market space that young people will work in and use to expand our region’s economic border, Dr.Drew says in order for them to facilitate this, they must be equipped to do so. He added that “sports along with the digital and orange economies, health, and tourism services, were areas ripe for investments and involvement by this region’s highly talented young people”, warning that “unless we make new space for our OECS youth, we risk an unprecedented brain drain at a time when we most need the creativity and energy of our young people”.
The St Kitts and Nevis PM put forward that the idea of “harmonized health policies” across the OECS, with centres of health excellence across the island group, allowing for each country to have a designated area of specialization, removing the burden, “providing every service for every citizen and costs and services would be shared across the Union”. He believes such an approach would make specialized health care accessible and affordable for all its citizens, and saw it as a “cost-effective model is of urgent necessity given the fast-growing cost of health care globally, which is also becoming increasingly technologically based”.
His reasoning for this comes after the pandemic which also showed that non communicable diseases were a major blow to the region, and the call for a capacity to reduce the burden of disease and keep their citizens in good health.
Dr. Drew also cited crime and violence as an area under his radar for tackling,, calling for countries to “identify the root causes of the problems of violence, addressing both the risk factors and the protective factors, establish preventive strategies by working at the social levels to help those at risk”. He added that jail time was not always the answer.
His call for ending the crime scourge plaguing Caribbean nations, comes days after his country launched the sub-regional grouping’s Opportunities to Advance and Support Youth for Success (OASYS) project, where he described it as a “shining beacon of hope for our young people. It is a testament to our unwavering commitment to nurturing their potential, fostering their dreams, and creating a future filled with boundless possibilities.”
Meanwhile, in his opening remarks at the ceremony, Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules shares the meaning and significance of 42 years of celebration, with it being viewed as a “unified approach in addressing the challenges faced by member states through integration”. He noted that part of the OECS’ effort was to “remove barriers to treat investment to enabling economies, to benefit from economies of scale and increase competitiveness”. Noting that at the “center of the integration initiative was the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, which facilitated regional development in creating new opportunities for businesses and individuals, sustainability was also a pressing concern for the OECS in the face of climate change and environmental degradation”.
Observances for the OECS’ 42nd anniversary will culminate with a Thanksgiving Service carded to be held at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church, in Babonneau Saint Lucia.