MONTEGO BAY, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has raised concerns that member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are being “treated with benign neglect” within the broad Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping.
Browne made his statement on the first full day of deliberations at the two-day 49th meeting of CARICOM leaders, while discussing the agenda item entitled “The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)” during the plenary session.
“We ought not to be treated with benign neglect as the international community treats us,” Browne said.
The CSME allow for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region and in recent weeks, both St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and St. Lucia’s Opposition Leader, Allen Chastanet, have raised issues regarding the treatment of the countries of the sub-regional grouping within CARICOM.
Gonsalves again raised the issue during his contribution on Monday, voicing his disappointment at the persistent inequities faced by the OECS within the CSME framework. He informed his colleagues that, although OECS countries are independent, sovereign members of CARICOM, they had signed the Revised Treaty with the expectation of receiving their fair share of benefits, particularly under Chapter 7, which addresses Disadvantaged Countries, Regions, and Sectors, of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).
For his part, Prime Minister Browne said, “The OECS is not being treated properly or fairly, despite our unwavering commitment to the regional integration movement.
“We don’t want to be losers in CARICOM, and as such, certain compensatory mechanisms must be adopted to ensure the OECS benefits from the integration process and the Revised Treaty.”
Browne said that despite years of consistent advocacy on the matter, his concerns have been ignored.
“The time has come for this issue to be addressed seriously, rather than continually overlooked,” he added.
Among the issues raised was the failure to fully implement the Owen Arthur Study, which highlighted the unequal distribution of benefits within the CSME.
Prime Minister Gonsalves pointed out that the current tariff structure disproportionately benefits countries like Trinidad and Tobago, giving them a dominant share of the regional manufacturing sector, while OECS states remain largely import-dependent.
He also expressed concern over the failure of larger CARICOM states to fulfill their obligations to the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), which is designed to support less developed member states.
Prime Minister Browne also endorsed Gonsalves’ comments, particularly regarding the CLICO/BICO matter, and called for a dedicated meeting between the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago to resolve the outstanding issues.
The collapse of CLICO and BAICO (British American Insurance Company) in 2009 had a significant impact on several OECS countries, leading to financial instability and legal disputes.
In 2022, Prime Minister Browne said that Eastern Caribbean countries may have to file a lawsuit against Trinidad and Tobago for US$60 million, connected to the collapse of CLICO and BAICO.
Browne said then that the Port of Spain had made a commitment to pay US$100 million to the countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), but only US$40 million had been disbursed.
and then ){kind=link}