Should the OECS be 'expanded' or 'deepened'

OECS heads of government have said they want "a comprehensive dialogue" on the way forward in the integration process.

This comes at a time of a debate, mainly among some OECS government and opposition leaders, over whether the sub-regional grouping should be expanded to include Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

The OECS was established in 1981 over the past 27 years has evolved to include a range of areas of 'functional cooperation.'

Already the organisation's member states share a single currency -the East Caribbean dollar ($US1.00 = $EC2.65) - a central bank and supreme court.

Other joint undertakings include telecommunications and civil aviation, education, health, sports, agriculture, export development and the environment.

The OECS is a nine member grouping comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are associate members.

The debate: Should the OECS form an economic union, expand to include Trinidad and Barbados or should things remain the way they are?

I believe the inclusion of these larger countries who lead to them manipulating the running of the region affairs just as what goes on in West Indies cricket.
Steve Sylvester
St. Johns, Antigua

What's the point of OECS expansion? It will be a sub-regional entity no matter who joins or does not join. We need to focus on the growth of CARICOM so that we can have a 'voice' in world markets.
J James
Roseau, Dominica

First of all, I have read through the comments and everyone seems to be under the belief that some islands will gain, i.e. the smaller islands of the Eastern Caribbean, while Trinidad and Barbados will lose if were to expand the economic union of the OECS.
In order for the Caribbean countries to compete in today's global market this expansion of the OECS is imperative. For Trinidad and Barbados, the benefit of this union is obvious; a larger market. This is the basis of the U.S. economy as well as the EU. So WE, the Caribbean people must do away with this notion of who will benefit and will not and look at the bigger picture. Together we can be a trading bloc to be reckoned with globally.
Mark Anthony Wilson
Fort Jeudy, Grenada

Over the years, the islands have benefitted tremendously from functional cooperation, but that is where it has stopped. There have been efforts in the past to form a political union of both the entire OECS and then of the Windward Islands. In spite of the tremendous benefits such a union would have as described by leading Caribbean thinkers like Sir Arthur Lewis and William Demas, the efforts ended in failure.
I do envision Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago (do not forget Tobago (once part of our grouping before joining Trinidad)) one day becoming part of a larger OECS but now there are plans for an economic union and much work has gone on in that area. I think that that should be brought to completion and sealed before any expansion with the other islands but I think it is necessary that our brothers and sisters in the neighbouring islands, be given the opportunity to say whether they want to institutionalise what is already true and for that matter whether we in the OECS want to create structures that speak of our common identity.
Let us not loose the opportunity to present the greatness of our people to the world.
C.K. Greenidge
Toronto, Canada

There are some clear differences between the islands of the OECS and the larger territories of Caricom. One likely area of social conflict is the difference in levels of education: Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have universities and tertiary education is subsidized to its nationals. The result is that many more of their people are educated at that level and at lower cost the effect is that they a able to accept senior positions at lower incomes because they are not burned with the level of student loans that the graduates of the OECS have to deal with. The social implications of this must be considered in any move to invite these territories to join the OECS.
These concerns must be addressed before union with other islands is considered. The lack of movement between the island of the OECS is one of the main reasons it has succeeded without any social fall out, although the quarrels over head tax and the attractions of foreign direct investment remains. So I guess I am not in favor of an expansion.
Micky
Castries, St. Lucia

I am a strong proponent of political integration. But if more countries join the OECS, what is the point of Caricom? The OECS states should continue their movement forward, hopefully culminating with political union. More members would simple delay that process. Consider how slow the European Union is moving now that it has added so many new members.
Leslie Thom
New York, USA

The OECS is the only integrating institution that is functional and is successful within the region. This is because in the OECS there is no "small" or "big" island label as is the case in Caricom. It should not include Barbados because that would just be the case. If they do that, it will just be all about Barbados. Trinidad should just continue to be close to the OECS and nothing more. The fact that we have reach so far as having one currency is tremendous but if they are include in the OECS it will just be like Caricom: all talk and no action.
Suzette
Georgetown, St.Vincent

It is indeed commendable that the OECS has withstood so much change within the Caribbean and has managed to maintain itself as a model for CARICOM. I do not believe the inclusion of B'dos and TT at this time will serve any major advantage - that is the role of CARICOM. There is room for the OECS to exist within CARICOM and the existing ties should definitely be strengthened before looking outward.
Michelle
Castries, St Lucia

I have always been a strong supporter of regionalism whether it be at the sub-regional level within the OECS or within the broader CARICOM framework. However, at this time, I do not support the inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in an expanded OECS. This can only take away from the wider CARICOM integration process.
Instead, I propose that the parties concerned aim at strengthening CARICOM and at expediting the various processes currently at work in deepening the CARICOM integration project.
In fact, the rest of CARICOM should be looking at adopting the smaller OECS grouping as a model of integration in terms of the single currency and in what appears to be a much more integrated unit. I am also not in support of furthering the region's economic agenda in isolation to deeper commitments at political integration. In effect, the two should be seen as interdependent. Essentially, it is time that CARICOM leaders get serious about the integration project and stop the piece-meal approach to integration that is obviously getting us nowhere.
Joel Richards
Coull's Hill, St. Vincent

I think Barbados should be a member of the OECS because Barbados has always been working close with us and has participated in some OECS events. It is a very good idea to expand the membership of the OECS but we must remember that Caricom is a body that mostly all the Caribbean countries are members of and it is not working as good as the OECS. The leaders of the OECS should use the Euro zone example before inviting others to joint and even move forward with the integration process with Caricom.
The OECS is going good and of course they should integrate more to include hassle free travel within the OECS and should adapt the methods of the Euro zone because it is working for them and it can work for us as well. After seeing what impact this kind of integration brings to the OECS then the leaders of the sub region could go forward with the integration process with Caricom.
Lincoln
St. Kitts (St. Kitts and Nevis)

This is the best option for the Eastern Caribbean to compete with larger states in CARICOM. If they cannot compete with larger states in CARICOM, how do they plan to do so internationally? The only thing that was keeping them from bankruptcy was the favourable agreements with EU. Now that is gone. This unity would create huge benefits in CARICOM where Eastern CARICOM States (Union) would create employment throughout the area. Cuba is propping up her head and who is going to be able to compete with her on tourism?.
Trinidad & Barbados would be a great fit in the OECS.
Howard Foster
Toronto, Canada

We should make an effort to keep the lines of communication open with both T'dad, and Barbados economically. However we have to fight the injustices going on in each individual island, without involving outside governments. In time we may need to have a Caribbean union, just like the EU countries in Europe, but who said life was fair. The larger countries are still going to try and dominate the smaller ones, and I think that considering how many years that the OECS was established, the Windward and Leeward Islands have done very well. Don't change the currency it has been extremely stable for all these years.
Rose
Little Rock, USA

I am an optimist but an inner part of me tells me that the "MDC's" join us from the"LDC's" when they see potential benefits. I truly qualify myself as a Caribbean man, even here in USA. But we truly are divided. We must try to unite since "Unity is strength".
Ormond V Robertson
United States

I am truly interested in the moving forward of the integration process. Infact, I would be overjoyed if Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados could join the OECS in a political integration as well as any other Caribbean nation. I have attended numerous sessions with Caribbean people and they are ready. Our people should get together as one nation as soon as possible. The politicians are the ones that are dividing us.
Everard Antoine
St. Georges, Grenada

The poorer islands would benefit from Trinidad & Barbados joining the OECS as TT and BDS are the two most wealthy islands in the region. TT and BDS may lose out themselves and end up propping up the poorer countries. The EU has the same problem - wealthy countries subsidising poorer ones. Also there would be an influx of immigrants from the poorer islands to the wealthy ones and this could lead to unrest if nationals feel that their jobs are being giving to cheaper labourers and much of the wages being repatriated, again look at the EU.
Suzanna
Vieux Fort, St Lucia

I am opposed to any deepening or expansion of the OECS if it is to include Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados or any of the so-called MDCs. I am of the solemn belief that it would end up in a similar way as the failed West Indies Federation and further, any expansion to include those aforementioned countries would not serve the islands favourably. In my opinion it would be a wiser decision if the Union put measures and policies in place to protect and strengthen what is already in place while developing relationships with others. There are more important things which need attention now than bringing in others to eventually dictate the way forward for any so-called One Caribbean. We do have issues I admit and that is all the more reasons why we are the ones who should bear the responsibility to take care of our affairs especially after those same islands threw us out into the cold back then. The mathematical equation used back then used by the MDCs still holds in place today. Once bitten, twice shy!
Sean John
St Kitts and Nevis