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Proactive and Assertive Approach: The Way Forward for the OECS


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Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - There has been a strong appeal for the OECS countries to adopt a more proactive and assertive approach to production and policy formulation, in dealing with the challenges posed by outside forces.

This was enforced by Director of Economic Affairs at the OECS Secretariat, Randolph Cato. Mr. Cato was at the time addressing the opening of the second in a series of Financial Development Seminars hosted by the OECS-Export Development Unit Small and the Medium Enterprise Development Programme.

Mr. Cato said that the OECS had adopted a defensive posture, which he believed would not produce the anticipated results necessary to remain competitive and thrive in this new economic and global environment.

“A posture maid in reluctance to believe that we in the OECS at the level of a production unit or even at the level of policy formulation can in fact deal with the challenges in an aggressive and beneficial way. We have continually sought to erect structures and erect concepts of defensiveness and of protectiveness. We are afraid of the rest of the world; we are afraid to compete. That kind of posture cannot provide the outcomes that we want to provide, and cannot carry us along the way to the goals and aspirations set out in the OECS Development Charter.” Cato explained.

Mr. Cato argued that while the OECS must be protective, it must, at the same time identify aggressively, the opportunities and possibilities, and run with them.

“Because that’s the name of the game; the name of the game is to be competitive. And we have to bear that in mind and to continually seek to sharpen our competitive edge as far as possible, so that we can compete. So we have to focus on that question of competitiveness in the production of goods and services in the OECS, as a basis to enable us to confront the challenges facing us,” he said.

The one day seminar entitled “Financing Your Business” was conducted in collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and other Developmental and Financial Institutions.

 


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