Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE will join his sub-regional colleagues in Anguilla this week for the 50th Meeting of the OECS Authority, the highest decision-making body of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Among the agenda items is the adoption of the report on the 49th Meeting of the OECS Authority, hosted by the Virgin Islands May 20 – 22, 2009.

In an interview with the Department of Information and Public Relations, Premier O’Neal said one of the critical factors going forward is ensuring that the OECS remains solvent.

“One of the things we have to deal with is the question of paying the annual levy on each territory. We are all going through the financial downturn which has affected us in one way or the other and we have to try to be as creative as possible in making sure the OECS remains solvent. We would not like to know that it has reached the stage where it can no longer exist,” Honourable O’Neal stated.

He highlighted the strategic response to the financial crisis as another main agenda items.

On the agenda circulated to member Governments by the OECS Secretariat, agriculture, tourism, support to business, education and energy are listed within the development context of building resistance as part of this strategic response. He said, “I believe that the OECS countries could do a lot more with agriculture; they could produce more.”

Citing St. Kitts/Nevis as a good example, the Premier said that territory was primarily a sugar producer but now most of the lands previously used to grow sugar cane are now used for the production of food crops.

Speaking specifically about the development of agriculture as a third pillar of the local economy, the Premier said,” We have to pay a lot of attention to growing more food and food security. We can no longer depend on what we get from the other countries; we got to have some security especially in the basic foodstuff.”

The Anguilla meeting will be the final OECS Authority Meeting for that Territory’s Chief Minister, Honourable Osbourne Fleming, who is retiring from political office. Premier O’Neal also shared some sentiments about his colleague.

He said, “I found Honourable Osbourne Flemmng to be a sincere man and a man of integrity and dependable, and he had the interests of the whole OECS region at heart. He was a strong supporter of us standing together in unity. He had some very strong points and he would defend them to the hilt.”

Wishing Honourable Fleming well in his retirement, Premier O’Neal added, “I am sure in his retirement, he would reflect that he did some things for Anguilla and sometimes perhaps he was misunderstood. But I can say from what I know of him, he loves his country, he loves the region and he put himself in the way to make sure he can do something for the territory and for his people. I wish him well in his retirement and I am sure he will continue to serve Anguilla and perhaps the region in some other way.”

The BVI delegation to the 50th Meeting of the OECS Authority also comprises Territorial Representative Honourable Irene Penn-O’Neal, Assistant Secretary in the Premier’s Office with responsibility for External Affairs Ms. Najan Christopher and Personal Assistant to the Premier Ms. Marsha Gumbs.

The OECS Authority is the highest decision making body of the organisation and meets twice annually in different member states. The OECS was established on June 18, 1981 with the signing of the Treaty of Basseterre by seven countries. The organisation is now a nine-member grouping.