Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for a major overhaul of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, declaring that the regional body's administrative arm must become "leaner, faster and more effective" to meet the challenges confronting member states.
According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the appeal on Sunday during his first address as chairman of the OECS Authority, publicly directing OECS Director General Didacus Jules to develop a comprehensive reform plan aimed at improving efficiency, reducing costs and strengthening service delivery across the organisation.
While praising the OECS for its remarkable achievements over 45 years — including the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the regional pharmaceutical procurement system — Browne argued that the Commission itself must evolve to meet modern demands.
"We must re-engineer the OECS Commission into a leaner, faster and more effective institution that is fit for purpose," Browne said.
The Prime Minister revealed he had already raised the matter privately with Jules before bringing it into the public arena. "This is a conversation that I've had with the Director General, a very frank discussion about ensuring that the Commission becomes leaner, faster and certainly more effective to better serve the people of the OECS," he said. "I've done so privately, and I'm doing so publicly."
Browne then issued a direct call for action, asking Jules to produce a concrete reform roadmap. "I'm asking the Director General to develop a reform plan that improves delivery, reduces costs and strengthens the Commission's ability to better serve our people," he said.
Reflecting on the bloc's accomplishments, Browne pointed to the decades-long stability of the Eastern Caribbean dollar — pegged at EC$2.70 to US$1 — as well as savings generated through joint pharmaceutical purchases as evidence of what regional cooperation can achieve.
"What we cannot do alone, we can certainly accomplish together," Browne said. "That principle has brought us this far, and it must continue to guide our future."
Browne also challenged current leaders to build on the foundations laid by previous generations. "Many of us are better trained, and if we're better trained and we have more resources, it means that we too can establish sustaining institutions for the benefit of the OECS people," he said.
His reform push forms part of a broader message that the OECS must adapt to a rapidly shifting global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, rising living costs and growing economic uncertainty. "In a fragmented world, OECS countries acting alone are exposed and vulnerable," Browne said. "Acting together, we are a collective entity."
The Prime Minister stopped short of outlining specific reforms, indicating instead that he expects concrete recommendations to emerge in the coming months as part of a wider effort to improve the OECS' effectiveness and responsiveness.
Browne assumed the chairmanship of the OECS Authority from St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and will serve in the role for the next year.
