St. Lucia, Caribbean Brace for September 11 Fallout - October 2, 2001

The Week That Was…

  by Earl Bousquet

Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony a week ago yesterday outlined a series of economic measures to be taken by Government to help the country address the effects of the worsening global economic crisis on the economy. The measures included several belt-tightening measures aimed at reducing specific items of government expenditure, as well as a further injection of over $28 million into the banana industry.

Among the measures announced by the Prime Minister were: tighter control of concessions, reduction in travel by ministers, a freeze on employment in the public service, measures to sustain the tourism sector, new investments in the banana industry, reduction in interest rates, new measures to stimulate investment, injection of funds for infrastructural investment, new investments in tourism, the roads development programme and additional adjustment measures.

            The news measures announced have been largely welcomed, except for apparently coordinated calls by UWP Senator Peter Josie and former UWP Minister Romanus Lansiquot, for the Prime Minister and other Cabinet ministers to take a pay cut as an example. However, Prime Minister Anthony replied saying he never called on workers to take a pay cut (as was being suggested by the former UWP ministers). He also pointed out that percentage cuts on ministers salaries amounted to token acts that only confused and misled the public while not amounting to much in terms of an actual contribution to fundamental economic change.

As the island continues to grapple with the aftermath of the September 11 bombings in New York and Washington, Foreign Affairs Minister Julian R. Hunte on Monday signed two sets of conventions and protocols at the United Nations, affirming St. Lucia’s support for UN efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate the illegal flow of arms across borders. He pointed out that St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries were among developing nations that did not manufacture arms, but suffered from the illegal export of small arms that often fall into the hands of criminals. He was therefore glad that St. Lucia was joining with other countries in ratifying outstanding protocols and conventions that could assist in the international fight against terrorism.

Similar sentiments were also expressed this past week by Commerce and International Financial Services Minister Philip J. Pierre, who indicated the Government of St. Lucia was willing to assist in measures to detect and inhibit the flow of finances through the Caribbean that could have anything to do with an international financial network to fund terrorism.

As the island continued to tighten its own security measures in wake of the terrorist attack, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) last week approved new security measures adopted by the St Lucia Air and Sea Ports authority at the island’s two airports. The measures announced earlier by SLASPA included more stringent baggage checks and prevention of sharp objects being taken aboard. The FAA and other international civil aviation bodies are also examining the possibility of recommending even tighter measures on airlines, including having armed guards on board each flight and locking cockpit cabins from inside while allowing pilots to have surveillance cameras to watch passengers.

One negative international fallout from the attacks was that most world leaders did not feel they wanted to travel far from home at this time, resulting in the cancellation of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Australia that would have been held last weekend. Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon said approximately half the number of Commonwealth leaders expected to attend the summit indicated they were unable to, which made the meeting useless.

However, OECS Prime Ministers – who don’t have to travel too far to meet -- met in Castries on the weekend to discuss the various effects of the worsening global recession on the economies of the respective territories. The meeting was attended by all Heads of Government except that of Antigua and Barbuda. It was also attended by Governor of the East Caribbean central Bank Sir Dwight Venner and Chaired by Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell.

It was also announced over the weekend that Caricom leaders will be heading for the Bahamas this coming weekend for a week of meetings to address the various effects of the world economic recession and the subsequent September 11 attacks on the 15-member states of the regional grouping and how they will have to be tackled across the region. The meetings, which will be hosted by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, will take place October 8-12.

The several summits and regional meetings have been necessitated by the continuing predictions of negative effects on the economies of smaller territories around the world when the aftermath of the terrorist attacks actually begin to set in. World Bank President James Wolfenson said over the weekend he expected that “some 10,000,000 people in developing countries around the world will remain in poverty while another 30,000 to 40,000 will die.” However, other top economists also say his estimates are surprisingly low as they feel the effects will be more far reaching and deep than the World Bank President may be prepared to admit at this point. The Head of the BBC’s Economics Department said on Tuesday morning that he expects the Caribbean to feel a heavy pinch, noting that “there has already been a 65% cancellation of hotel bookings in the Caribbean” since the September 11 attacks.

In other local fallout from the terrorist attacks, Political Leader of the National Alliance George Odlum denied knowing anything at all about St. Lucians going to Libya for any type of training whatsoever. Mr Odlum was reacting to newspaper and other media reports that American CIA agents were in the Caribbean seeking information on persons who may have been to Libya for military training. However, it was later revealed that there were several newspaper articles published by the Voice newspaper several years ago  -- with photographs -- in which Mr Odlum had been questioned by the press about what he said was a group of “students” going to Tripoli, who were intercepted at the airport. The articles also featured then Prime Minister John Compton explaining he had banned marches in public “because every time certain people go to Libya and come back they call a march, put it on video and send it to Libya to justify more subventions.”

Meanwhile, Vincentian Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves last week also denied a claim by Mr Odlum that Libya had formally offered to purchase Caribbean bananas at top dollar prices. According to Dr Gonsalves, “Libya made no formal offer” and what was being referred to by Mr Odlum was “not a serious proposition.”

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