Dr. Irving McIntyre will assume the chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council this week as Dominica prepares to take on a leading role in shaping economic policy across the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.
The official handover is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. during the Monetary Council meeting at the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa in Portsmouth. Dr. McIntyre will succeed Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, who currently serves as chairman.
The ECCB Monetary Council is the highest decision-making body of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and comprises the finance ministers of the eight member governments of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. Several heads of government who also hold finance portfolios are expected to attend the meeting in Dominica.
Speaking ahead of the transition, Dr. McIntyre described the appointment as both an honour and a significant responsibility, noting that it comes at a time when the region is facing several complex economic and development challenges.
“It is a critical time that we are going to be the chairman of the Monetary Council. There are many pertinent issues occurring in the world, and the OECS is no exception,” he said.
Among the priorities he identified are maintaining financial stability, strengthening food and nutrition security, improving energy security, enhancing climate resilience and reinforcing oversight of Citizenship by Investment programmes across the currency union.
The Finance Minister said he intends to approach the chairmanship with a collaborative spirit, working closely with fellow finance ministers and regional leaders to address shared challenges while identifying new opportunities for sustainable economic growth.
“We’ll try to translate this challenge into an opportunity. I really look forward to this chairmanship. I would love to see how I can be part of the changes taking place in the OECS and the Monetary Council,” he said.
The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union serves more than 650,000 people across eight participating territories, from Anguilla in the north to Grenada in the south. Decisions taken by the Monetary Council influence monetary policy, banking regulation and broader economic cooperation throughout the sub-region.
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