75 / 174
61
ECCB ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017
across the currency union to support the design
and implementation of the Debt Management
Strategies.
GROWTH, COMPETITIVENESSANDEMPLOYMENT
Consistent with Goal Five of the ECCB Strategic Plan,
which speaks to engaging stakeholders around a
regional economic development strategy to foster
economic growth and employment, The Bank will
undertake the following initiatives:
•
•
In collaboration with the OECS, implement
an economic development plan for the ECCU
(including regional sector strategies to reduce
unemployment at national levels);
•
•
Advocate for, and provide technical support
to member states on recommendations
for improving MSME access to finance and
markets; and
•
•
Consult and provide policy advice to member
states on attaining a ranking among the top
50 in
The World Bank Annual Ease of Doing
Business Indicators
.
Statistics
•
•
The ECCB will expand the length of the period
for external sector statistics compilation to
include two-week missions conducted in-
country. This will help to ensure that adequate
time is allotted for the reconciliation of the
previous year’s data with the current year’s
survey, and capacity building of CSO staff;
•
•
Other initiatives aimed at improving the
External Sector Statistics include: efforts
at improving response rates to the surveys
in member countries through awareness
campaigns and video conference meetings with
staff in the CSOs, to further build capacity in the
compilation processes;
•
•
The Bank will continue to provide technical
assistance to member states on the compilation
of the national accounts statistics;
•
•
Along with other agencies operating in the
region such as the CARTAC, Project for the
Regional Advancement of Statistics in the
Caribbean (PRASC), OECS Commission and
CARICOM, the ECCB will provide technical
support to the execution of the action plan
for the rebasing of the national accounts and
expanding the national accounts tables for the
member states; and
•
•
Work will also continue on expanding the scope
and coverage of the national accounts.
Regional Government Securities Market (RGSM)
•
•
The Bank will host a symposium, with various
stakeholders, on the RGSM in November 2017
to chart theway forward, particularly deepening
the market for long term securities and growing
the secondarymarket for government securities
in the Eastern Caribbean; and
•
•
The Bank will also conduct joint research with
the staff of the Ministries of Finance aimed at
enhancing the operations of the RGSM.
Debt Management Advice and Capacity Building
The following will be executed:
•
•
Leadership and communications training for
Debt Managers;
•
•
Training on Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
Arrangements;
•
•
Development of debt procedures manuals;
•
•
Technical assistance in implementing and
monitoring Medium Term Debt Management
Strategies;