Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme

3 - The Short-term Social Security Benefits Portability

Currently, there is a break in the coverage for short-term social security benefits such as sickness, maternity, employment injury, and funeral costs for a period of six (6) months following the movement of people between Protocol Member States for employment and/or permanent residence. This project seeks to address this gap by supporting participating OECS Member States by facilitating the harmonised administration of social security benefits across the OECS.

4 - The Strengthening of the Consumer Protection Environment

The focus of this project will be capacity building among key stakeholders for the implementation of an OECS Competition and Consumer Protection Framework. Activities will aim at determining and establishing an appropriate OECS-wide competition commission facility.

5 - The Establishment of a Free Circulation of Goods Legislative Framework

The OECS Commission is advancing five pieces of primary legislation for enactment, which it considers a minimum to achieve operationalisation of the customs union and the desired free circulation of goods. This component of the RIGHT Programme is critical for regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean. 

6 - The Harmonisation of the OECS Border Tax Structure

The objective of this project is to help develop a harmonised border management structure for the OECS Customs Union which is efficient, predictable, and transparent in managing the importation and exportation of goods into the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union and facilitates the free circulation of goods among Protocol Member States.

7 - The Introduction of a Regional Risk Management System for the OECS Customs Union

The operationalisation of a Regional Risk Management System entails efficient inter- agency connectivity to enhance national risk management programmes as well as cross-border connectivity of national border agencies to facilitate the real-time exchange of risk-related information. This includes national pest and pesticide lists; lists of prohibited goods; rejections, detentions and quarantining of consignments; and rapid alert notifications of international, regional, and national threats to the health, safety, and security of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union. 

8 - The Development of an Integrated Services Business Eco-System

The focus of this project will be capacity building among key stakeholders for the implementation of an OECS Competition and Consumer Protection Framework. Activities will aim at determining and establishing an appropriate OECS-wide competition commission facility.

11 - The Promotion of Innovative Entrepreneurship

The interventions earmarked under this project are a subset of the recommendations of Compete Caribbean OECS Innovation and Entrepreneurship  Ecosystem Diagnostic Scoping Report 2. To nurture the development and growth of start ups and secure their sustainability, this project will focus on supporting potential high-growth MSMEs through the establishment of Incubator and Accelerator  Programmes. 

12 - The Enhancement of Tourism Competitiveness

This project aims at enhancing the product offering of the tourism sector across  OECS Member States. The two major elements of this component include improvement in  the Heritage and Community Based Tourism Product. This project also provides resources for institutional strengthening and the deployment of a Niche Tourism Marketing strategy.

13 - The Increase in Opportunities for Market Entry and Promotion

This is a major part of the RIGHT Programme which will deepen regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean. A key output of this activity is the OECS Virtual Expo which will be supported by a sustainable financing model predicated on a fee-for-service model. This activity will entail the development of a virtual e-business solution that would be multifunctional and seek to link OECS goods and services suppliers with potential opportunities. The OECS Competitive Business Unit and the network of Business support organisations have collaborated with CROSQ and national Standards Bureaus to provide capacity building and training for firms on quality and standards related issues. This intervention aims to build on this capacity by working directly with those exporters that are pursuing the implementation of international standards and quality management systems and providing them with the technical support to successfully attain accreditation. 

14 - The Blue BioTrade Project

The Blue BioTrade Project is a €2 million initiative that was launched in October 2020. The project mainly aims to empower small-scale coastal producers from the Eastern Caribbean to produce and trade queen conch products sustainably in domestic, regional, and international markets. The Blue BioTrade Initiative is being implemented by the OECS Commission and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Blue BioTrade Project was launched in 2020 and should be completed in 2022.

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15 - The implementation of the OECS Development Strategy

The OECS Development Strategy (ODS) represents the systematic approach adopted by the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union to holistically respond to pressing threats to the common ideal of social and economic betterment of the people of the OECS. The ODS has been developed around three pillars:  

1. Generating Economic Growth;  

2. Promoting Human and Social Wellbeing;  

3. Sustainable Use of Natural Endowments.  

The ODS covers the 10-year period to 2028 and while it is firmly situated in the realities of the OECS, it is aligned with various multilateral development agenda, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

16 - The Support of the OECS Business Council

The OECS private sector through the institutionalisation of the OECS Business Council (OBC) has embarked on a mission to deliver a transformational organisation to represent their interests. As part of the RIGHT Programme, this apex body is advancing a cooperative initiative which is envisioned to become an economically competitive and sustainable force that will deepen regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.