BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS - With no date known for the burial of former Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Sir K. Dwight Venner, flags at the financial institution that he lead for over 25 years are flying at half staff in glowing tribute.
“What stands out for me during his lifetime of regional public service is the Leadership he provided to the region as the distinguished Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) from 1989 until his retirement in 2015,” said former St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
Paying tribute to the Caribbean’s illustrious son, Dr. Douglas said those were the years “that he lived among us here in St. Kitts and Nevis, embraced by our warm hospitality and from Basseterre provided leadership and guidance in monetary, economic and financial policies that sustained the Eastern Caribbean Currency/Dollar as the strongest soundest and most stable in the entire Caribbean region.”
“It was from here in Basseterre that he championed the cause of the indigenous banking sector and pursued a path to ensure the survivability of too many small banks through one of the worst global financial and economic crises in modern history. Though very conscious that it couldn't be business as usual as we survived the crisis in global banking as a most severe exogenous shock to a highly vulnerable, highly indebted middle income and low income region, he was certain, even at the point of being defiant, that the Caribbean with its peculiar historical colonial construct needed the indigenous banking sector though reformed with amalgamations of branches in the North and South of the Eastern Caribbean chain and with the help of the international financial institutions(IFIs) and the international community friendly to the Caribbean region,” Dr. Douglas said.
“It was from Basseterre that we observed the growth and blossoming of one of the region's finest academic and intellectual, as he championed the Monetary Council to develop practical and implementable strategies to tackle the high indebtedness, negative and anemic growth, high unemployment, high fossil energy costs, unreliable and costly regional travel all of which impacted on our sustainable development as a region and our faltering efforts to find practical solutions for our social and economic ills,” Dr. Douglas added.
In a statement issued shortly after his passing, Dr. Douglas said he will “always remember him and in fact we shall always remember him for responding to the call for regional duty and service in Basseterre with his family at home in St. Lucia.”
“And those were the sentiments I expressed when I called his dear wife Linda to convey condolences on behalf of the Parliamentary Opposition, the SKNLP and myself who had served with him as Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Member of the Monetary Council and Chair of various Sub-Committees for almost twenty years,” he added.
Dr. Douglas said the Eastern Caribbean Currency “is stronger, the ECCB is on a sounder foundation to consolidate and expand, the economic prospects are brighter and our people are imbued with more progressive ideas and impetus to face a challenging future as a result of his life efforts and service.”
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
.jpg)
.jpg)