This must, of course, given our democratic traditions, be based on the widest level of consensus among the citizens of the entire OECS. The economic history of the last half of the twentieth century has shown quite conclusively that it was countries with good policies, as opposed to abundant natural resources that achieved the highest levels of sustained economic growth.
This is a clear indicator and a substantial encouragement for the countries of the OECS to develop a strategic approach to economic policy making and the management of our economies. The three critical elements which need addressing are: •  Public Sector Transformation  •  Private Sector Development  •  Financial Sector Development.