The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has observed its 35th anniversary on Sunday, September 30th. The local ECCB branch in Anguilla marked the milestone with a special service at the Church of God (Holiness), headed by Pastor Philip Gumbs. Personnel from ECCB as well as other officials of the banking profession were in attendance.
In actuality, Monday, October 1st was the precise date of the anniversary, but for the purpose of praising God in corporate worship, Sunday, September 30th was utilized instead. Incidentally, the day was also used to initiate the opening of Anguilla’s Financial Information Month, being observed during the entire month of October with various activities of financial interest being organized by ECCB in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance.
Mrs. Shirmaine Lynch-Harrigan is ECCB’s Resident Representative. She gave an address in which she paid respect to ECCB’s local partners:
“Good morning everyone. Thank you for accommodating us, and we are happy to be worshiping with you today as we celebrate ECCB’s 35th anniversary. First, I wish to recognize and thank ECCB’s partners which include: the Government of Anguilla; Anguilla Financial Services Commission; Anguilla Social Security Board; Anguilla Development Board; National Commercial Bank of Anguilla Ltd.; Scotiabank Anguilla Ltd; CIBC First Caribbean International Bank; Anguilla Chamber of Commerce; Registry of Commercial Activities; and the Health Authority of Anguilla. We also recognize our non-financial partners such members of the media, as well as the Ministry of Education.
“The month of October is Financial Information Month. It is the time for a regional financial, economic campaign executed in the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The Month forms part of an ECCU financial and economic education programme coordinated by the ECCB.
“The programme incorporates a series of initiatives designed to support the attainment of the goal of a financially developed and vibrant ECCU region that fosters strong and sustainable economic growth and the improved well-being of the citizenry. In short, Financial Information Month promotes Financial Empowerment through Education.”
Following Mrs. Lynch-Harrigan’s address, the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was rendered by the ladies who represented the banking institutions.
In his Sunday sermon, Pastor Gumbs gave special encouragement to his guests of financiers to uphold the tenets of integrity at all times. His text was taken from John 8:31-37, and the message was entitled “Set My Spirit Free”. He elaborated on the truth that freedom does not give us the power to live as we please, but to live as we ought.
Focusing on freedom and integrity, the Pastor quoted an extract written by Brian Tracy, a VIP contributor to Entrepreneur magazine entitled: “‘Why is integrity important in leadership?” He said honesty and integrity in the workplace is one of the most important qualities of great leadership in business.
“So integrity is critical,” the Pastor went on. “It’s critical for our banks and financial institutions just as much as it is critical for our governments and churches. And in this age when integrity is something that people laugh at, where people lie and cheat and commit acts of financial dishonesty, we know that the strength of a church, the strength of a family, our nation, and our economy, depends on integrity.”
Meanwhile, in commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Bank, its Governor, Mr. Timothy Antoine, delivered a message via internet to the eight member countries of the region. The message read in part: “The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) is celebrating 35 years of existence, 35 years of service and, most importantly, 35 years of monetary stability. We offer a high note of praise to Almighty God for His greatness and goodness. Indeed, ‘it is in Him that we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28, NIV).
“We also thank the people of our beloved region for their unwavering support. Today, we reaffirm that our EC dollar is strong with 98 percent backed by foreign reserves. This means for every dollar in circulation, we have 98 cents in foreign reserves. Our monetary union commands global respect; engenders confidence; helps deliver relatively low inflation; and encourages foreign direct investment as there are no foreign exchange controls.
“The ECCB is both a powerful symbol and an expression of what we as small countries can do when we come together. The ECCB is a timeless testimony of our capacity to craft arrangements for ourselves that work in our best interests. We seize this opportunity to pay tremendous tribute to the founders and framers of our monetary union.
“We acknowledge the role of members of our Monetary Council and Board of Directors (past and present). I hail the colossal contribution of my predecessors: the late Sir Cecil Jacobs and the Honourable Sir K Dwight Venner. I also recognize our first Deputy Governor, Sir Errol Allen, and our current Deputy Governor, Mr. Trevor Brathwaite. We applaud our management and staff (past and present) including our retirees. We record our gratitude to all partners (local, regional and international).
“As we commence our next 35 years of service, we will continue to work assiduously for the good of the people of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).”
On behalf of the congregation at the Church of God (Holiness), Pastor Philip Gumbs expressed his pleasure in having the team of financial professionals visiting in their Sunday service.
