ECCB 2018-2019 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts

ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Primary School Mentorship Programme The ECCB Primary School Mentorship Programme continued successfully over the past year with the engagement of over 500 students from across the ECCB member countries. The programme was initiated in 2007 and involves one primary school from each ECCB member country. ECCB officers and networking partners visit the schools weekly to engage students of grades four, five and six on a range of financial, economic, cultural and information technology issues. Savings and Investment Course After a break of almost one year due to the impact of Hurricane Maria, the ECCB Savings and Investment Course was conducted in the Commonwealth of Dominica at the end of 2018. The course was offered in five other ECCB member countries during the year. The sessions provided participants with information to help them develop basic budgeting techniques, improve their money management skills and understand the basics of investing, with particular focus on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange. During the year, the ECCB and the University of the West Indies agreed to solidify their relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which is expected to be fully executed in the first quarter of the next financial year. Through the MoU, the ECCB will collaborate with the UWI to develop the Savings and Investment Course in keeping with the UWI’s standards for continuing education. The New ECCB Creative Youth Competition The Bank, in collaboration with the Regional Security System Asset Recovery Unit (RSS ARU) , launched the ECCB Creative Youth Competition for secondary school and community college students aged 13-19 in the ECCB member territories in September 2018. This initiative, which is part of the Bank’s Community Outreach Programme, replaces the ECCB-sponsored OECS Essay Competition and is designed to allow students to demonstrate their creativity and critical thinking skills through various genres including: essay writing, poetry, song writing and art. The 2018 competition focused on essay writing. The two topics were: 1. Towards a Cashless Society: challenges, opportunities and the realities for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. 2. For the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union to become economically viable, we must strive towards financial sustainability through technology. Discuss ECCB Connects: Who we are, What we do, How we serve you! The Bank celebrated the airing of the 100 th episode of ECCB Connects in October 2018. As at 31 March 2019, 117 episodes had been released. The topics covered during the 2018-2019 financial year included: ƒ ƒ Importance of Insuring Your Property ƒ ƒ Understanding Loan Agreements ƒ ƒ Impact of Household Debt on Economy ƒ ƒ Cryptocurrency and Crypto Assets

Grade four students and teacher from the T N Kirnon Primary School with Senior Administrative Assistant of the ECCB Agency Office, Antigua and Barbuda during their visit to the office for a mentorship session

2 nd Row: First from right: ECCB Resident Representative for the Commonwealth of Dominica, Sherma John with facilitators and graduates of the ECCB Savings and Investment Course

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