Approach to multi-country development planning and industrial programming for the East Caribbean common market

THESIS OUTLINES AN APPROACH TO MULTI-COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND THE PROGRAMMING OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES FOR THE EAST CARIBBEAN COMMON MARKET (ECCM). REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF THE WINDWARD AND LEEWARD ISLANDS IS NEEDED TO TRANSFORM THESE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SOCIETIES FROM THEIR PRESENT STATE OF DEPENDENT UNDERDEVELOPMENT. THIS REQUIRES COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND ALLOCATION AMONG MEMBER COUNTRIES OF NEW PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES. THE HEAVY RELIANCE OF EACH OF THE ECCM ECONOMIES ON NON-REGIONAL MARKETS FRAGMENTS THE REGIONAL ECONOMY. TO FUSE THEIR PRODUCT MARKETS AS WELL AS THEIR FACTOR MARKETS WILL REQUIRE FREE MOVEMENT OF LABOR AND CAPITAL WITHIN THE REGION. SOME OF THE EMPIRICAL EXAMPLES DISCUSSED INCLUDE PRODUCTION OF FOOTWARE IN ST. KITTS AND ST. VINCENT, FRUIT CANNING OPERATIONS IN THE SAME TWO PLACES, AND A WOVEN-FABRIC GARMENT MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS IN ST. LUCIA.