ECCB Governor: save but there are more incentives for investing

Published on February 16, 2026

The Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Timothy Antoine wants residents of the currency union to move from savers to investors ‘where you can earn a higher interest on your money than the savings rate of 2 percent’.

The Governor says he is please that in the last 18 months two mutual funds have been launched in the currency union for the first time.

He also cited the launch of a retail bond programme in which almost 350 new investors joined the market.

Mr. Antoine adds ‘what we are encouraging our people to do is to see opportunity beyond savings. Savings is a starting point; its not an ending point’.

He commended the St. Kitts and Nevis government on its ASPIRE programme ‘aimed at encouraging and cultivating a culture of investing at a young age’.

The ECCB has partnered with the govt of St. Kitts and Nevis to go out into the schools to help build financial literacy and to create opportunities for people to invest.

The ECCB Governor notes that only 4% of EC residents are invested in the regional market compared to 3 in 5 [62%] in the United States.

The ECCB ambition is to move from 4% [1 in 25] to 20% [1 in 5] over the next decade.