A Vincentian has been named as a top performer in the Inaugural Creative Youth Competition sponsored and hosted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Regional Security System – Asset Recovery Unit (RSS ARU).

Nailah Samuel of the Girls’ High School emerged winner of the 13 to 16 category with an essay on the topic: “Towards a Cashless Society: challenges, opportunities and the realities for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.” She proposes that a cashless society provides the opportunity for more efficient, secure alternatives to traditional cash transactions and increased access to financial services, a release from the ECCB dated September 11 said.

Samuel said she is “extremely pleased” to have been adjudged winner and encouraged others to take part in future competitions.

“My participation in this competition allowed me to learn about the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, its monetary system, global developments in the financial sector through the research that I conducted. I encourage eligible young persons to participate in future competitions as it is an avenue to become more knowledgeable on different economic topics, to have a voice on these issues and of course, to win wonderful, wonderful prizes,” Samuel said.

First in the 17 to 19 category was Khadijah Halliday of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in Saint Lucia, who captured the first place with her submission on the same topic. She is of the view that due to the realities of small Eastern Caribbean societies, it is likely that the two systems – the traditional utilisation of physical cash and the ultimate proposed digital cashless system – will continue to coexist in parallel for the immediate future.

Micale Wishart of the St Joseph’s Convent in Grenada and Tiffany Weekes of the Montserrat Secondary School were the second and third place winners respectively in the age 13 to 16 category. In the age 17 to 19 category, Kheri Hughes of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School in Anguilla won second place, while Shanique Davis of the Antigua State College placed third.

The first place winners in each of the categories will be awarded a $2,500 cash prize and a grant of $1,500 will be awarded to their respective schools. The students who placed second will each receive $1,500 and their schools will be presented with a grant of $1,000. The third place winners will each receive $1,000 and their schools will be awarded a grant of $500.

The ECCB/RSS ARU Creative Youth Competition, is part of the ECCB’s Community Outreach Programme, and is aimed at encouraging critical and innovative thinking as well as raising the awareness of secondary school and community college students in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) on issues of economic and social development.