Dec 29^th 2011

GO INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH CONFIDENCE

2011 A Turbulent Year

2011 is a calendar year that many of us would like to forget, if only for the numerous economic and financial challenges that the country faced during this period. The global financial crisis which began in 2008 affected the country greatly in 2011. We had to face the continued fall-out from CLICO and British American, where hundreds of Vincentians had invested their pensions and other savings.

On the heels of these issues came the flash floods in April that affected the north of the country, even as residents there tried to re-settle their lives following the passage of Hurricane Tomas.

These are hard actors that all Vincentians recognize and understand as being impediments to our economic growth and development during 2011. All Vincentians, except those in the leadership of the opposition New Democratic Party, who continue to sing a tune of gloom and doom, and subscribe to the gimmicks of “Chicken Little and the Sky is Falling”.

The Leadership

Amidst the turbulent economic and financial storms of 2011, one thing was clear.; The leadership shown by the ULP government and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was exemplary. Where there were problems, solutions were provided and the leadership of the ULP guided the process along. The ULP and Comrade Ralph operated in communion with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at all times. The party listened, consulted, sought advice where necessary, and as always, adopted a people-centered approach to solving many of the issues of the day.

What did we have on the other side? Claims that the IMF was about to administer a bitter medicine to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Claims that the government was going to lay off public servants; that the government was going to reduce salaries, and the list goes on.

When the public servants dropped the ball in relation to the Black Sigatoka disease, what did the ULP administration do? Corrected measures were taken at the level of the senior civil service to ensure that this did not happen again, and the government designed and implemented a package of assistance for banana farmers in the state.

When the providers of fuel (gasoline and diesel) could not deliver due to strike action in Trinidad, it was the Minister of Transport, Julian Francis, who sprang into action to ensure that there were arrangements between Sol and Rubis, so that the operators of vehicles were not unduly inconvenienced.

The People have responded

The people have responded to the work of the government in a magnificent way, showing support for the development strategies of the ULP administration. When asked in a UWI survey, how they regard the economic plans of the government, and the performance of the ULP administration in the current global economic and financial crisis, sixty nine percent of them said that they were satisfied.

This is more than a passing grade and is more than justification for the policies of the ULP administration. But this is not enough. We have to continue to lift our game, and to deliver a good day’s work for a good day’s pay. Many of our public servants, teachers, nurses and police officials are responding, and have responded to the call to lift their game. But there is a tiny minority whose sole purpose is to sabotage the efforts of the government, and to deny the taxpayers of the country, the services that they are paying for.

The ULP massive

The leadership of the ULP is full of praise for the continued support for that group of warriors called the “ULP Massive”. They have kept faith with their party and have defended their leaders with vigour. When the NDP tried to muscle the ULP out of office through failed demonstrations, the “ULP massive” responded in magnificent fashion in the month of March, to show their solidarity for their beloved party, and the leadership of Comrade Ralph.

The “ULP massive” must continue to defend their party. They must do so on radio through the many call in programmes. They must do so through the social media, on face book and twitter. They must do so in their communities, in their social and sports clubs and at their work places. But most important, they must continue to support the organs and events of the party, the conventions, the National Council meetings, the meetings of the constituency councils, youth groups and the Women’s Arm. They must equip themselves with information about the strategies of the ULP administration, so that they can respond positively in any debate.

Welcome 2012

So we must welcome 2012 with the knowledge that our country is in good hands, and that we as a people are resilient and disciplined to face all challenges, knowing that we have a government and a leadership that is strong, and ready to take us through any turbulent seas.

Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has already presented his estimates for the year 2012, and he will outline further his plans for the country, during the budget address on January 9^th 2012.

We know that our country has progressed in 2011. The talk from our Diaspora brothers and sisters is that Vincentians are living as if there is no global and financial economic crisis!

But development will continue. The work on the International Airport at Argyle is in full swing, and during 2012 several projects, mainly in the health sector, will commence, providing further employment. The agricultural sector will get some special attention this year, as the government introduces strategies to assist our farmers.

So 2012 promises to be another interesting year, but we must never forget the lessons and the best practices that stood the test of time in 2011.

The ULP administration, the ULP Party and its leadership would like to wish all Vincentians, peace, prosperity and good health in 2012, and may all your aspirations be realised.

December 23^rd, 2011

LOVE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS AT CHRISTMAS

The Meaning of Christmas

Vincentians will join billions of people around the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, an event that was foretold in the Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament. We will mark this iconic event in a number of ways. Some of us will go to church on the morning of December 25^th, others will gather for family lunches and dinners, and there will be much to eat and drink. Still others will spend the day in quiet reflection, avoiding all the excesses of Christmas.

Christmas should reflect a time of love, good neighbourliness and hope. It is marked by the traditional “peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women”. It is a time of hope, when we recognise the birth of Christ, the One who was sent to atone for our sins and to provide us with a pathway for Christian life.

If we follow the teachings of Christ, we will find the knowledge and example required, to enable us to live a good life, full of faith, forgiveness and love for each other.

Our Society and Divisiveness

By and large Vincentians are a loving, caring people. Our country is called “Hairouna, home of the blessed”, and we should conduct ourselves in keeping with this mantra. There is much love and unity in our society, but there is some divisiveness and even hatred in small pockets.

At this joyous time, we must put aside all things that divide us as a people, whether it is politics, or religion, business skirmishes and family differences. We must extend a hand of friendship to one and all. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has already extended a hand of friendship to the Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace, and to members and supporters of the New Democratic Party.

Over the next couple of days as we approach the New Year, we must commit to being more neighbourly in our daily lives. Our nation would be a better place if this approach is adopted by all. We must refrain from speaking ill of each other and we must always be ready to compliment and support good strategies, plans and programmes in our society.

The Church

Many of us will attend church services particularly on Christmas Day. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will be attending Christmas Day mass at a church in Bethlehem, following an invitation from the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to visit that city.

Even as we attend these church services we must reflect on the role of the church in our modern day society, given the divisions that exist. We often complain that the church is not doing anything to stem the rising domestic violence in our society.

We must appreciate that many of us have moved away from the church, and we have become un-Christian-like in our daily lives. As parents we do not set proper examples for our children, by attending church or encouraging our young children to attend church. How then can we urge the Church to play any role in the fight against domestic violence when we spurn that institution?

We must remember that we are the church, not the pastor, the minister or the Bishop. We have to return to the Church, and observe the teachings of the gospel, even as we display this in our daily lives.

Less crime, more moderation

In our society there is a tiny minority of persons who will use this time of the year to get involved in criminal activity. They will steal, rob and commit crimes of violence particularly against our women. We must be vigilant and we must try hard to make this Christmas season as crime free as possible. We have to look out for each other. At the same time we must appeal to those persons who are likely to commit crime, to cease from their criminal activities.

Then we must practice a greater level of moderation. At this festive time, we drink and eat too much, and the level of alcohol is cause for concern, especially among persons who drink and drive, a most dangerous combination for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

And as we feast our eyes on the rich food on our tables, we have to be cognizant of our health and avoid those things that will affect our diabetes and hypertension in a negative way. We must also consider those persons in the society who are not so fortunate, and we must be ready to share with them. Above all our conduct around this time must be exemplary. We must set a good example in our lives and in the way we conduct ourselves over this period.

The Unity Labour Party extends Christmas Greetings to all Vincentians at home and abroad, with wishes for a prosperous and productive 2012.

December 16^th 2011

2012 ESTIMATES: PRUDENCE AND ENTERPRISE FOR DEVELOPMENT

SOUND ESTIMATES

On December 13, 2011, the first anniversary of the ULP’s third-term re-election, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Ralph E. Gonsalves, presented a package of sound Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2012. The Appropriation Bill for 2012 will be debated from January 9^th in the usual Budget Debate.

The 2012 Estimates are fit for these times mixing prudence and enterprise for development. The Estimates rebalance the government’s financial outlays by emphasising expenditure on Health and Nutrition, on Transport and Works for the continuing post-Tomas reconstruction, on Agriculture, on Environmental Protection without down-playing expenditure on Education, Tourism, and Social Welfare. Indeed, there is a focus in recurrent spending in the area of Education on quality teaching and assessment of it.

THE OVERALL NUMBERS

The Estimates for 2012 amount to $793.9 million, a marginal increase of 0.9 percent or $7.4 million over the approved Budget for 2011. The recurrent expenditure estimates for 2012 record a small decline of 0.1 percent or $0.82 million while planned capital expenditure rises by 4.7 percent to $184.9 million.

On the revenue side, the estimated current revenue for 2012 amounts to $507.3 million and capital receipts total $286.6 million.

SOME NEW INITIATIVES

There are some new initiatives on the recurrent expenditure side, including:

(i) The establishment of the Financial Services Authority, a single regulatory unit for non-bank financial institutions. A subvention of $1.6 million is provided for this purpose.

(ii) The establishment of an Embassy in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. This is vital given our trade and economic relations with Venezuela.

(iii) The inclusion of $3.44 million for the Banana Services Unit to address the challenge of the Black Sigatoka disease.

(iv) Fifteen (15) new posts for the Ministry of Health including six for a newly-created Office of the Nutrition Coordinator, Community Nutrition and Institutional Dietetics, three more doctors (Registrars) at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and two at the Mental Health Centre.

(v) In the Ministry of Education, six new posts to improve the qualitative outputs from the educational system, teacher assessment, and the fashioning of a quality teaching and learning framework.

RECURRENT SPENDING

The total planned recurrent expenditure for 2012 is $608.99 million, a decline of 0.1 percent or 0.8 million when compared with the 2011 budget. In the recurrent expenditure budget wages and salaries register an increase of 2.9 percent; Pensions and NIS increase by 2.4 percent; Goods and Services rise by 1.0 percent; and Debt Service increases by one-half of one percent. Wages and Salaries account for $250.6 million; Pensions and NIS, $47.0 million; Other Transfers (to public enterprises, local, regional and international organisations), $103.4 million; Debt Service, $131.8 million; and Goods and Services, $76.1 million.

Salaries will be increased by 2.7 percent reflecting the payment of increments and for the additional posts. However, the payment of the salary increase of 3 percent for 2011 will be assessed jointly by the trade unions and the government in June 2012. The government has acknowledged the obligation to pay the salary increase from January 2011.

Wages are expected to increase in the Budget by 3.9 percent in 2012. Retiring Benefits consist of pensions (38.1 million) and NIS contributions ($9.0 million) and amount in total to $47.1 million.

PUBLIC DEBT

As at September 30, 2011, the total public debt stood at $1.2 billion. This figure is 0.7 percent lower than the total disbursed outstanding debt for the comparative period in 2010. The ULP government is managing the debt situation very prudently. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) of some 65 percent. For the past three (3) years, the ULP government has not borrowed any money on commercial terms. We receive grants or we borrow on highly concessionary terms.

Meanwhile, in 2011, we have reduced the domestic debt by paying $13.4 million on amortised bonds, by repaying $20.2 million on local loans, and by reducing public sector overdraft balances by $38.9 million. On the external debt, we have repaid $27.4 million on bonds; and external loans to state-owned enterprises not serviced by the Central Government fell by $19.9 million.

Overall, our domestic debt has fallen over the past year by 14.9 percent, but the external debt has risen by 11.8 percent. This rise in external debt is mainly as a consequence of the CDB debt swap of domestic debt for the CDB debt and the $14.1 million from the IMF to aid in the Tomas and Flood damage rehabilitation.

CAPITAL ESTIMATES

The 2012 Capital Estimates amount to $184.9 million or $8.3 million over the Capital Estimates for 2011. Four Ministries account for 70.3 percent of the Capital Estimates for 2012. These are:

1. Ministry of Transport and Works with an allocation of $74.9 million or 23.7 percent over last year’s allocation.

2. Ministry of National Security, Airports and Seaports is being allocated $36.1 million or 19.5 percent of the 2012 capital budget.

3. Ministry of Education is provided with $28.5 million or 15.4 percent of the capital budget.

4. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning accounts for 11.6 percent of the 2012 capital budget or $21.4 million.

By functional classification heads, four of the broad nine heads account for 77.0 percent of the capital budget. This information is highly instructive:

1. Economic Affairs: $73.2 million or 39.6 percent of the capital budget.

2. Education: $28.5 million or 15.4 percent of capital budget.

3. Environmental Protection: $23 million or 12.4 percent of the capital budget.

4. Health: $17.5 million or 9.5 percent of the capital budget for 2012.

Some items of spending under Economic Affairs include E.T. Joshua Airport Improvement ($4.0 million; Argyle International Airport ($15 million); Colonarie Bridge ($3.8 million); Tourism and Private Sector Development ($7.7 million); Support to Primary Agriculture ($1.0 million); Rehabilitation of Vigie Highway ($2.5 million); Basin Hole Rehabilitation ($3.7 million); Kingstown Clean Up ($3.7 million); Energy Conservation ($2.4 million); Port Development ($1.3 million); Farm Support Through Small Machinery ($1.3 million).

Under Education some capital projects for 2012 are: Improvement of Education through ICT ($15 million); Basic Education II ($5.3 million); Expansion of Secondary Schools ($1.5 million); Tech Voc Education ($1.0 million); Book Loan Scheme ($1.0 million).

Under Environmental Protection some capital projects are: National Disaster Management Rehabilitation ($9.8 million); Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction ($5.5 million); Emergency Recovery ($6.6 million).

Under Health, some capital projects for 2012 are: Medical Complex at Georgetown ($5.0 million); Modernisation of Health Sector – 10^th EDF ($8.6 million); Oxygen Plant and Bulk Storage ($2.0 million).

CAPITAL RECEIPTS

The Capital budget for 2012 is being financed by Domestic Receipts ($80 million) comprising of capital revenue ($20.2 million) and loans ($59.8 million). External Receipts ($206.6 million) and Grants ($61.3 million), Loans ($44.6 million), and Other Receipts ($100.7 million).

SUMMATION

These Estimates will create jobs, rebalance and consolidate our public finances, strengthen Health, Education, Roads, Tourism, Agriculture, and Social Welfare. These are sound Estimates.

December 9^th 2011

THE RE-ELECTION OF DR.KENNY ANTHONY AND THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNT

The Issue

St. Lucians went to the polls on November 28^th 2011, and at the end of the day, had re-elected Dr. Kenny Anthony and the St.Lucia Labour Party (SLP) to office, and in the process, sweeping the ruling United Workers Party into the trenches of the opposition.

It was an interesting election. Several of the hard core UWP Ministers including Leonard Montoute, Allan Chastanet, Guy Mayers, Rufus Bousquet and Keith Mondesir, all lost their seats, as the SLP came storming back to power.

In the process of winning by eleven seats to six, the St. Lucian electorate denied former Prime Minister Stephenson King, a second term in office. They also handed the mind benders, Strategic Communications Laboratory, a bloody nose, to go with the licking they received had at the hands of the ULP and Comrade Julian Francis in SVG in 2010.

While this was sweet revenge for Dr. Kenny Anthony, it was a sign that St. Lucians wanted to correct the mistake they made five years ago when they elected the UWP to office, under the apparent guise of providing the SLP administration with a strong opposition.

There are some important lessons to be learnt from the victory of the SLP, and members and supporters of the Unity Labour Party should do well to heed these lessons.

Leadership and the party Structure

The St.Lucia elections clearly demonstrated the importance of having a clear leader at the helm of the party that is contesting the poll. Dr. Kenny Anthony is a distinguished Caribbean citizen with a clear vision and philosophy for the development of his country. He loves St. Lucians and is committed to the development of the people of his country. There is a clear parallel that can be drawn between Dr. Anthony and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the leader of the ULP, and it is no wonder therefore that they are great friends. They are committed towards the same goals and they have spent time in the wilderness, biding their time for the ascension to leadership.

During his period in opposition Dr. Anthony spent time building his party structure, ensuring that his youth arm was functioning and that his constituency groups were on solid ground. This is an important lesson for the ULP. It is critical that party groups become more organized and more focused in preparation for the political tasks at hand, that of returning the ULP to office for a fourth term., whenever general elections are called.

The Opposition in Shambles

There is a great similarity between the UWP in St. Lucia and the opposition NDP. Stephenson King in St. Lucia had a difficulty, in that some of his ministers were out of control, spoke out of turn, and generally did not pay attention to the philosophy of the UWP. The opposition NDP and Arnhim Eustace is in the same boat. He clearly does not know who he wants to be Chairman of his party and he can’t control the process, with a three way fight between Linton Lewis, Daniel Cummings and Anesia Baptiste. So who got the support of the party leader?

Then there are the public utterances of their party activists on radio and on face book. One reads with horrified expressions the statements made about Anesia Baptiste on radio and on the social network, the revelations by the party secretary Allan Cruickshank, and the public “cussing” that their supporters received at the hands of some of their leading officers.

Can right thinking Vincentians consider what this country would have been reduced to, if the New Democratic Party was elected to office in the 2010 elections? What would have been the end result? Given the disarray that is being manifested, it would be safe to use the words of Arnhim Eustace and say the situation would be “doom and gloom”.

We have to thank the ULP supporters who turned out in their numbers just about one year ago, to return the Ralph Gonsalves administration to office for a third term. Many NDP supporters are secretly saying thanks to the ULP supporters. They recognize that even where they voted for the NDP, they are happy that Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP administration are at the helm of the government, in the current turbulent global economic period.

Dr. Anthony in the OECS/CARICOM

The election of the Dr. Kenny Anthony augurs well for the OECS and CARICOM organizations. Dr. Anthony is a strong leader and this is what is required as the OECS grapples with several critical issues. At the top of the list is the BAICO and CLICO issues which are so important to the citizens of the OECS, many of whom have invested their pension and gratuities in these insurance companies. Dr. Kenny Anthony is expected to provide additional leadership, to support the work currently being done by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

There are also issues related to the workings of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and the new OECS treaty and Dr. Anthony will play a pivotal role in this regard.

In the meantime Dr. Anthony will concentrate on correcting the many mistakes of the UWP administration and take his country out of the current economic morass that it finds itself. A strong St. Lucian economy with their tourism and agriculture is a good thing for the OECS. We must remember that St. Lucians are involved in business ventures in our country, as shareholders in the Bank of St.Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Save A Lot supermarket and the divestment of the Aunt Jobe ventures.

Conclusion

We must never forget the experiences of the people of St.Lucia under the UWP. When we elect a fragmented party that is not united, has no vision, no philosophy, full of infighting and not committed to the development of the people of the country, particularly poor people, then chaos will ensue.

Never before in the history of St, Vincent and the Grenadines has there been so much development, albeit over a period of ten years. That is why the people of St.Vincent and the Grenadines are proud of ULP administration and Comrade Ralph, as evidenced in the UWI Caricom Consumer Report, which says that seventy eight percent of the country support the policies and the performance of the government in the current global and financial crisis.

December 2^nd 2011

THE ULP’S 18^TH NATIONAL CONVENTION: BUILDING WITH CONFIDENCE A MORE RESILIENT NATION IN CHALLENGING TIMES

The Convention

Last Sunday November 27^th 2011, ULP warriors descended on the Campden Park Secondary School in their numbers, to attend the 18^th annual convention of their party.

The inclement weather could not keep the ULP warriors away and there was a steady stream of arrivals during the morning period. There must be something good happening in the ULP, when a record number of supporters could attend a convention, despite the heavy rainfall.

And there must be something good happening in the country, under the ULP administration, that could make its supporters celebrate and acknowledge the leadership of this great party.

The scheduling of the convention could not have come at a better time for the ULP. With the country facing economic shocks due to the global financial meltdown, along with the damage created by Tomas, and torrential rains in April, coupled with the losses from the demise of CLICO and British American, this was a time for Vincentians to become stronger as a people

The theme of the convention says it all: “Building with confidence a more resilient nation in challenging times”. The organizers of the convention must be complimented for fashioning this theme that captures accurately, where we are in terms of the economy, and what we as a people must do.

We cannot behave like Arnhim Eustace and the NDP and cry “gloom and doom”. We must continue demonstrate the characteristics of the Unity Labour Party, with a vision, a philosophy for our development, leadership, and a united force that will see us through all perils, with the help of Almighty God.

The Comrade Leaders Address

Comrade Ralph was in his brilliant analytical form. In his extended address to the convention the Comrade Leader provided an overview of the economic situation in the country over the last three years, sketching out the internal and external factors that have affected economic growth.

He came straight to the point by telling the audience that economically, that everything is not rosy. But ULP supporters have this knowledge, because that is what the leadership of the party has been saying over the last two years.

Comrade Ralph said that St.Vincent and the Grenadines is a small resource challenged country that is structurally dependent, with an open economy and a set of links. Not all of these links are favourable to the country as can be seen by the effects of the global economic and financial meltdown.

But the Comrade Leader said that Vincentians must rise to the challenge of building resilience in the current challenging times. He added that to build the capacity to withstand and then reverse these shocks, requires a special people, a special government and special leadership.

The message is clear. Our country must be united as a people. We must be resolute and hardworking, we must not get involved in crime and violence, we must avoid laziness and we must lift our productivity.

The 2011 IMF Report

Despite all the gloom and the doom predicted by the Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace, Executive Directors of the IMF have commended the ULP administration for the work it has done, in keeping the economy together. The public information notice, PIN, is now on the IMF website with all the relevant information. The PIN is not prepared by the ULP administration, but by the IMF officials in Washington.

Let us look at some of the lies and half truths spread by the NDP.

1. That the ULP is cutting salaries by ten percent.
2. That Comrade Ralph could not attend the Commonwealth meeting in Australia because he was summoned to a meeting by the IMF in Washington DC.
3. That there was something “fishy” because there was a delay in the release of the report and the PIN
4. That the ULP administration was about to send home public servants

And the list goes on. But what did the Executive Directors of the IMF say in their PIN?

They welcomed the commitment of the ULP administration to prudent macroeconomic policies and encouraged the government to press ahead with efforts to enhance the resilient factor of the economy, so as to withstand further shocks and foster economic growth. Why did they say this? Because the ULP administration had already outlined the approach it was going to take, and the strategies to be adopted in the current economic situation.

The IMF Executive Directors commended the intention of the ULP administration to generate primary fiscal surpluses in the range of two percent of GDP by 2016. They supported the government’s move to enhance the monitoring of cross-institution and cross border holdings, and the Financial Services Bill was passed in Parliament earlier this month, to give effect to this measure. They also welcomed the effort of the ULP administration to ease access to credit, and to invest in infrastructure and education.

Now readers must understand the difficulty that Arnhim Eustace and the NDP must have, in coming to grips with the words “welcome, and commended, and encouraged and supported”, words used in the PIN, to described the understanding and approval of the economic strategies adopted by the ULP administration. Clearly the NDP was expecting to hear words such as “reduce public service, increase taxes, freeze or reduce salaries etc etc.”

We are sorry to have to disappoint Arnhim Eustace and the NDP, but the electorate returned the ULP to power, because they recognized that there is only one party, one government, and one leadership that could steer the ship of state called St.Vincent and the Grenadines, safely to shore, in the current turbulent global economic conditions.

Vincentians will now await the presentation of the Estimates on December 13^th, 2011, for further evidence of the good governance of the ULP administration.

November 25^th 2011

THE ENERGY SECTOR; VITAL FOR THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Issue

The energy sector is a critical component of the economic development of small island states like St.Vincent and the Grenadines, devoid of natural resources and having to purchase energy related material from abroad.

The country needs a secure, stable and reasonable priced energy supply for all sectors, including manufacturing, business, health and the environment and social services. Indeed energy crosses all boundaries of the society.

Investors are always interested in a reliable power supply when they are about to make decisions related to the establishment of a new business in a country, and the absence of a reliable energy source could affect jobs, and subsequently the economy.

The ULP is cognizant of this, but the concern goes even further, towards the issues of energy efficiency, and exploring ways of finding new and renewable sources of energy.

Many Vincentians take energy for granted, and the discussion gets going only when the cost of energy increases, and when the supply is interrupted, or is problematic.

As a responsible government, the ULP administration has demonstrated a new approach the energy sector, and this is paying dividends.

What has the ULP done

On assuming power in 2001, the ULP moved to create an Energy Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, with special responsible for energy matters. That unit has been functioning well.

In addition, and in the face of one of the worst global financial and economic crisis, the ULP has created a modern National Energy Policy (NEP), that sets out the strategies to address many of the energy related issues facing the country. The NEP also has as its companion, a detailed work plan with achievable objectives and timelines.

One of the highlights of the NEP includes the provisioning of a significant quantity of energy products through attractive financial arrangements from Petro Caribe, and Alba. This has produced among other things the so-called “labour gas” that has benefited many Vincentians, including members and supporters of the New Democratic Party.

Then there is the drive to conserve energy. The Energy Unit has done a survey of the highest energy consuming government owned buildings, in a drive to reduce consumption and improve the environment of these buildings. Based on the survey, seven of the larger consumers have been selected for priority action. They are the Administrative Complex, the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the Central Police Station, the Postal Corporation, the Fish Market, Medial Stores and he Community College. These buildings will undergo a vigorous upgrade of their energy efficiency measures.

Further the ULP administration will retrofit and upgrade the existing air conditioning refrigeration and lighting system in these seven buildings, so as to use the more energy efficient R410a gas, along with the efficient T8 fluorescent light tubes. A contract has already been awarded to a local company to complete this task.

This is not all. The government has approved a project entitled “Photovoltaic Project for the Administrative Building” to be funded jointly by the OAS and the government. Under the project 10KW photovoltaic modules will be installed on the roof of the administrative complex to provide energy. The system will be connected to VINLEC. It is expected that the government will realise a savings of EC$1370 per month, with a payback period of seven years.

Expansion of VINLEC and other factors

The St. Vincent Electricity Services, VINLEC is playing a leading role in the implementation of the government’s energy policy. The ULP administration has fashioned a strategy to allow VINLEC to function in this regard. Already the ULP administration has moved to complete the installation of storage capacity at Lowmans Bay, for diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel. It is important that sufficient quantities of these energy security in a modern productive economy. That facility will be officially opened on November 24^th 2011.

VINLEC is now in the final stages of the expansion of its modernization phase, to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity, and to deliver an un-interrupted power supply at a competitive price.

The government is also committed to the drive for new and renewable energy, and to this end the ULP administrative will build out the wind energy project situated at Ribishi. Research on geo-thermal energy is on the cards and the ULP administration recognizes that this holds enormous strategic significance for the country.

In other areas the government will continue the Rural Electrification to bring power to the few households that do not have electricity. The plan is to lift the level of electricity connections from 95 percent of households to a level close to 100 percent. Attention is being paid to providing relief to critical areas of the economy, as evidence by the assistance package that was announced for the hotel sector.

Above all there is need for our country to conserve energy. It is commonly held view that many consumers are not paying attention to the consumption of energy in their homes. We have to pay attention to simple things like the lights on our house, the appliances we use and the transformers that we install.

While the ULP administration has increased the wealth of the country by over one billion dollars, and salaries of civil servants, police officers, and teachers have been increased, we have to be practical in the day to day things that we do. There is nothing wrong about improving our lifestyle, in terms of the houses that we build, and the vehicles that we purchase, but conservation must be at the heart of these activities. Remember, you have the power in your hands to conserve energy, since conserving energy leads to a savings.

November 18^th 2011

OF PARENTING, CRIME AND THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION

The Issue

Followers of psychology, particularly the writings of Alfred Adler, Sigmund Freud and George Armitage Miller, will understand that all core personality of an individual is developed in humans from birth to the ages of five to six years. It is in this period of development that the characters of many of us are formed, to be developed as we grow older, under the guidance of parents, the church and the wider society.

So for example, a twenty year old who is now displaying deviant behavior, and is involved in criminal activities, had his mental and social formation sixteen years ago, when his or her core personality was being developed. That would put his core development around 1996. Similarly, a 25 year old who is involved in the drug trade and other illegal activities had his mental and social formation 20 years ago, around 1991.

If we accept this argument, then we come to the conclusion that many of the persons who are involved in crime today, had their core personality formation during the 17 year period when the NDP was in power in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, from 1984 to 2001.

Many of our so-called social analysts have failed to examine properly, the social degradation created by the NDP, particularly during the period after 1989. It is well documented that sixty percent of our young people never got a chance to attend a secondary school. This must certain social consequences. For one the country was not producing ideal citizens, including persons ready to take on the mantle of parenthood. Of course, this does not mean that the NDP government deliberately created criminals; its poor performance is however an important part of the context.

Secondly, the education stock in the country decreased during the period 1989 to 2001. When the state disenfranchises sixty out of every one hundred children, by not providing for their access to secondary schools, then we clearly see the extent of the problem.

Crime and Parenting

We have to acknowledge that the persons who are involved in criminal activities do not live in caves or trees. They come from homes, where there are parents, grandparents, and guardians. We have to accept that some of our parents have lost control of their children and this has resulted in deviant behavior. The ULP administration has provided support for deviant children in schools but parents and guardians have to begin taking back control of their families.

Clearly, today’s parents are “baby boomers” coming out of the NDP era, and many of the skills associated with good parenting are lacking. How else can one explain a situation where a teenager, a fourteen year old child, leaves home without stating where they are going, and cannot be accounted for over a five day period?

Our parents have to exhibit better skills. They have to socialize their children to the mores and values of our society, provide guidance in career choices, in the selection of friends, in their modes of dress and the choice of music that they listen. Above all our parents have to take their families back to church, so that their children can get a Christian upbringing, to follow the teachings of the bible.

The country has made tremendous progress over the last ten years, and we are better off as a nation, and as families and individuals. Living standards have increased and there has been progress in the areas of housing, education, health, water and electricity, to name a few.

But even with these improvements, we have lost the sense of good neighbourliness, and family ties have been loosened. Our country needs to return to our tried and tested values which have served us well through the years. Our parents have to play a critical role in this regard, supported by the churches, community organizations and the state.

Parenting and the Education Revolution

It is a proven fact that good parenting is an important component of the learning process of a child. Good parenting which provides supervision and support, will lead to the enhancing of the education process and educational achievements. On the other hand poor parenting could lead to low educational results.

The ULP administration recognizes the importance of parenting in the education revolution and the Ministry of Education has been mounting parenting classes across the country. The response has not been ideal, and many of the “indifferent” parents have avoided the classes.

Our society is being saturated by entertainment from the western world, in the form of music, film and television and these attract many of our young people. They spend a lot of time with this entertainment at the risk of neglecting their reading and their homework.

Our children too can be led astray by their association with “bad company” and this could led to them getting involved in illegal activities to the detriment of their school work.

Good parenting therefore is a component of the education revolution that must be addressed in a structured way, and the ULP administration is committed to do this. There has to be a national crusade driven by all and sundry, including PTA’s, civil society, the churches, the state and the mass media in the country.

We have to lift the quality of parenting to the point where parents assume greater responsibility for the supervision and support for their children. For too long some of us have given up on our parental responsibilities and have not provided the level of support required by our children.

We have to and we can do better for the sake of our children.

Nov 11^th 2011

THE ULP AND CRIME PREVENTION

The Issue

Several terrible crimes committed in the state over the last six months, particularly against women, have created a level of concern in certain quarters. Our people are concerned about these developments, and rightly so, since in the eyes of the ULP government, one crime is one too many.

But it is the strident cries of the opposition NDP and their supporters and spokespersons, that have attracted the subject of this column. Daily they claim that the ULP is to be blamed for the crime situation in the country. They blame Comrade Ralph every time some disgruntled husband strikes his wife. They blame the ULP every time some misguided youth gets involved in the illegal drug trade, or commits a robbery to obtain money to finance illegal activities.

The truth of the matter is that the ULP administration has done more than any other administration in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to fight crime and the causes of crime. It is the ULP that coined the phrase “tough on crime and the causes of crime”. The facts speak for themselves, but we should never forget the role of the NDP in promoting crime in the state, from their negligence in not providing educational opportunities for our young people, to the examples they have shown with their violent protests. (Remember their supporters stormed the House of Assembly building and tried to overturn a police fire tender).

The causes of Crime

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines most crimes, are committed by young men between the ages of 17 and 35 years who have had little formal schooling. They do not possess any marketable skills, and most of them come from dysfunctional families (often without a male father figure).

They are poor, do not attend church, are invariably part of a loose sub-culture of crime, whose life histories suggest social alienation, with psychological scars which predispose them to crime.

The ULP government has implemented a number of socio-economic policies to address this problem, including:

1. Providing education and training opportunities
2. Strengthening the family
3. Breaking up criminal sub-cultures (gangs etc.)
4. Providing counseling for affected youths
5. Boosting self-esteem through sports, culture and community work.
6. Building community values.
7. Creating jobs.

While these policies have been pursued by the ULP administration since 2001, there are strategies being adopted to address crime and criminal activities in the country.

The Strategy in fighting crime

In February 2003, the ULP government placed before Parliament a “Fourteen-Point Strategy on Crime Prevention and Control.” Each of the strategic points contained elements for an Action Plan. Subsequently, that Action Plan was drawn up. This “Strategy” was adopted by way of a Motion without support from the Parliamentary Opposition. This “Strategy”, has with amendments and refinements, been guiding the ULP government’s fight against crime.

It covers a wide range of matters including: Socio-economic interventions; the physical facilities of the Police Force; the reform of the Police Force; training and human resource development in the Police Force; intelligence gathering and analysis; the Coast Guard; the criminal law and procedure; the prosecutorial services; the Prisons; the Cadet Force; and regional and international crime-fighting cooperation.

The “Strategy” also approved the formation of a broad-based permanent National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP) to work in tandem with civil society, the Police, and the Ministry of National Security in tackling crime.

The Police Force

The Police Force is the unit that is on the frontline of the battle against crime. Since 2001, the ULP administration has made serious changes to the operation policies of the Force, and has provided more material and financial support, to allow them to carry out their duties.

More policemen and women are employed these days, with better salaries and working conditions. This was not so in the seventeen years of the NDP rule. In addition the ULP has done the following:

1. Create the Rapid Response Unit and the Major Crimes Unit as units within the Force to better tackle crime.
2. Civilianise the Immigration Department.
3. Strengthen the Special Services Unit.
4. Take greater care in recruiting persons for police duties. Our police officers are now brighter with good psychological profiles.
5. Setting up a Police Oversight Body to enquire into the misuse of police authority.
6. Supporting police officers in their quest for university education.
7. Establishing the Port Police, Police Youth Clubs, Neighbourhood Watch Groups, Community Policing and the Pan Against Crime Strategy.

Many of these strategies are working. The opposition NDP has been critical of these strategies, even while most right thinking people are praising the work of the government. Who can forget the “wake” organized by the NDP, to protest against the successful VincyPak operation!

The Legal System in the fight against crime

Against all this progress in the Police Force, was the need to address certain deficiencies in the legal system, to improve the delivery of justice. These include:

1. The setting up of the Serious Offences Court
2. Establish a magistrate court in Canouan
3. Publish the new up to date bound laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
4. Abolish the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act.
5. Increase the penalties for the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and for drug trafficking offences.
6. Passing a tough Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Act, and the Financial Intelligence Unit Act, to tackle money laundering.
7. Accord the Police and the DPP the right to appeal against decisions from the Magistrate Court and from the High Court (Criminal Jurisdiction).

These are just a few of the many strategies adopted by the ULP administration in the fight against crime. Shortly before the 2010 general elections, the government caused to be published a document with a comprehensive and detailed plan in relation to the fight against crime. Vincentians should revisit this document.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines exists in a dangerous criminal neighbourhood. Indeed, in the Caribbean today, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among the least affected by serious crimes, though admittedly the incidence of crime in our country is still not as low as it ought practically to be. Roaming criminals from neighbouring countries especially Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Guyana and Jamaica, and from Spanish-speaking Venezuela, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, add to the heavy burden of our home-grown criminals.

The fight against crime requires the involvement of all, the government, the opposition, parents and teachers, the Police, lawyers, the churches, in fact all Vincentians, include those in the Diaspora. It requires serious people, not like those in the NDP.

October 28^th 2011

ARNHIM EUSTACE DISAPPOINTS AGAIN

The Issue

It is generally felt that the celebration of our anniversary of independence is a time for reflection, from whence we have come as a nation, and generally to exhort our citizens to be strong, show fortitude and aim for higher ideals.

Over the years, many of our leaders have incorporated these ideals in their independence messages, while pointing out significant achievements of our nation, from year to year.

On the 32^nd Anniversary of our independence, many of the messages crafted by our leaders, including Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne and heads of religious organizations, have adopted this approach. The newspapers are filled with these messages and readers can examine them at their leisure.

Sadly, this situation does not apply to one of our leaders, Arnhim Eustace, the leader of the opposition NDP.

The worse Independence Message

The 32^nd anniversary message delivered by Arnhim Eustace, and printed in all three weekly newspapers, is nothing but an unintelligent thesis of gloom and doom, filled with the usual lies, inaccurate information and half truths. Already many persons have described this as the worse independence anniversary message ever crafted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Arnhim Eustace has disappointed Vincentians again, and his message is further evidence why the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, rejected him and his party for a third consecutive time.

Nowhere in his message did he try to uplift the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, now facing a challenging global economic crisis that is impacting our nation. He had no words of comfort, fortitude or enterprise for those Vincentians recovering from Hurricane Tomas, or the heavy rainfall of April 12^th this year. Further, he had no words of encouragement for our young people, urging them to keep focus, to take advantage of the Education Revolution, and to pay attention to issues like discipline and nation building.

Most important, he had failed to congratulate the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on the attainment of 32 years independence. This is an insult to the hard working and patriotic people of our beloved nation, and it speaks volume as to the mindset of the opposition NDP.

The lies and half truths

In the process he embarked on several lies and half truths and we will just mention one. On September 29^th 2011, in the House of Assembly, Arnhim Eustace posed a question to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in relation to the debt owed to the private sector. Arnhim Eustace quoted the debt at 30 million dollars, but Prime Minister Gonsalves corrected him, stating that the debt was only 8 million and provided a thorough explanation.

Yet Eustace returns to this issue in his independence anniversary address, and despite the correction by Comrade Ralph, he returns to his original figure of 30 million dollars.

He returns to the international airport project at Argyle, describing it as the “untimely and therefore unlikely international airport project”. Vincentians will remember that the NDP had change of heart just days before the 2010 general elections and announced that the NDP had found a company that was ready to build the airport. Happily, the people rejected them at the polls.

Here is a man, a party, who wants the vote of Vincentians to assume power in this country, and this is the sort of leadership he provides, nothing but doom and gloom, no inspiration, no exhortation for us to do better. We expect right thinking Vincentians to reject this address for what it is.

Prime Minister a visionary

By comparison the independence anniversary address by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, shows his vision and leadership. It’s entitled “faith and love amidst challenges” and sets out in the parameters of the global challenges facing the country, how we as Vincentians have fared so far.

Here is an excerpt from his address as printed in the week end papers of October 21^st 2011.

“Still, amidst all the most profound challenges, our people as a whole, their religious and community leaders, and their government have shown remarkable resilience, tenacity, and creativity in holding things together and advancing progressively on several fronts. Our efforts have been most commendable particularly since around us in several Caribbean countries and richer neighbours, things are falling apart and their centres cannot hold”.

Vincentians are happy that at the helm of the ship of state called St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP administration, to navigate and steer us through these turbulent waters. They could do without a leader whose concept of economics can be described as escalatory, one side of figures going up and another side coming down.

A leader is required to draw out of people that which is good and noble, even where they do not realize that these characteristics are within their very being.

By the nature of his address, Arnhim Eustace has disqualified himself for any leadership role in this country, certainly not as Prime Minister. Clearly, as far as the NDP is concerned, nothing good has happened in this country since we celebrated the 31^st anniversary of independence. To Arnhim Eustace all has been negativity, gloom and doom.

As we embarked on our new year let us take to heart the comments from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves “At Independence 2011 our nation remains a land of freedom, peace, democracy, good sense, and good governance. Let it so remain. The Unity Labour Party’s third successive victory in free and fair elections in December 2011 reaffirms our nation’s commitment to representative government and democracy.

“At Independence 2011 let us have strong faith in God, love of one another and our blessed nation! We are on the right track!”

Oct 21^st 2011

A PROUD PEOPLE CELEBRATE THE 32^ND ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

The Issue

Thirty-two years ago, on October 27^th 1979, our founding father, Robert Milton Cato, took our country into independence. On that historic night at Victoria Park, we hoisted our own flag, and sang lustily “St. Vincent land so beautiful with joyful hearts we pledge to thee, our loyalty and love”.

It was the beginning of a period in our history in which we began to fashion our own civilization, as a people called Vincentians. We now had sole responsibility for our actions, our destiny, our social and economic development and in fact our very future.

What has been done? It is widely know that the Milton Cato administration, the old Labour Party kept things together during the period 1979 to 1984. Then came the NDP and for seventeen long years, they destroyed the fabric of our society. A number of critical areas were in trouble. Our education system was in tatters with only thirty-nine percent of our children being able to access secondary school education.

The sectors of health, tourism, agriculture, culture and general infrastructure were facing enormous difficulties. Generally it was not a good time to be a Vincentian citizen with the many failed projects, like the Ottley Hall Marina and Colonial homes, to the level of corruption, such as the no interest loans at the then National Commercial Bank, to the sale of state lands to NDP party cronies.

ULP gains

It is widely acknowledged at home and abroad that the ULP administration, over the past ten years, has presided over the most impressive achievements of any

government in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There is no doubt about that. The list is impressive, touching all sectors of the economy and all aspects of our society.

Our Education has been the driving force for this turn around. Now Vincentians are getting more opportunities to study abroad, and are returning more qualified and more intelligent. The ULP has introduced universal access to secondary and primary education so more of our young people are getting a chance to further their education. Our pre-school age children are getting early childhood education, more teachers are being trained, there are laptops for all, and generally the education field has improved.

There are many things to make us proud. The bridge over the Rabacca Dry River, the international airport at Argyle, the new secondary schools, police stations and health clinics, and the increase in the wealth of the country.

Let us quote from the Political Leader of the ULP, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, from the 2010 manifesto as follows:

“Over the last ten years it has been my personal joy to witness the growing list of outstanding achievements by Vincentians, especially the young, in all areas of human endeavour. Our students at home and at universities abroad have been excelling; our sports personalities and cultural activists have been making immense waves regionally and internationally; our business owners and entrepreneurs have been initiating and expanding their business activities at home and in the region; and Vincentians of all walks of life have been exuding a greater confidence in themselves and our country than ever before. These have not been accidental happenings; they are a consequence of focused public policies which have better facilitated enterprising individual efforts. Success breeds success and a spirit of optimism fills the air. We do not embrace the learned helplessness and negativism of those whose vision and imagination are limited and limiting. We emphasise our people’s possibilities and strengths rather than to be dulled into a negativism which celebrates their weaknesses and limitations. The ULP is in love with solutions not the problems. This mood, which becomes an enduring strength, envelopes our people, for the better”.

This quotation speaks for itself. Our people, as Vincentians have embraced this spirit of optimism based on the policies of the ULP administration. Our people are looking for new fields of endeavour, new fields to conquer, new ways to make our Vincentian civilization proud.

Those who are un-patriotic

Sadly there are those Vincentians who do not love their country, and will do anything to paint St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a bad light. They will tell lies and half-truths simply because of their hatred for the Unity Labour Party and Comrade Ralph.

The truth is that the NDP has wasted seventeen years of the historical, social and economic development of the country. They see the excellent work of the ULP administration and they apply certain vanities, in order to ridicule what most right thinking Vincentians, are applauding.

In opposition they have no ideas, no vision and no philosophy. Let us quote again from the 2010 ULP manifesto and the words of the political leader, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves:

“The truth is that the other major political party in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the NDP, has wasted its last ten years in opposition. It is bankrupt of ideas; it opposes everything which is progressive; it is disunited; it trades daily in the currency of untruths and insults; it has a leader whom practically everyone knows is unable to lead especially in these challenging times; it looks forward to the past in full knowledge that its future is behind it, and it is yet to purge itself of backward elements who are awaiting the first opportunity to plunder resources of the State”.

The Spirit of Independence

Next Thursday October 27^th 2011, Vincentians will flock to the Victoria Park to mark the 32^nd anniversary of our independence. Many will display flags and appropriate collateral to show that they are proud to be a Vincentian. They are fortified that in the current economic climate, they have a leader, widely respected in the international community, who they can trust to navigate these dangerous economic waters.

They have shown faith in the ULP administration and will continue to do so, in keeping with the words of our National Anthem, “what ere the future brings, our faith will see us through”.

Happy 32^nd Independence Anniversary to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines!

September 30^th 2011

PRIME MINISTER DR. RALPH GONSALES MAKES SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO THE UNITED NATIONS

The ULP’S FOREIGN POLICY

When Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves left the country last week for his visit to the United Nations, it was another sign of the pragmatic philosophical and far reaching foreign policy of the ULP at work, once again.

This is based on a simple maxim, that as Vincentians we are friends of all, satellite of none. The central nature of the foreign policy is aimed at addressing the external environment, always in the interest of the people. This is a policy that has been studied by many University students, and has won the admiration and praise of many persons, in Caricom, in Europe and the Middle East, in Africa, in Central America, and certainly at the United Nations.

THE WEEK AT THE UN

It was certainly a packed agenda for Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves at the United Nations. He addressed the UN twice, first at the conference on the prevention of non-communicable diseases, and then at the 66^th UN General Assembly.

His address to the General Assembly was stirring, and addressed a number of world issues, and outlined a number of issues which are being affected by the “wind of change” that is blowing through the international community. These include the economy, politics, the environment and human rights. He challenged the United Nations to reform itself at a faster pace, and he minced no words, when he addressed the performance of the wealthy nations, in the current global economic crisis.

“Well into our third year of the international economic crisis, we can now declare that the tepid and timid responses of wealthy developed nations have failed to heal the global economy. The uncoordinated lurches from stimulus to austerity and back typify the confusion of the self-appointed premier fora of our international economic cooperation. The recovery that they prematurely declared was false and fleeting, and their counsel of patience and predictions of long-term recovery are of cold comfort to the suffering peoples of those countries that did not contribute to the crisis”.

He went on to set the parameters that Small Island States need, for economic development in the current crisis. He says “small states need the fiscal and policy space to creatively spur development in ways that comply not with the checklists of discredited economic theorists, but with real-world particularities and people-centered policies. International Financial Institutions have yet to grasp sufficiently this simple fact”.

Recommitting to SVG

With bold statements like these, it is no wonder that Prime Minister Gonsalves was sought by many world leaders, for “one on one” talks. Many nations have re-committed themselves to cooperation with St.Vincent and the Grenadines. The major commitment came from the new Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho, who pledged to speed up the delivery of the remaining 15,000 laptops for our children.

The international airport project at Argyle was also a beneficiary, with countries such as Turkey, Qatar and Venezuela, recommitting themselves to the partnership of the “Coalition of the Willing” to construct the airport. Venezuela also pledged to expedite outstanding commitments under the ALBA framework.

That is not all. The Argyle project could benefit from the entrance of new partners. Kuwait and Georgia have expressed strong interests in providing support. Iran has also pledged additional support.

In the field of education there are training opportunities and scholarships in Hungary, Slovenia and Qatar which will soon become available for Vincentian students and other professionals. Finland has pledged support in disaster risk management and emergency response.

Finally there were invitations from a number of countries, Kuwait and Georgia for example, along with the state of Palestine. The Emir of Qatar is expected here next year, and the leaders of Turkey and South Africa have been invited to address Caricom

Public Relations

One aspect of the Prime Minister’s visit to the United nations that has not been highlighted significantly, is that related to Public Relations. Dr. Gonsalves was engaged in promoting St.Vincent and the Grenadines as a tourism destination. He also spent some time talking about the international airport project, through interviews with Newsweek International, the Wall Street Journal, and the Travel and Leisure Magazine. They are all reputable publications. He also participated in a radio interview with Brooklyn radio station, during which he spoke extensively about development matters in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

But it was the town hall meeting last Saturday which brought the curtains down on his visit to the United Nations. There was a packed Friends of Crown Heights auditorium as Vincentians in the New York area, flocked to hear from their beloved and respected leader, Comrade Ralph.

Prime Minister Gonsalves presented chapter and verse about development matters in the country, touching on the Argyle Airport project, the state of the economy, education, poverty reduction, and the strategy of the government during the current global economic crisis.

In the end, the town hall meeting ran out of time, and several persons left the event satisfied, even if they did not get an opportunity to ask their questions.

Conclusions

We have a Prime Minister who is worthy of the love, admiration, and respect of all Vincentians, even those who are “Ralph Haters”. His performance on this UN visit has been outstanding and many Vincentians, including those in the Diaspora, are justly proud.

Make no mistake. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is well respected by many world leaders. He is held in high esteem by many important Presidents and Prime Ministers and is often seen as the ad hoc leader of the Caricom group.

By comparison, Arnhim Eustace and the NDP continue to disappoint many persons. Witness their latest folly, in recognizing the National Transition Council in Libya, before the dust has settled in that country. This ploy is simply to appease the United States, and is an attempt to upstage the ULP administration. Clearly they don’t have an appreciation for matters related to the international diplomacy circuit, but, if they follow the strategies of the ULP, they will learn a thing or two.

September 23^rd, 2011

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER, DR. RALPH GONSALVES AT THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines aligns itself fully with the statement previously delivered on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Suriname. Given the limited time allotted to speakers in this High Level Meeting, I will not seek to be exhaustive in my remarks, but merely to add to those who have spoken before me on this important issue.

Mr. President,

Four years ago, during my address to the General Debate of the 62^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, I said the following:

The costs associated with treating the chronic, non-communicable disease epidemic are staggering, and constitute a serious threat to our already-strained health care budgets. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has therefore declared war on chronic, non-communicable diseases, and is in the embryonic stages of developing a comprehensive strategy to elaborate a wellness revolution among and by our citizens. This is part of a well-articulated strategy, regionally, by member-states of CARICOM. To that end, we urge the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation to partner with Caribbean nations in devising effective strategies to combat these debilitating lifestyle diseases.

Today, I am pleased to address a High Level Meeting dedicated specifically to the NCD epidemic. I am grateful to the perseverance of my fellow CARICOM heads of state and government in bringing this matter to the forefront of the international agenda. In September, 2007 we issued a Declaration entitled “Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic NCDs”; which preceded the first-ever Heads of Government Summit devoted solely to NCDs. I also appreciate the solidarity and foresight of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth, who issued an important Statement on Commonwealth Action to Combat Non-Communicable Diseases during our 2009 Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. The Ambassadors of Luxembourg and our sister island of Jamaica are also deserving of our commendation, for the strong work they did in co-facilitating the negotiating process that led to our Political Declaration on NCDs.

The Government and people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also express their deepest thanks to those governments that have assisted us in the formulation and implementation of our own wellness revolution. In particular, we thank the European Union and the governments of Cuba and Taiwan, whose recent successful efforts to participate in the World Health Assembly reflect their deeply held commitment to international health issues.

But this is not a time for congratulatory back-slapping. It is a time for the international community to roll up our collective sleeves to confront an epidemic that is correctable, reversible and treatable. This High Level event is not the culmination of an effort, but merely the beginning of intense, focused and coordinated actions to address the health and developmental impacts of NCDs, particularly in poor and middle-income countries.

Mr. President,

There is a reason that this meeting is being held here in New York in the UN General Assembly and not in the World Health Organisation headquarters in Switzerland. That reason is the fact that the fallout of the NCD epidemic is much wider than the health sector or the health of those individuals tragically afflicted with non-communicable diseases. The developmental aspects of this epidemic must be highlighted and addressed. In particular, we must confront the tremendous strain that NCD treatment places on the healthcare budgets of developing countries. We cannot ignore, too, the disproportionate impact of this epidemic on poor people and developing states; or its obvious negative impact on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Our response to the NCD epidemic must therefore be multifaceted and coordinated.

In that regard, while I am heartened by our international consensus on the Political Declaration emanating from this meeting, it is not enough. Our political consensus today must give impetus to a robust follow-up process and a detailed action plan that will provide assistance to local hospitals and primary care facilities; acknowledge that the flexibilities inherent in the World Trade Organisation’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement can and must be applied to the NCD epidemic; dedicate Development Assistance to strengthening NCD prevention and treatment; and collaborate on education and public awareness efforts in combating these diseases.

We must also consider the role of the State and civil society in promoting healthy lifestyles and protecting local citizens from environmental harm and trade imbalances that make an imported hamburger, French fries and a carbonated beverage cheaper and more readily available than a nutritious, locally produced meal.

Mr. President,

Hippocrates once stated: “A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings.” If we can collectively protect and preserve this blessing, the benefits will go well beyond the longevity and productivity of individual citizens. It will have a knock-on effect on the economies, societies and developmental prospects of countries and regions.

I thank you.

Sept 9^th 2011

THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AGREES WITH PRIME MINISTER RALPH GONSALVES

The Issue

There has been a great deal of discussion in the newspapers and on talk radio, on the state of the Vincentian economy. Several columnists have said that the economy is in crisis and that the ULP administration is responsible for the current situation. In fact the opposition NDP goes further and blames Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, claiming that his so-called extravagance is responsible for the current state of the economy.

In response, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has said that the country is going through special period, what with the current global financial crisis now effecting the economy, coupled with the shocks from Hurricane Tomas and the torrential rain fall in April this year. When you add the demise of the insurance companies, BAICO and CLICO, then the situation becomes even more critical. The NDP has poured scorn on this explanation, demonstrating a lack of understanding for the theories of economics and issues related to social and economic development.

What the IMF says

On August 25^th 2011, the International Monetary Fund issued a release, No.11/315 following the normal annual article IV discussions with the government on economic development and macroeconomic policies. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the Director General of Finance and Planning, Maurice Edwards were involved in these discussions.

The IMF release had this to say:

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been facing a challenging year. In addition to the continued impact of the global slowdown, the country was severely affected by two recent natural disasters: Hurricane Tomas in October 2010, and torrential rains and floods in April 2011. Economic activity contracted by 1.8 percent last year, and is expected to remain subdued this year despite some pickup in reconstruction activity. Growth is expected to recover in 2012 and reach its potential level of 3.5 percent over the medium-term, provided recovery in advanced economies does not stall. High world commodity prices are expected to put temporary pressure on inflation and the balance of payments in 2011, but these will subside over the medium-term”.

Clearly the IMF officials are on the same page as Prime Minister Gonsalves in the assessment of the economy. The Prime Minister has repeated his assessment time and time again, with a degree of constancy that is akin to the Northern Star. Let us see where there is agreement.

• That the country is facing a challenging year. Prime Minister Gonsalves calls this a special period, so as to highlight even further, the challenges facing the nation, and to create a stronger awareness among Vincentians.

• That the natural disasters, Tomas in 2010, and the torrential rainfall in April 2011 have affected the economic development of the country.

• That the continued global economic slowdown has impacted the country.

• That high world commodity prices (oil, wheat) will put temporary pressure on inflation.

• That the country’s economic growth will recover in 2012, to reach a potential level of 3.5 percent in the medium term.

So that when the NDP tries to rubbish the assessments made by the Prime Minister, how do they square this with the assessment of the IMF, an institution that Arnhim Eustace himself is in love with, given his often school boy references to that international body.

The evidence is clear for all to see. When Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves delivered his 10^th budget address on January 24^th 2011, he provided an overview of the status of the country’s economy. Let us look quickly at some of what he had to say:

“Over the past two years in the Caribbean, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the evidence of the economic dislocation has been before us: declining growth rates; a rise in unemployment; a fall in government revenues; an increase in Debt-to-GDP ratios; a down-turn in investment, including foreign direct investment; a reduction in remittances from abroad; a drop in banana earnings; a decrease in tourism receipts and exports in goods and services; externally-sourced attacks on the international financial services sector; the daily strain on the cash-flow position of regional governments; the unravelling of certain regional insurance companies; and the capital and liquidity challenges of indigenous commercial banks in the region. In 2011, other potential dangers loom over our economy. They relate to rising oil prices internationally and the increase in prices for a number of basic commodities, including wheat, and the on-going Operation Recovery and Re-construction after Hurricane Tomas”

It is good that we have kept records of statements made by the Prime Minister, so that we can show that he is not a political cobbler, whistling in the dark, and not sure what he is about. Readers will no doubt compare both statements, one made in January 2011, and the other by the IMF in August 2011, and see the similarities in terms of the economic assessment.

Is the IMF wrong to agree with the assessment of Dr. Gonsalves, or was there a way, in form or fashion, that Dr. Gonsalves managed to hoodwink the IMF? That is a question for Arnhim Eustace and the NDP to answer. But you will never get any honest answers from that political party.

There are other aspects of the IMF release that supports the economic development assessment of the ULP government. These point to the fact that the ULP government recognises the need to ensure medium term fiscal and debt sustainability, and that there will be strategies to improve access to credit, enhanced labour skills and reform the customs administration.

The problem with the NDP and Arnhim Eustace is that they only look at the fiscal situation. Government is not only about that. There must be a balancing of the fiscal with issues related to financial stability, growth and social development, because we are dealing with real flesh and blood people.

It is no wonder therefore, that the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines rejected the Opposition NDP at the polls, and returned the ULP for a third successive term in office.

Sept 1^st, 2011

EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS: A PRIORITY

THE ISSUE

The ULP government has had as a central policy focus over the past eleven years or so the practical implementation of an unprecedented Education Revolution. This Revolution has produced uplifting results in every area of education: Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, Post-Secondary, Tertiary, Technical, Nursing, Teacher, Special, and Adult. Huge sums of money have been expended on Education amounting to in excess of 20 percent of government’s recurrent and capital expenditure. Still, challenges remain and much work is yet to be done. These challenges touch and concern matters including: teaching; parenting; student application especially in Maths, English, the Sciences, and History; the need for enhanced Critical Thinking; financing education; and administration.

Despite the economic counteraction that has attended the global, regional and national economies since September 2008, the ULP government has not cut back its expenditure, effort and focus on Education. Indeed, it has broken new and further ground in several areas especially in Information Technology and the implementation of the “One Laptop Per Student” Policy.

Over the last three or four weeks, as the opening of the new school year beckons, Education has witnessed a hub of activity and expenditure, remarkable in our challenging economic circumstances occasioned by the global meltdown and natural disasters locally. Let us provide a summary checklist.

RECENT EDUCATIONAL CHECKLIST

1. The release of approximately $5 million to the contractor-builder of the recently-completed West St. George Secondary School. This School is the largest and best equipped of all the secondary schools built by the ULP government. Its cost exceeds $20 million and was financed through a soft-loan from the World Bank and a contribution from our government. This school will be opened in the new academic term.

2. The placement of $3.5 million in the account of the State-owned National Student Loan Company at the Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for on-lending to Economically-Disadvantaged Students who are pursuing university education. The sum of $2.0 million has been applied to continuing university students and $1.5 million for the new university students.

3. The payment to the University of the West Indies of over $3 million to finance in part, the “economic cost” for the up-coming academic year of $6.5 million, for our students at UWI. The Government pays roughly $20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand dollars) for each student at UWI as “economic cost”. This payment is made whether or not the student receives a scholarship, bursary, grant or loan through or from the government.

4. The grant of 20 Science Bursaries valued at $20,000.00 each for our students at UWI.

5. The grant of 56 Tuition Bursaries for our students at UWI.

6. The expenditure of nearly $3 million for our national scholars, national exhibition winners, and holders of national bursaries (separate from the bursaries above).

7. The spending of $1 million for the Book Loan Scheme for Primary and Secondary Students.

8. The expenditure of $1 million by the Central Government on the Improvement of Education through Information Communication Technology (ICT) Programme. This is additional to the nearly $2 million paid to LIME by the State-owned National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) for internet wireless connection for 116 educational institutions (primary and secondary schools and Learning Resource Centres). This NTRC-financed venture which is financed through the Universal Service Fund, dovetails with the expansion of computer labs in educational institutions and the “one laptop per student” policy.

9. The arrival of a further 5,000 laptops from Venezuela.

10. The expenditure of $1 million on the “Expansion of Secondary School” Programme.

11. The spending of $425,000 for the “Upgrade of School Premises” Programme.

12. The approval by the Minister of Finance earlier this week of $250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars) to purchase equipment for the School Feeding Programme, and the Home Economics Programme in Secondary Schools.

All of these monies spent and initiatives taken are in addition to the huge sums being spent to assist economically-disadvantaged students at primary and secondary schools for school uniforms and accessories. They are additional, too, to the arrangements being made for subsidies for school transportation and new school buses. Meanwhile, all other on-going educational expenditure continues.

ROAD WORK FOR PARENTS

Recently, too, the government embarked on a $2 million “Road Cleaning and Repair” Programme, in part to enable parents, including single mothers, to earn an extra dollar to assist them with their children’s Back-to-School Expenses. A further $2 million “Road Repair” Programme is in the works for immediate implementation thereafter. As always, the ULP government keeps its focus on Education and Poverty Reduction.

ANOTHER MEDICAL SCHOOL

As the students move out from the old West St. George Secondary School into the brand new one, the owners/promoters of All Saints Medical School are renovating and preparing the older school to receive 200 overseas medical students who will be attending “All Saints”. In January 2012, American University Medical School will start up at Harmony Hall in East St. George. These are additional to the growing, and excellent, Trinity University School of Medicine which brings another batch of students from the new term, thus reaching an enrolment in excess of 150 students. These Medical Schools are economically beneficial to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

FINAL COMMENT

The USA and Britain have cutback on spending in education but the ULP government has not done so. We cannot afford to do so. Despite the challenges we keep our focus; we are firm on our strategy to continue to deepen and broaden our Education Revolution. Let the naysayers talk; we act positively in the people’s interest!

August 26^th 2011

THE TALE OF TWO AIRPORTS

The Issue

Daily, on talk show radio and in the newspapers, the opposition New Democratic Party and the spokespersons who trumpet their views have shown open and naked opposition to the International Airport Project at Argyle. There is no doubt in the minds of Vincentians that the NDP wants to stop the project. The evidence is clear, from the statement made by Arnhim Eustace “find it where” to Sir James Mitchell’s claim, that the NDP cannot win another election in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, if it allows “Ralph” to complete the international airport.

Now the NDP has embarked on its own plan to build their own airport, at Argyle of all places, thus giving recognition to a site that they originally opposed. So in their haste to rescue their party, they have changed two opposition fundamental positions on the airport. They now recognize that the country needs this facility for future development, and they now accept the Argyle site. Now they have gone further and it seems as though the NDP has unveiled a plan for the development of their own airport, a worthless plan!

The NDP airport plan

Somewhere out there in the world or in cyberspace, is a company that is ready to build the international airport, but only if the NDP is in power. The NDP says that it will assess the work already carried out, to correct the so-called mistakes made by the ULP. Then they will complete the airport, presumably having secured the funds from some source that is nameless! The NDP goes further, claiming that they will finish the international airport without wrecking the economy. What a display of confidence! What a pity that such confidence was not displayed with the Ottley Hall Project, the Union Island Marina, the former National Commercial Bank and the Colonial Homes project.

So clearly, the NDP made a 180 degree turnaround, and they now support, tongue in cheek, the building of an international airport at Argyle. This is amazing, but it’s nothing new from the NDP and their flip flop strategies. First Arnhim Eustace told Jerry George “Find it where” when asked if he could secure funds to complete the airport. Then just days before the 2010 general elections, he called a media conference to announce that his party is ready to build the airport. The voters clearly did not believe him, since they returned Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP for a third successive term. Eustace’s opportunism was rejected!

The NDP now says that the airport that they will build, will cost one billion EC dollars. That is the assessment of their independent contractor. So here is the question for Eustace and his bunch. Where will you get the one billion EC dollars to build your airport? Which lending institution will provide the funds? What are the terms and conditions of the loan? How will the state finance this loan of one billion EC dollars? We don’t expect to get any answers to these questions. They relate to an imaginary project that exists only in the minds of the NDP.

Why wait for the NDP

It is clear that if the country followed the dictates of the NDP, that no international airport will ever be constructed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If you follow the arguments of the Opposition, not one blade of grass at Argyle, will be dislodged, to build the international airport. The NDP is a party with no philosophy, no vision, no leadership skills and no strategy to move this country forward.

The NDP does not understand the strategy used by the ULP government to finance the project at Argyle. Their leadership cannot come to grips with the concept of “The Coalition of the Willing”. So they want to see all kinds of agreements, all sorts of memoranda of understanding, all sorts of paper work, and so on. But there are creative ways to find the finance for this project, particularly in light of the current global economic crisis, and that is what the ULP government has demonstrated.

One thing is clear. No amount of explanations from the ULP government, and by Comrade Ralph, will satisfy the NDP. The NDP is not interested in building any international airport. Let us not forget the words of the founding father of the NDP, Sir James Mitchell, a few years ago, that if “Ralph is allowed to build the airport, then crapaud smoke your pipe”. What Sir James meant was that the NDP would have a difficult time winning future elections, if the ULP is allowed to complete the airport.

As said before, the ULP has a plan for the construction of the international airport project. That plan has been outlined in great detail twice, at the launch of the project in August 2005, and at the ground breaking ceremony for the terminal building on August 7^th 2011. There have been questions posed by the Opposition NDP in Parliament, and these have been answered in a fulsome way by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. In other words, there has been a provision of substantial information on the project, but clearly, this will never satisfy the NDP, because it will not stop the airport.

The ungrateful NDP

Finally we must address the issue of the fuss being made by the NDP about monies owed by the Government of Venezuela, in respect of the Cuban workers at the Argyle project. How could the NDP be so unpatriotic, so ungrateful? Venezuela has provided financial assistance to this country in soft loans and grants, far in excess of the eight million EC dollars in question. At the last count, the Government of Venezuela has provided loans and grants for the Tomas relief effort, the equipment for the earthworks at Argyle, university scholarships, over 17,000 notebooks for our students, the “Labour Gas”, and the list goes on.

Our traditional allies have not been so generous, and as Vincentians we must be grateful for the tremendous assistance provided by the Caracas administration. It is time that the opposition NDP and their spokespersons, cease from their “Nasty Dirty Practices” and embrace the only real airport project, the only that is currently under construction at Argyle, built through the innovation, foresight, vision and leadership of the ULP government.

Aug 19^th 2011

ULP HOLDING THE FORT QUITE WELL

PROGRESS IN DIFFICULT PERIOD

Since September 2009, the economy of SVG, the Caribbean and most of the world including the USA, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Italy, has been battered by the financial meltdown which has metamorphosed into the worst economic depression for eighty years. The harsh consequences are still being felt. Regionally, the collapse of the financial giant, CL Financial Company in early 2009 paved the way for the demise of its subsidiaries or affiliates, British American Insurance Company (BAICO), CLICO (Trinidad), and CLICO International (Barbados). Further, in Antigua and Barbuda, the largest economy in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), that accounts for 25 percent of the ECCU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), witnessed the collapse of the Standford Financial Empire which immediately caused the unraveling of that country’s economy.

The debacle in BAICO and the two CLICO insurance companies racked up liabilities in the ECCU member-countries of almost EC$2 billion. In SVG, BAICO alone has liabilities of close to EC$200 million. Thousands of Vincentians, Credit Unions, and the former National Commercial Bank, were badly affected as a consequence.

Additionally, further misfortune struck SVG in October 2010, when Hurricane Tomas devastated us, and in April 2011, when a flash flood of epic proportions destroyed chunks of the north east of St.Vincent. Together these two natural disasters punched a massive hole in our infrastructure and social economy amounting to an estimated EC$250 million dollars. The loss occasioned by BAICO and the two disasters amount to EC$440 million, or 23 percent of SVG’s total GDP of EC$1.9 billion dollars. And we have not yet put the CLICO fall-out into the equation.

Despite all this, the ULP government has kept things together and has made progress on several fronts. The people recognize this. In the December 2010 general elections the ULP was returned to office for a third successive term, albeit with a reduced majority. And in August 2011 news came from an independent study by the University of the West Indies (Management Studies Department, Cave Hill) that 67.9 percent of Vincentians approve/support the public policies of the ULP administration. It was the highest mark given to any government in the region. Governments in countries such as Trinidad, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, St.Kitts-Nevis, and St.Lucia recorded positive scores of below 50 percent.

PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES FOR LATE 2011 AND 2012

In addition to the current bundle of existing on-going projects and initiatives of the ULP government, there is a raft of others unfolding in late 2011 and in 2012, and beyond. Let us list some of the main ones.

1. Projects amounting to EC$150 million to be implemented over the next three to four years are:

(i) The Emergency Recovery Loan Project of the World Bank to effect post Tomas physical infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings etc.) reconstruction amounting to US$5 million or EC$13.5 million. This is a soft loan. Actual work is expected to begin in January-February 2012.

(ii) The US$12 million or EC$32.4 million soft loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for physical infrastructure reconstruction arising from the disasters of Tomas and the April flash floods. Actual work is expected to begin in January-February 2012.

(iii) The European Union 10^th EDF grant of some EC$40 million for the improvement in the health sector (including renovations at the main hospital and the mental hospital, construction of two more polyclinics, and the building of other health and health-supporting facilities). Some work on this project will start late in 2011 but the full flowering will be in early next year.

(iv) A World Bank US$20.9 million or EC$56.3 million soft loan and grant (US$7 million in grant) to finance a Pilot Project on Climate Change and a Disaster Vulnerability Risk Reduction Project. It includes loads of physical infrastructure and capacity building activities. These projects will start close to mid-year 2012 and will go beyond three to four years.

2. Work on the Terminal Building at the Argyle International Airport has started and will be completed in twenty-eight months. This project is costing EC$71 million. Meanwhile other construction work on the airport continues.

3. In September 2011, it is expected that two more medical schools will become operational in SVG, namely the All Saints Medical School which is re-locating from Dominica, with an initial intake of about 200 overseas students, and the American University, which has a branch in St.Lucia; is expected to have an intake of 100 overseas students. “All Saints” has already received its charter and will be based in West St.George. “American” is to receive its charter in a few days and will be based in East St. George. The third medical school, Trinity School of Medicine, is currently operational in East St.George. It has acquired a sound academic reputation in a short period of time. It already has an enrollment of over 100 overseas students, and is expected to enroll a further 80 students in September this year. If all goes according to plan, some 500 medical students in the aggregate, will attend three schools, the most overseas medical students, by far, ever in SVG. This will be a major shot in the arm for our economy. Do the people remember the NDP’s foolishness when the Kingstown Medical College and the ULP government could not agree on terms for extension three or flours years ago? The NDP said then that the ULP’s “communism and closeness to Chavez” caused the medical school to go. How is it that three medical schools originating out of North America are now in SVG?

4. On Friday August 12^th 2011, the government and Armajaro Trading of the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the re-introduction of cocoa production in SVG. The growing of cocoa will begin in earnest by the rainy season next year. The target acreage is between five thousand to seven thousand acres for “high quality” cocoa.

5. Two proposals for chicken production are currently before the government. One (very ambitious) from an American group of investors; and the other from ECGC, substantial but less ambitious than the Americans’ proposal. The government is working through all the relevant issues. Chicken is one of the major food imports, running into several million dollars

6. Huge private sector tourism investments are currently underway or about to be ramped up fully in PSV, Canouan, Mayreau and Bequia. Serious investors are interested in Chatham Bay in Union Island for a tourism investment. Meanwhile Buccama Resorts is being built out.

7. A EC$40 million European Union grant in the area of information technology which is on-going.

FISCAL HOUSE

In the meantime, we are working prudently and enterprisingly to keep our fiscal house in order. This year 2011, we had deliberately budgeted for a deficit on the current account. We did so last year, too, but ended up with a surplus. A current account deficit for two or three years, especially in a global crisis, is no big problem, so long as we have the elements in place to be on a sustainable debt path, and a consolidating fiscal position. And we are there! Still, a revenue agency such as Customs must do better. Things are clearly not all right there. There must be some reform and a shake-up, if the situation does not change swiftly for the better.

August 12^th 2011

SOME REFELCTIONS ON THE GROUND BREAKING EVENT FOR THE TERMINAL BUILDING OF THE ARGYLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The Issue

On Sunday August 7^th 2011, just about eight thousand Vincentians journey to the site of the Argyle International Airport project, for the ground breaking ceremony of the terminal building. It was a historic moment in the history of our country, and many persons did not want to miss it, despite the threat of rain. Equally important, thousands of Vincentians followed the event on radio, and perhaps an equally number in the Diaspora, followed the event through the World Wide Web.

The centre of interest was the address delivered by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. In a masterpiece, spanning one hour and forty-five minutes, Prime Minister Gonsalves outlined the history of the airport project, from conception to the current stage. He provided chapter and verse about the financing of the project, the negotiations, the studies, the journey to the actual construction and the construction itself.

No one can now say that they don’t know anything about the airport project. The information has always been there, but persons of an adverse political persuasion have always commented that the project is a secret, and that they have questions that have not been answered. Well that is no more. The entire speech is printed in the Searchlight newspaper for all and sundry to read, and to store for future reference, and the event will be discussed on radio over the next ten days or so.

The Office of the Prime Minister will make a number of hard copies available early next week, for those persons who are interested in a personal copy.

Apart from the brilliance of the address, we need perhaps to reflect on at least four aspects that stand out, and which should be brought to the notice of the nation.

Leadership

The address highlights what separates Dr. Gonsalves from the past leaders of our country, and that is leadership. The talk about building an international airport for our nation, has been on the lips of many a citizen, political party, interest groups and national leaders, over the last fifty years. Yet no one found the courage, the foresight, the vision and creativity to design a plan for the construction of an international airport. Prime Minister Gonsalves launched the project on August 5^th 2005 with a speech at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown. Since then he has spearheaded the process aimed at the realization of this dream, and in the process has exhibited a level of leadership not seen in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, and indeed in Caricom.

No one has faulted the level of planning, and the sound grasp of the issues to be considered, as outlined by Comrade Ralph. Indeed it took the Opposition leader, Arnhim Eustace, more than four years to fashion some flimsy response to this project, and this was rejected completely by Vincentians

It took patience and resolve in the consultation with the home owners. It took maturity, good sense and skill to move the homeowners to other sites in the country. All these are characteristics of a good leader, and Prime Minister Gonsalves has demonstrated these.

August 5^th 2011

ULP ADMINISTRATION GETS GOOD MARKS FROM VINCENTIANS

The Issue

It must have come as a shock to the Opposition New Democratic Party and their foul mouthed spokespersons. When the midweek issue of the Searchlight newspaper hit the street last Tuesday July 26^th 2011, its headline on page three told the story. “UWI study: 67.9% of Vincentians say government doing a good job”.

This is not some ULP propaganda put out by the General Secretary Julian Francis. This is not some strategy by the Party Leader Comrade Ralph. This is a survey done by a reputable institution, the University of the West Indies, an institution that is respected by all and sundry, and is the alma mater of a number of Vincentians, including those in the NDP. It is no wonder therefore that the NDP and their mouthpieces remained silent about the survey. Not even their discredited mouth champ, Elwardo Lynch, could discuss it in any form or fashion.

The Survey

The survey was conducted by the Department of Management Studies at the UWI Cave Hill Campus, and is aimed at measuring the sentiment of consumers across the Caricom region. The measurement indices used in the survey were calculated through the widely reported University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index in the United States. This means that the indices are comparable to those used in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

When it came to the part of the survey which dealt with the government’s economic policy, Vincentians gave the ULP administration a rating of 67.9%. This means that to them, the government is doing a good job, in terms of its policies and programmes. Other aspects of the survey also painted the government in a good light.

This information confounds the current strategy by the opposition New Democratic Party, to criticize the work of the ULP administration and to blame Ralph for every problem created by the current global financial situation. Several important points arise from the outcome of this survey:

1. There is a general understanding and awareness among Vincentians, of the current global economic situation.

2. The government’s policies and programmes are on the right track.

3. The current propaganda being spread by the NDP, that things are so bad in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, is not working

4. By and large Vincentians understand the quality leadership that is being provided by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, at this period in the history of the country.

5. Clearly the Education Revolution is bearing more fruit, since Vincentians are becoming more intelligent, and can relate what happens on their television screens, to the local situation.

The survey results come as no surprise to the ULP administration. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has exercised good leadership and judgement, keeping a close look at the current economic situation, and adopting strategies to cushion the country from any negative effects. The 2011 budget speaks to this.

The Budget

It is no secret that the government is running a deficit budget this year. This seems to be a mystery to the NDP. In the 2010 budget, the government announced that there will be a deficit of 20.5 million EC dollars. It turned out that there was in fact a surplus that year of 1.3 million EC dollars. This was not an accident, but a result of the careful management of budgetary resources, where the government was at once prudent and enterprising.

This year the government has budgeted for a deficit of 27 million EC dollars. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has already indicated that there will be savings. The deficit is a result of the increase in some areas of expenditure for specific areas, including the provision of a social safety net for disadvantage Vincentians, and the funding for Operation Recovery and Reconstruction.

Deficit budgets can be funded through the provision of budgetary support, the raising of taxes, or the reduction of government expenditure by freezing jobs and salaries, or by laying off public servants. The government has chosen the option of seeking budgetary support and to a certain extent has been successful in this regard. It has also targeted the expenditure to ensure more efficiency and effectiveness within an overall strategic framework of development. We are prudent and enterprising with spending.

So there is nothing wrong with a budgetary deficit, there is no rocket science here. A small manageable current account deficit for a short period, maybe two or three years, is certainly in order, particularly in light of any adverse external financial and economic issues. The important factor is for the government to ensure that it’s financial, fiscal and debt condition is on a sustainable path over the medium term. The ULP administration is committed to this.

The International Airport Project

Meanwhile this week end, there will be a significant development at the site of the international airport project at Argyle. It’s the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the terminal building for the project. A number of addresses will be delivered, including a feature address from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

The construction of the terminal building was on the cards for some time, and there were some robust negotiations between the IADC, and OECC, the Taiwanese company that won the bid for the construction of the building.

The terminal building will cost some 26 million US dollars, and is being funded through a loan and a grant from the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan. It will be constructed over a period of 28 months. Many Vincentian artisans will get jobs at the terminal building, in fact this activity is expected to further boost the all important construction sector.

More jobs will become available when the IADC invites tenders for the construction of the control tower, the cargo building and the fire and rescue facilities. Several of our small contractors will get an opportunity to bid for these projects.

The event on Sunday will be a historic one, and invitations are being extended to all Vincentians to attend at 4pm, to witness this event. Naturally the NDP will dream up all sorts of shenanigans to be critical of the event, but its significance will not go away, and history will remember them for their position against the international airport.

Long live the Coalition of the Willing! Long live the international airport project at Argyle.

July 29^th 2011

ENHANCE THE HEALTH SECTOR

The Issue

It is widely acknowledged that the health of a nation is the wealth of that nation. In fact that is the mantra of the Nassau Declaration of 2001 which recognizes the critical role of health in the economic and social development of the people of the Caricom region.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has made tremendous strides in the health sector, under the ULP administration. The delivery of quality health care to the citizens of this country, has been at the forefront of the professionals in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance. The nation has seen a number of gains in terms of the availability and accessibility to health related services. For instance the government has been innovative in setting up the Neo Natal intensive Care Unit at the Milton Cato General Hospital. That unit is responsible for reducing the level of infections to which premature babies are susceptible.

Yet the opposition NDP and their anti-progressive spokespersons keep harping about the state of the health services in the country. It is clear to many people that the NDP and their mouth pieces live on Mars, and are out of touch with reality. They forget the problems they left for the ULP administration in March 2001; the shortages of nurses, the state of the clinics, the absence of a comprehensive health plan to tackle HIV/Aids, and no health information system to track the treatment of patients and to monitor their prescriptions.

EDF 10

On July 14^th 2011, the Minister responsible for Health, Cecil Mc Kie, signed the financing agreement in respect of the European Development Fund programme, called EDF 10. Under this agreement the European Union will provide 13.3 million Euros, about 38 million EC Dollars for the modernization of the Health Sector in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

This modernization process will have three main activities. The first is the development of a wellness policy aimed at changing the behavioural lifestyles of Vincentians. This is based on a recent nutrition survey which showed that our citizens need to pay more attention to what they consume, to fight diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. There will be a focus on public awareness to get the messages across.

In the second activity, focus will be on the delivery of health care services. To this end there will be the construction of two polyclinics, one in Mesopotamia and the other in Buccament. The polyclinic in Buccament will be significant for the provision of health care for the residents in the area, and visitors who use the five star Buccama Resort. The operators of this resort will use this as a marketing tool to attract more clients to their business. The polyclinic in Mesopotamia will serve the residents in the constituencies of Marriaqua and South Central Windward in particular.

The second activity will also see the purchasing of two ambulances, the rehabilitation of the mental health clinic at Calliaqua, the renovations at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to replace the roof at the surgical ward and the operation theatre, refits to the kitchen and laundry, and the enhancement of the security at the hospital. Some attention will be paid to the further development of the health information system as well as the construction of doctors’ quarters on Union Island.

Under the third activity there will be the enhancing of some aspects of the human resource requirement for the health sector, and the provision of technical assistance to ensure that the project will be implemented in a timely manner, and that there are no undue delays.

Other Development

It is no secret to many Vincentians that the ULP administration had to build, repair and renovate a total of 25 clinics in the country, since 2001. Such was the state of the health sector that the NDP left behind after 17 years in office. Since then the progress of development has been rapid and focused. There is a polyclinic at Stubbs and a new health clinic at Evesham.

The health information system has been a revelation. Now health professionals can make their decisions based on hard evidence provided by the HIS. There is more accountability, wastage is reduced thus creating savings, and there is a strong monitoring of the major activities in the health sector.

Soon to come on stream is the Modern Medical Diagnostic Centre in Georgetown, a facility that will revolutionise health care in this country. Once completed, this facility will offer Vincentians a wide range of services including kidney dialysis, ultrasound, electrocardiogram and clinical ophthalmology. We have to thank the Cuban government and their citizens for the contribution made towards the realization of this facility.

The Future

Despite the current global economic challenges, the government is still committed to providing top quality health care for Vincentians. The Ministry of Health is in the final stages of the installation of the CT scan equipment at the MCMH, a facility that many patients will welcome. In fact the engineers who are responsible for the installation will be here on August 8^th 2011, to complete the process. This will be followed by a period of testing and training, before the machine is ready for business early in September 2011.

And there is more. Over the next four years the ULP administration will be involved in a series of activities to re-locate the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to a new site, possibly somewhere in the Arnos Vale area, once the International Airport at Argyle is completed. The government will work closer with the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Services to further improve the delivery of pharmaceutical services to our people.

The issue of HIV/Aids will get renewed focus and the government will wage an aggressive war against this scourge, through a well staffed and managed HIV/Aids unit, with adequate resources.

What the un-patriotic leaders of the opposition NDP, cannot comprehend, is that one cannot put a value on the delivery of health care, in terms of a profit and loss scenario, as if one were to operate a business. Our work force, our students, the elderly in the society and the new born, require quality health care if our society is to function properly.

The ULP administration is committed to pursuing all strategies to enhance the delivery of health care to our people. Most important, the ULP administration will provide the leadership, the strategic planning and management, and will embark on resource identification and mobilisation to meet this goal.

July 22nd 2011

ECONOMICS 101: LESSONS FOR ARNHIM EUSTACE

The Issue

Over the last three months, the opposition New democratic Party has embarked on an ill advised campaign to frighten Vincentians as to the state of the economy, and who is to be blamed for its current situation. Their attacks have increased to the extent that they have failed to appreciate the current world economic crisis, and in the process, they appear silly, doltish and un-informed. Their attempt to blame “Comrade Ralph” and the ULP administration for everything under the sun, is so shameless, that many of their supporters who are informed, and who understand the global economic crisis, are holding their heads in shame.

The International Economic Scenario

For the benefit of Arnhim Eustace and his cronies, who clearly do not understand economics, let us sketch out the current economic situation.

1. Having recorded no growth in 2008, the US economy contracted by 2.6

per cent in 2009. Despite some recovery in 2010, unemployment

remained at a high level with 8.4 million jobs being lost during the

recession. This will of course impact the economies of the countries of the OECS, particularly in terms of remittances.

2. The current nature of the international financial recession has resulted in a loss of more than 30 trillion US dollars on the world stock markets. This is money that is not available for investments, lending and otherwise purchasing of goods and services.

3. Europe is desperately trying to save the Euro, in the face of financial difficulties facing countries like Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and Spain, with more to follow. Mr. Eustace should know that the Euro is the second most important international currency.

4. In the region several of the MDC’s are in trouble. Even without reference to Jamaica, Barbados is having difficulty meeting its fiscal targets, and public servants in Trinidad may not get their salary increases. Barbados finance officials have warned their citizens that they are living above their means.

5. In the OECS only St.Lucia and St.Vincent and the Grenadines have not yet gone the way of the IMF.

6. The OECS countries are showing an increased in the debt to GDP ratio, 102.8 percent in 2010, as compared to 98.2 percent in 2009.

7. The economies of the OECS declined by 3.2 percent last year, and this has affected growth sectors like tourism and construction.

8. The economies of the OECS countries are open to external shocks and so the effects of the global crisis are being acutely felt, after a lag period in 2009.

9. There still exists the threat of hurricanes and other natural disasters, such as Hurricane Tomas which affected St.Vincent and the Grenadines and St.Lucia in 2010.

These facts are all known to the Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace and his spokespersons on radio, yet they persist with their litany of lies and half-truths aimed at laying the blame for the current international economic and financial malaise, at the feet of the ULP administration and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. We are yet to hear from the NDP what they would do to address the current situation. We are yet to hear them engage in dialogue and debate with their constituents about the economy, the issues affecting the economy and what the suggested approach should be.

Instead, apparently on the advice of their spin doctors and mind binders, Strategic Communications Laboratory, they cause to be printed in their column, in the News newspaper and the Vincentian, a re-make of the investment opportunities from their 2010 election campaign.

They present what must obviously be a fiction, a catalogue of investment opportunities, by unknown companies, from unknown locations, who are willing to invest in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, but under an NDP administration. Let us examine the list. They include two global players, a major international development group, an important international banking group, two major international construction groups, and several major technology companies from the USA.

Vincentians will thrash this offering by the NDP similarly to how it was received during the election campaign in 2010. There must be something better that Arnhim Eustace and his bunch could offer to their supporters. This bunch must know that while they try to frighten Vincentians about the state of the economy, and who is responsible, their big business friends are raking huge profits on a regular business.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has said that this is a special period in the economic history of the country. The impact of the international financial crisis is continuing to affect the country, and already the government has experienced a slight drop in revenue. Prime Minister Gonsalves has already said that his administration will make up this deficit at the end of this budget year. A similar situation occurred last year and the shortfall was addressed by the end of 2010.

Meanwhile as Vincentians we have to continue to focus our attention on the goals set by the ULP administration during this special period. There is some good news on the horizon. Our stay over visitors by air category has increased by 3.7 percent, and visitors by yachts moved by 7.4 percent.

The Ministry of Health has completed the signing ceremony for the 10^th EDF programme where over 30 million EC Dollars will be spent on the health sector, including the construction of polyclinics at Mesopotamia and Buccament. Work on the terminal building of the International Airport at Argyle is set to begin next month, offering employment to many artisans in the state. And Comrade Ralph has taken a much needed rest, knowing that his government is in good hands!

It is for all these reasons that the NDP is concerned about. Despite all the huff and puff about doom and gloom in the country, things are progressing well, and Vincentians are not paying attention to the vile propaganda being spread by Arnhim Eustace. They are losing the propaganda war, and this makes them scared, reckless and dangerous. Expect more dirt from the NDP, as the ULP continues to go about the business of administering the country.

July 15^th 2011

IADC SIGNS CONTRACT FOR TERMINAL BUILDING

The Issue

For some time now the International Airport Development Company was involved in discussions with the Overseas Engineering Construction Company, a Taiwanese company, in relation to the contract for the construction of the terminal building for the Argyle Airport. It was a long process, with some hard bargaining that required serious negotiating skills on both sides, and we have to thank Dr. Rudi Mathias and the members of the Board of Directors of the IADC, for a job well done. While this process was being conducted, the “nay sayers” from the New Democratic Party were at their worse, spreading lies and half truths on the airport, claiming that the project was a white elephant, and that the government had run out of money.

So that when the IADC announced that it was going to sign the contract for the construction of the Terminal Building, there was silence coming from the ranks of the opposition. By comparison many Vincentians, particularly those who are in the state from the Diaspora, were elated.

The Ceremony

The ceremony at the Cabinet Room on July 12^th 2011, was an impressive one, with live coverage on four radio stations, and thousands following by way of the internet. Dr. Rudi Mathias of the IADC and Mr. Jan Chung-Zen of the OECC signed the contract for 26.5 million US Dollars. The construction period is 28 months but the OECC is known for its construction speed, and there is every reason to believe that they can deliver early. However we must be realistic since projects of this magnitude can be subjected to delays of one kind or the other.

Speakers at the ceremony extolled the importance of the International Airport Project, from the acting Prime Minister Girlyn Miguel, to the Foreign Minister Douglas Slater, and the Ambassador from the Republic of China on Taiwan, Weber Shih. Rudi Mathias told the media that the earthworks process was on target, that plans for the paving of the runway were in place, and that the IADC will soon begin preparations for the signing of contracts for the construction of the cargo terminal, control tower and fire and rescue station.

The state of the art terminal building will have three floors totaling 12,062 square metres and will be three times the size of the E.T Joshua terminal. It was designed by CECI Engineering Consultants of Taiwan, at a cost of 3.3 million US dollars. The terminal building will accommodate the expected expansion of air traffic in the state. Once completed, it is expected than some 1.4 million passengers will pass through the building annually, and this is four times the traffic at ET Joshua.

The Economic Activity

As the acting Prime Minister Girlyn Miguel pointed out, there will be a hive of economic activity once the actual work begins sometime in the month of August. Many of the countries artisans, including masons, carpenters, electricians and plumbers, will find work at the project. For some time now Vincentians have been asking when will they find work at the project. Well the time is now, and soon OECC will begin recruiting workers, as they mobilize for the start of construction.

Further work will come when the contracts for the construction of the tower, cargo and fire facilities, have been awarded. It is expected that local companies will be competing these contracts, since they will be smaller than the terminal building.

The Coalition of the Willing

The construction of the international airport project at Argyle is a manifestation of the forward thinking foreign policy of the ULP administration. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves coined it “the coalition of the willing” a concept that brought together countries who are willing to come to the assistance of a poor development country, but a country that is willing to work hard to better the circumstances of its citizens.

Leading “the coalition of the willing” is the government of Cuba, which has contributed immensely to the earthworks at the project. The government of Venezuela contributed equipment, and assistance came from Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico and some other international countries.

But the signing ceremony this week is a testament to the relationship that exists between St.Vincent and the Grenadines, and the government and people of the Republic of China on Taiwan.

For the terminal building, Taiwan has pledged some 30 million US dollars in grant and loan funds, and some 5.8 million US dollars have already been drawn down. As a country we must be grateful to Taiwan for this assistance, even as we remember other benefits, including scholarships, and the Bridge over the Rabacca River.

The Nay Sayers

On August 8^th 2011, the IADC will host a ground breaking ceremony at Argyle, to signal the start of the construction work on the terminal building. This will come as welcome news to those persons, who had lost faith in the project, or in the ability of the ULP administration to complete the international airport.

Over the last two years, the IADC has embarked on a process of public education, to sensitize Vincentians about the project. Jennifer Gaynes-Herbert and her staff did a tremendous job, particularly among young Vincentians, and she must be commended for it.

But the nay sayers among the opposition NDP will still bad mouth the project. Once the terminal building begins, don’t expect to hear much from Arnhim Eustace, Edwardo Lynch and Linton Lewis and company. They, of course, recognize that the party that constructs the airport will have a decided advantage going unto the next general election in 2015. That is why just days before the 2010 election, Eustace and SCL came out with a statement supporting the airport, claiming that there was a construction company waiting to finish the project. This was all propaganda. After their defeat at the polls, they continued to bad mouth the same project, claiming that it would not be completed, and that the ULP had run out of money. All lies and propaganda!

Meanwhile the country will continue to praise the ULP administration, and Comrade Ralph, for the bravery shown in attempting to construct the largest project in the history of St.Vincent and the Grenadines, in the face of a challenging international financial climate. This takes leadership of a kind that does not exist within the rank and file of the NDP. Long live the Coalition of the Willing, Long live the ULP administration and Comrade Ralph, and long live the International Airport project at Argyle.

July 8^th 2011

TO THE DIASPORA AT CARNIVAL TIME

Vincy Carnival 2011

The ULP administration extends a hand of friendship and solidarity to those persons from the Diaspora who made it home for Vincy Carnival 2011. Without a doubt the carnival has been successful, again, thanks to the hard working members of the Carnival Development Committee, and the extraordinary talent of our mas men, calypsonians, soca artistes, the ever growing pan movement, the Police and the workers at the Public Health Department. We know that it took tremendous sacrifice for you to make the trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines this year, given the turbulent nature of the international financial sector. It is for this reason and more that Vincentians at home appreciate your presence, and urge that you come again soon.

Unprecedented Progress

Now that you have enjoyed the best Vincy culture, we ask that you take the few days left from your holidays, to examine the unprecedented progress of the country, over the last ten years. We know that you have been bombarded by a diminishing dose of vitriolic unpatriotic propaganda by the opposition NDP, full of lies and half truths. Some of you have already come to the conclusion that the NDP propaganda is what it is; a poor attempt to defame our country, and to make Vincentians feel that Hairouna is not a blessed place.

But take some time to visit many of our projects, a sign of our development under the ULP administration. You will notice that much of or infrastructure has improved. There are new and improved schools, police stations and health facilities on the mainland and in the Grenadines. Our vehicle population has grown by a figure of 22,000 from 5000 in 2001; poverty, particularly dirt poor poverty is down; the Education Revolution marches on successfully; and the sectors of Tourism and Agriculture are holding their own.

The ULP administration has increased the wealth of the country by over one billion dollars since 2001, and Vincentians are earning more than ever before. Some 10,000 jobs have been created over the last ten years, and the GDP has increased to the point where the country compares favourably with the rest of the OECS. Literacy is high and our society is becoming more intelligent.

The economy is fairly stable in the face of external financial shocks, and the work of nature (Tomas etc), and many international organizations, including the IMF and the World Bank, admire the way the ULP administration is keeping things together.

The International Airport

Most of all you must visit the construction site of the International Airport at Argyle. This is the largest project ever undertaken by a Vincentian government, and there can be no doubt about its importance to the economic development of the country. Many of you have had to experience the difficulties of transiting the international gateways at Barbados, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenada, only to find that the regional airline, LIAT, could not meet the requirements of your baggage. We know that when this happens, you have an urging to tell Comrade Ralph, to speed up the construction of the airport, so that you have visit your beloved homeland, without any hassle.

Well, a visit to the construction site will confirm, contrary to the NDP propaganda, that the project is well and truly underway, scheduled for completion in 2013, once there are no unforeseen delays. The link between you in the Diaspora and your homeland, will not be officially complete until the international airport becomes a reality.

Other Projects

Some of you have already seen and visited our recreational parks at Owia, Black Point, Rawacou and Mt. Wynne. We urge you now to visit and embrace the five star Buccama Resort which now employs over 700 Vincentians. We encourage you to visit the Grenadines, particularly Canouan, to see the tremendous work that has been done, with more projects in the pipeline. Then you might encounter a young student brandishing proudly, a tiny blue notebook. That is a sign of the further advancement of the Education Revolution, with the “one laptop per child” project. The first phase has been completed and is a success story waiting to be told.

Those of you who spent time in the north of then country, particularly in the area between Byera and Rabacca, got an opportunity to see some of the damaged caused by nature, through the freak rainfall that occurred during the month of April. Some of you contributed your hard earned money to the relief effort, and you are now seeing how resilient we are as a people, in the way we have been able to “bounce back” from this disaster. We thank you for support in this effort, as well as the Tomas relief work last year.

Partnership

Finally, as you leave our shores, we ask you to remember the partnership that exists between Vincentians in the Diaspora and their homeland. No such partnership existed before 2001. Since then the ULP administration has moved to provide an official status to this concept. We have created the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit, headed by Ambassador Ellsworth John, to help move this process forward. Progress has been slow, but we are confident that the work will continue and we will create a framework to govern that relationship. Our Ambassadors and High Commissioners are all tasked with moving this process forward. To be sure, Vincentians in the Diaspora have a stake in the economic and social development of their country, and a way must be found to create more opportunities for this to happen. RIDU is the engine to make this happen.

It is for this reason that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves will take time out from his busy schedule, to hold town hall meetings, whenever he is in New York and London, because he values the contribution of all Vincentians. He will listen to their advice, their concerns, even their criticism; such is the nature of this man who is the leader of this country.

Have a safe flight to your destination, take back memories of this lovely country called St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and come again soon.

July 1^st 2011

PAYING FOR YOUR MOUTH: THE DILEMA OF EDWARDO LYNCH

The Issue

It is an accepted fact that the opposition New Democratic Party and its spokespersons have targeted the Prime Minister of this country, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, for some unwarranted attention, since his election to office in March 2001. They have tried all sorts of strategies and actions, all aimed at smearing the good name of Comrade Ralph, and in some ways have tried to implicate his family, and members of the ULP administration, in this dirty campaign.

Every day, on their radio station Nice Radio, they present a series of lies, half-truths and innuendos all aimed at smearing the character of the Prime Minister. In fact Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has been extremely lenient, since he can file a claim for defamation, almost everyday that the New Times programme is broadcast on Nice Radio. The chief offender is of course Edwardo Lynch, the host of the New Times programme, but there are others who offend, including Junior Bacchus, Mathew Thomas and Douglas De Freitas.

What Lynch Said

It is important to quote from Chief Justice Robotham, in his judgement in the 1985 case France and Bryant vs Simmonds.

“The right of each man during his lifetime to the unimpaired possession of his reputation and good name is recognized by law. Reputation depends on opinion and opinion in the main on the communication of thought and information from one man to another. He therefore who directly communicates to the mind of another, matters untrue and likely in the material course of things substantially to disparage the reputation of a third person, is, one the face of it, guilty of a legal wrong for which the remedy is an action for defamation”

So here is what Edwardo Lynch had to say, as quoted from the documents of the judgement by Justice Alleyne

“Now sometime ago, I mentioned on this programme that the Prime Minister, with his mother, wife and daughter; they went to Rome to see the Pope.  Didn’t I tell you they went to Rome to see the Pope and he came back and he put a picture in the Searchlight – his party weekly newspaper. They showed you him kissing the Pope.  Well, I don’t see anything wrong in kissing the Pope.  Personally, I don’t see anything wrong.  What is wrong with that?  The passage!  The airline tickets for the Prime Minister and others going to Rome to see the Pope, Lord have mercy!  A claim was submitted to the Treasury and the airline has already collected for the tickets.  The tickets only; it doesn’t include food, it doesn’t include hotel bills, it doesn’t include internal transportation.  The tickets for the family to go to Rome are ladies and gentlemen was not much, $41,000.00.  What happen?  You stunted?  The airline tickets for the Prime Minister and his family to go to Rome, $41,000.00 and the taxpayers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has to pay that”.

Proven Lies

Clearly this pack of lies is designed to besmirch the good name of the Prime Minister. Reasonable persons would think that the Prime Minister was committing acts of public mischief, by using tax payers money to fund the travel of his mother and daughter. This is not the reason why he was elected by the people, for three consecutive terms.

Even where the evidence provided indicated that Lynch and company were perpetuating lies on this matter, they refused to apologize, and continued to repeat the lies. This clearly is the modus operandi of the opposition New Democratic Party and the chief spokespersons for that party. They have lied about almost everything good and progressive that is the hallmark of the ULP. For example,

1. They lie daily about the international airport project at Argyle, disparaging the work that is being done, and the progress that is being made.

2. They lied about the Rabacca Bridge, claiming that it could not be built, and that its construction was faulty.

3. They lied about the divestment of the National Commercial Bank, claiming that the bank was sold and that Ralph had “mash-up” the NCB

4. They tell lies daily about Comrade Ralph and his family.

5. They lie on the Education Revolution

6. They lie on the country, claiming that it is communist/socialist and that there is no democracy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

7. They tell lies on the economy

8. They tell lies on the hardworking public servants, and the members of the Cabinet

9. They lie on the patriotic Vincentians, claiming that they could only buy a half a pound of chicken back and half a soap

10. They even lie about their own party, claiming that things are good, when they are falling apart and fragmenting.

It is for these reasons, and more, why the ULP spends time educating Vincentians about the facts of life as these relate to the social and economic development in the country. The government has been transparent in its development thrust. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves holds regular media conferences on the work of the government, in fact over 230 of these events have been convened by Comrade Ralph, over the last ten years. Government ministers regularly host radio programmes on Star FM, where they are exposed to questions by members of the public, including supporters of the NDP. And Comrade Ralph hosts a two hour radio programme, perhaps the only Prime Minister in the region, who does this on a regular basis.

Other Actions

Prime Minister Gonsalves has already secured judgments in actions against Junior Bacchus, Daniel Cummings and Mathew Thomas. All that is left is for the Court to adjudicate on the matter of damages and legal costs. The Prime Minister is also pursuing actions against Arnhim Eustace and the NDP, for irresponsible statements made during the 2010 general elections. The ULP administration is committed to providing the truth on all developmental matters to all Vincentians, including those in the Diaspora. The ULP will vigorously oppose all attempts by the NDP and their spin doctors to fool the Vincentian people, and to denigrate the work of the ULP. Our country has developed by leaps and bounds and the evidence is before our eyes, only the NDP refuses to see it.

We know now that when any NDP defames the Comrade he or she must start with 150 thousand dollars. Junior Bacchus and Matthew Thomas must be going crazy with fright because of their lies against Comrade Ralph.

It was the founding father of the NDP, Sir James Mitchell, who said that he is required to answer questions in Parliament, but that he is not required to answer them truthfully. The NDP has continued this trend, but the ULP has no need to lie, and the truth will always be told.

The ULP welcomes all visitors to our shores for Vincy carnival, and we urge that you take time out to travel throughout the country to see the progress before your eyes, even as you enjoy the festival.

June 17^th 2011

OF LEADERSHIP AND ARNHIM EUSTACE

The Scenario

Every day, every minute, and every time that the Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, makes a statement to the public, it becomes an exhibition of how poor his leadership qualities are. His latest response to the expose’ given by Sir James Mitchell is a case in point. He wandered listlessly throughout the interview, providing answers to some lack luster questions posed by a so-called media professional who is not worth his salt. This is the Arnhim Eustace who is under tremendous pressure by persons within his party, who was described as being lazy, and who is still the leader of a party that was beaten three times at the polls.

Anyone with basic IT skills can search the net and see some of the qualities of a good leader. For the benefit of our readers, and of course Arnhim Eustace, these are listed as character, good communication skills, clear vision, integrity, the ability to make tough decisions, a sense of fairness, a positive attitude, initiative, the ability to build relationships, honesty and a willingness to listen.

The response to Sir James

The response of Arnhim Eustace to the interview by Sir James, shows his lack of integrity among other things. The major issue raised by Sir James, was that the NDP caused a rumour to be circulated, that he or his daughter, Louise, was provided with a bribe, to introduce the cocoa company, Amajaro, to the ULP administration and Comrade Ralph. That is the main bone of contention, not the issue of an email and so forth. Viewers and listeners are still bemused, since there was no answer to this question, either because Jerry George did not ask it, or that Arnhim Eustace did not make a statement on it.

For someone who was beaten with many stripes during the Sir James interview, Eustace declares that his party is well, and that there are no problems with his leadership. This is amazing, and he must be living in a fool’s paradise. Sir James, Junior Bacchus, Frank Da Silva, Matthew Thomas, even a tongue in cheek St. Clair Leacock, all have problems with his leadership, and believe that the NDP as a party, is moving in the wrong direction.

The remainder of the interview is not worth mentioning, save and except the point about the manifesto. You will remember that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves stated during the 2010 election campaign, that the SCL had to re-write the manifesto of the NDP. It was no surprise that Arnhim Eustace confirmed this fact during the interview. Eustace revealed that Sir James was using the wrong manifesto in his reference to cocoa, and that there was an update to that manifesto. In fact, Dr. Gonsalves was correct. When SCL saw the manifesto, they re-wrote large sections of the document, including the introduction to the manifesto. Where is your honesty, Mr. Eustace?

The Representation of the People Bill

The decision by the government to make changes to the Representation of the People Act has further exposed the leadership qualities Arnhim Eustace. First of all he claims that the protests by a minority rump within the NDP, was responsible for the government taking the amended bill to a select committee. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was on the recommendation of a number of persons, including Parnel Campbell QC. For the record, Arnhim Eustace was never present either in the House on the 5^th April 2011 when the bill was discussed, or at the meetings of the Select Committee. How could he know what was happening, and how could he contribute to the discussions?

The government is committed to making the amendments to this Bill. The Select Committee has said that it wants to see an overall review of the Act, and the government may go in this direction, once the Cabinet approves. So there is no indication that the bill has been withdrawn, and there certainly can be no feeling of victory for the NDP, protests or no protest. In the language of the people on the block “Arnhim Eustace must wheel and come again”. The amendments proposed by the Government will be made by themselves or as part of a larger review.

The economy

Finally Arnhim Eustace has moved away from his philosophy, that everything in the country that is wrong “is Ralph fault”. In an amazing turnaround, he now says that there are international factors affecting the country’s economy. Let us quote him correctly from the Searchlight newspaper of June 10^th 2011. “All is not Gonsalves fault. There are international factors etc. etc”. We thank him for this admission. But we must ask him whether or not he was present in the House of Assembly during the 2011 budget debate, when Prime Minister Gonsalves outlined plans to further stabilize the economy, in the current global climate. Does Eustace listen to anything, as good leaders will do?

Prime Minister Gonsalves presented his budget just five months ago, under the rubric “Economic Approach: Competitive Economy, Sustainable Growth, Job creation and Social Justice-proposals for a sound Economy”. He went on to outline the plans and proposals of his government to keep the economy on sound footing, despite the global meltdown.

Let us quote from the Prime Minister’s address. “In St. Vincent and the Grenadines this year, the International Monetary Fund has forecast real economic growth of around 2 percent and in excess of 3 percent for 2012. Still, it all depends substantially on the extent of economic recovery in the USA and Europe”.

Arnhim Eustace is a leader who dwells on gloom and doom, offering no bright sparks for his followers and supporters. Clearly there are immense challenges, but note that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is still promoting a number of projects that will create employment for Vincentians. These include the Buccama project, the development at Adams Bay, the expansion of the Canouan Resorts Development, the proposed chicken project and the list goes on.

While the government is keeping its focus on the economy, it still has to move forward along a development path. Prime Minister Gonsalves does not throw his hands up in the air, express concern, and complain about all sorts of things. Leaders are not made like that. They show initiative, they find solutions, they show a positive attitude, they have a vision in terms of the direction they want to lead, and they have a passion.

Mr. Eustace must look at the signs around him. He will hear the news items on CNN and the BBC about the state of the international economies, particularly those in the USA and the UK. He must know that St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St.Lucia are the two OECS countries that do not have IMF programmes in any form or fashion. He must know also that there are Vincentians in the USA, who are asking their relatives here, to send them remittances, to meet the rent and other costs.

Arnhim Eustace needs to wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late.

June 10^th 2011

THE NDP IS ABUSING THE TAXPAYERS OF ST.VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

NDP NOT SERIOUS

On Tuesday May 24^th, 2011, the House of Assembly convened a meeting to discuss the nations’ business, one of the reasons why the electorate voted Members of Parliament in the General Elections of December 13^th 2010. The Order Paper was circulated to all interested persons including the media, and there was heightened discussion in the country on the questions to be presented for oral answers by Government Ministers. So it was fair to say that the country expected the Opposition to be present in Parliament, and to participate fully in the proceedings.

Perhaps it did not come as a shock to most Vincentians when Arnhim Eustace was forced by his colleagues, to lead an opposition walkout from the House of Assembly, over some contrived tiff with the Speaker of the House.

POOR QUESTIONS

In the short time that they stayed in the Parliament, the opposition demonstrated that they were incapable of learning anything about the rules of the House. Their questions continued to be ill framed, ill directed, badly conceived and selfish, aimed only at scoring cheap political points. Of all the 21 questions asked by the Opposition, not one enquired about the plight of Vincentians in the north of the country, who were affected by the floods of April 12^th 2011. There are so many important and critical issues in the country, but the NDP, being the lazy party that it is, refuses to focus on these.

Instead Opposition Leader tried to show, unsuccessfully, that the government is defaulting on loans, that the Prime Minister was wrong to attend the recent royal wedding, that Comrade Cecil McKie has botched the installation of the CT scan machine, that Comrade Julian Francis has abandoned roads in the hinterland, that no government preschool services will go to Mayreau, and that the CDC still owes money to carnival players.

Naturally all these issues and their related falsehoods were put to rest emphatically, by the relevant Ministers of Government. But it seems as though the NDP is using their mouthpiece, Nice Radio, to prepare questions for the House of Assembly. Every issue that was raised by their callers, and by their spokesman Elwardo Lynch, over the last month, was used to frame questions for this meeting of the House. What a lazy bunch! Maybe Frank Da Silva, Junior Bacchus and Mathew Thomas were right after all.

Then the NDP, having failed in their bid to test the government with their questions, took on the Speaker of the House, trying to direct him in the conduct of the House, and the adjudication of issues. Again, they failed in that attempt, and like petulant children, they noisily took their leave, another ignoble “walk-out” of the Parliament.

As a result, they were not present to participate in the debate on the all important Revised Treaty of Basseterre Bill, which established the Eastern Caribbean States Economic Union. This bill received its second reading in the House and was passed, without any contribution from the Opposition. This is a disgrace of the highest order!

WASTING TAX PAYERS MONEY

This situation begs the question; why did the opposition NDP return to Parliament, what were the reasons for their attendance at this meeting of the House? Intelligent persons would conclude that there was no strategic reason, save and except to continue their unreasonable, senseless and boring and unpatriotic behavior.

The people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines voted them into Opposition to represent their interests, and they are being paid by the taxpayers of this country to carry out this mandate. It is accepted that this is a waste of tax payers’ money, since the Opposition is not performing this task, relative to what they are being paid.