St. VINCENT-Opposition leaders claim country ‘headed in the wrong direction’

NEW YORK, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines Opposition Leader, Dr. Godwin Friday, saying that he is “ready to carry the baton,” has painted a bleak picture of the island’s future, insisting that it is heading “in the wrong direction” under the current administration of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a wonderful country. We all know that. However, we are headed in the wrong direction,” said Friday, president of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), at a town hall meeting here on Sunday night.

“Higher unemployment than in earlier years is our reality,” Friday told the “New Hope for Home New York Tour” flanked by several NDP officials, who disclosed that the NDP team is expected to conduct a similar tour of Canada this weekend.

Friday told the meeting that over 20 percent of the workforce in St. Vincent and the Grenadines do not have jobs and that the current unemployment situation is among the highest in the sub-regional Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

“And it is much worse for young people, who are often forced to leave St. Vincent and the Grenadines to find work abroad. For those with a job, low and stagnant wages offer little hope that they can build a future and improve the quality of their lives.”

The Opposition Leader said crime in the multi-island state has spiraled out of control, causing fear and frustration among nationals “and, at times, touching those close to us.”

He said the healthcare system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in “a state of disrepair,” adding that it is “broken down so much that many of our people are afraid to use it and do not trust it.”

Friday said the roads are also in “bad shape and have become obstacle course” and that despite promises at the last election, the Gonsalves-led Unity Labour Party (ULP) government has “failed to make any real progress on delivering jobs, improving wages, or tackling crime.

“And they presently lack energy and initiative, so their new promises are not believable and should not be believed. Over two decades of power have given rise to complacency and arrogance, and they are no longer in touch with ordinary people’s real needs and concerns. They have been there too long.

“We cannot afford to stall anymore or to drift any further, which is what another term of ULP government would bring,” warned Friday, adding that the NDP has set out five priorities for a “brighter future” in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

He said these would include creating more and better-paying jobs and rebuilding an economy that provides:

• Opportunity for all.
• Making communities and the country, as a whole, safe from crime.
• Ensuring reliable and affordable healthcare, “we can trust.”
• Improving roads and general infrastructure.

The NDP president said no country can progress without a growing economy, saying, “We can only beg and borrow so much; then we must produce and earn for ourselves to improve our living standards.

“But it does not happen on its own; there must be a plan to guide how we do it.”

He said the NDP has committed to building prosperity for St. Vincent and the Grenadines on four pillars: Agriculture, tourism, blue economy (primarily fishing, boat repair, and boat building), and new economy.

“You in the Diaspora can help by investing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We will encourage that and give special administrative support to facilitate your investment in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Friday told the town hall meeting that the rising cost of living is a “serious problem,” claiming that food prices, fuel prices, and electricity costs have “all gone all up, some by a lot.”

He said that while governments across the OECS and the wider Caribbean have cut fuel taxes, reduced import charges, controlled the prices of essential goods, increased direct support to those most in need, and capped the fuel surcharge to help with electricity bills, these are “not so in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Friday said the NDP has a plan to immediately help ease the effects of the rising cost of living by reducing the Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 16 to 13 percent and ensuring that the savings are passed on to ordinary consumers, increasing the number of zero-rated VAT items that will reduce grocery bills for everyone; repealing the Customs Service Charge increase that was raised from five to six percent to reduce import costs; and increasing support for lower-income families by expanding existing support programs and ensuring that the license is distributed based on need and not by political favor.

Friday said that the National Insurance Service (NIS) is “in trouble,” saying that this is “no exaggeration,” telling the audience that the NIS executive director, Stuart Haynes, “said as much publicly last year when he began his consultations with stakeholders.”

In his address, Friday said, “Governance is not a marathon,” nor is it “a sprint.”

“It is a relay, and it is only by passing the baton that we win the development race. Let’s get it done. I am ready to carry the baton,” he added.