ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA - Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and members of his Cabinet staged successful meetings in Carriacou on Thursday and Petite Martinique on Friday. The meetings addressed several issues of concern to the islands and the state of Grenada, including the recently announced stimulus package. At the Carriacou meeting, Prime Minister Thomas, who was accompanied by eight members of his cabinet, told residents that while Grenada was going through a difficult period, the recovery process will be hastened “if we work together and increase our production.” ”Brothers and sisters, we have come out of disasters and difficult circumstances before and we will do it again. It is in these difficult times that we should rally together and work in unity to ensure that when the recovery comes we can all enjoy the benefits,” the Prime Minister told the meeting in Carriacou, which was made up of more than 200 people from the island. He noted that while the poor state of Grenada’s economy and the current difficulties can be blamed on the international economic downturn, it was also the result of “reckless spending” by the previous Government, which spent EC $37M in the 60 days prior to the July 8th 2008 general elections and left a treasury with EC $53M in unpaid claims. His position was echoed by Finance Minister Nazim Burke, who told the gathering the government had a responsibility to make certain that the small businesses owed by the government did not fail and further complicate the unemployment crisis facing the country. “This is why we moved the unpaid claims or domestic debt we found in the treasury from the EC S53M to EC $12M.We have to ensure that these business which employee a number if people do not go out of business and plunge the country into further difficulty,” The Finance Minister said. He said among the projects that the government is looking into for Carriacou was an airport facility that provided night landing facilities and can accommodate larger aircraft and more flights into the island. He said this was a prerequisite for the development of tourism and attracting a large hotel to Carriacou. Both meetings focused on plans for the agriculture and tourism prospects of the islands. “You in Carriacou have some of the most unspoilt lands in our three island state. We will continue our efforts to develop your capability to produce specific products that are well suited to your conditions and rebuild an economy for the island,” Acting Minister of Agriculture, Michael Church, told the meeting in Hillsborough. In the case of Petite Martinique, where Prime Minister Thomas was accompanied by his Cabinet colleague, Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Senator George Prime, much emphasis was placed on the development of fish processing. One businessman present at the meeting, who has already started processing salt fish on the island, presented the Prime Minister with a sample of his products, including a small parcel of flour also made in Petite Martinique. The Prime Minister welcomed the presentation saying “its speaks to exactly to what our government has been promoting.” ”I am on record as saying that the people of Petite Martinique have a wonderful opportunity to provide us with products that are manufactured right here,” he told the more that 100 people gathered at the RC School in Petite Martinique. Another issue that came up for discussion was sand mining on Petite Martinique. The Minister of Carriacou and Petite Martinique committed to discussing with a committee set up to look into the issue, to come up with a solution. The Prime Minister, who made the trip to Carriacou and Petite Martinique by the Osprey Lines, took the opportunity to tour the school, the police station and the medical center to see first hand the state of the facilities.