HILLSBOROUGH, Carriacou, April 25, 2009 – Grenadians could soon be purchasing a large portion of their saltfish from Petite Martinique. Prime Minister and Leader of the National Democratic Congress, Hon. Tillman Thomas, is welcoming the development. “It speaks to exactly what our government has been promoting,” the Prime Minister said after receiving a sample of products, including saltfish and flour, which are being processed by an entrepreneur in Petite Martinique. Mr. Thomas recently visited Carriacou and Petite Martinique for the third in a series of government-organised Town Hall meetings. He was accompanied by members of cabinet, including Finance Minister Nazim Burke and Senator George Prime, Minister of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs.alt Previous Town Hall meetings have been held in St. Patrick and at the Trade Centre in St. George’s, where the Prime Minister announced a series of initiatives as part of a stimulus package to help offset the effects on the local economy of the current global economic and financial crisis. More that 100 people attended the Petite Martinique meeting, which was held at the Roman Catholic School. ”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,” Hon. Thomas told the meeting. In the exchange of views at the meeting, concerns were raised about the ongoing problem of sand mining in Petite Martinique. Senator Prime said he expects a solution to the problem following the work of a committee that is looking into the matter. Before leaving Petite Martinique, Prime Minister Thomas toured some of the island’s facilities, including the police station and medical centre. At the Carriacou meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for nationals to “work together and increase our production’’ in what he referred to as the “difficult period’’ of the world economic and financial crisis. ”Brothers and sisters, we have come out of disasters and difficult circumstances before and we will do it again,’’ Mr. Thomas said. “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.’’ He said the poor state of Grenada’s economy was not only due to the international economic downturn. It was also the result of “reckless spending” by the previous administration, which spent EC $37M in the 60 days prior to last July’s general elections and left a treasury with EC$53 million in unpaid claims, the NDC Leader and Prime Minister asserted. His position was supported by Finance Minister Burke, who is also Deputy Leader of the NDC. He said government’s priorities include ensuring there are no business failures that would lead to workers losing their jobs. “This is why we moved the unpaid claims or domestic debt we found in the treasury from the EC$53 million to EC$12 million,’’ Mr. Burke said. “We have to ensure that these businesses which employ a number of people do not go out of business and plunge the country into further difficulty.’’ Specifically with regard to Carriacou, the Finance Minister said government intends to upgrade the island’s airport by installing nigh-landing facilities and opening it up to accommodate bigger aircraft. This, together with the possibility of a large hotel for Carriacou, will boost the development of tourism on the island. NDC government officials also reiterated their commitment to reinvest in agriculture in Carriacou. “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,” promised Acting Agriculture Minister Michael Church. Source:ndcgrenada.org/