Wednesday 13th July 2011: Former Minister of Finance under the New National Party Administration, Senator Anthony Boatswain has warned Grenadians to look out for the NDC gravy train as we move into the final two years of the NDC’s term in office. In his speech at the New National Party’s General Council on Sunday 10th July, Senator Boatswain spoke of the many missteps of the government in relation to the local economy and disproved the Prime Ministers assertion that Grenada is the best Governed country in the region.

Senator Boatswain described the employment situation in Grenada as the worst in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). He stated that over the past three years the unemployment rate in Grenada has moved from 25% in 2008 to well over 40% at present. He further explained that in the context of youth employment well over 55% of employable Grenadian youth are unemployed. He challenged the present administration to show which country in the OECS region has higher unemployment. Boatswain also spoke of the negative economic growth Grenada continues to face as it has slid from the top position in the OECS in terms of growth performance with a 2.5% growth rate in 2008 to a -0.8% in 2011. He declared that Grenada which was number three in the OECS at the beginning of 2011 was now number four in terms of its growth performance.

The New National Party Senator spoke of the NDC’s Visionless, Clueless and Spiteful Leadership as the reasons behind the sluggish performance of the Grenadian economy. He stated that while the NDC Administration has claimed it met a National Debt of 1.5 billion dollars on entering office that situation is not unique to Grenada as St Kitts for instance has a National Debt of over 3 Billion. He accused the NDC Government of borrowing more money on a yearly basis than the NNP borrowed in its 13 year tenure. This he stated has been for the Financing of Recurrent Expenditure. A large portion of which has been salaries and foreign travel.

Senator Boatswain said while the public sector wage bill has gone up from 17 million under the New National Party Government to 25 Million a month under the present government, and there has been no pay increases to public workers in the period.

Senator Boatswain also touched on the sell off of Grenada’s potential oil reserves by the present administration and asked for action to ensure that Grenadians receive more than just the two vehicles from the former Trinidad Administration for the territory handed over to the Trinidad government.

Finally Senator Boatswain once again called for action on the issue of CLICO, BICO and other such issues so that Grenadians would be able to recover their hard earned monies that were lost in these entities.


From The Opposition New National Party (NNP)