St. George’s, September 14, 2012 – A Grenadian journalist and political commentator has described Nazim Burke as Grenada’s worst finance minister in nearly 40 years.
Hamlet Mark says that based on statistics since 1974, when Grenada attained political independence from Britain, no other finance minister has failed as badly as Burke.
“If running the Ministry of Finance was boxing, then we would have had a good man in place. This current one is an expert at bobbing and weaving – and getting out of the way,’’ Mark said in commentary examining the Grenada economy and the recent late payment of salaries to public workers.
What is more bothering than the statistics, said Mark, “is the refusal of the minister to take responsibility for anything that has happened under his watch. Even the half-baked apology for the late payment of salaries was compounded by a series of conjunctions.’’
Mark conceded that when Burke became finance minister in 2008, the local economy was in decline and an economic crisis was taking hold worldwide.
However, Burke “has never acted as if there was a state of economic emergency, and that’s where bad turned into worse,’’ Mark argued.
As well, said Mark, Burke “has never attracted the right people around him to give him the policy guidance that any minister will need at anytime – even more so in the worst of time.’’
Another problem is the stricture of the ministry of finance, which “has been both a government and a law onto itself – and not even the Prime Minister’s wishes are always carried out,’’ Mark charged. “Where I fault the Prime Minister is that there have never been consequences.’’
However, Prime Minister Thomas said Thursday that there is no friction between him and Burke.
Thomas, in an exclusive interview with a local television station, defended what he referred to as his government’s “sound economic policies.’’ Government is laying the foundation for a sustainable economy, he said.
“There is a cash flow problem,’’ the Prime Minister admitted, but added that government had done “fairly well’’ in managing the economy.
Thomas, who is also leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress, reiterated his commitment to the “good governance agenda,’’ saying he expects his party and government to win the next general election that is due by next year.