St. George’s, March 4, 2011 – Government spending on projects and programs outlined in January in the 2011 budget should begin in earnest in a couple of weeks.

Social Development Minister, Sylvester Quarless, made the announcement Thursday night at a meeting in Post Royal, St. Andrew.

The budget, although passed in both chambers of parliament, still needed the royal assent of Governor General, Sir Carlyle Glean.

Mr. Quarless, MP for St. Andrew South-West, told the meeting that the Governor General has now given his approval and signed off on the budget.

MP Quarless was joined by colleague, Patrick Simmons, in the first of the “Meet the Masses’’ meetings in St. Andrew for 2011.

Seven meetings in the series were held last year with St. Andrew residents and their three parliamentary representatives from the ruling National Democratic Congress.

Mr. Simmons, Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sports, is MP for St. Andrew South-East; and Alleyne Walker, MP for St. Andrew North-West, is Minister of Housing, Lands and Community Development.

The meeting Thursday evening, at the Walker-Post Royal Pre-School, was an opportunity for villagers to ask questions and raise concerns on issues like jobs and planned projects for St. Andrew; agriculture development; land use; and the need for community facilities, such as a resource centre.

Minister Simmons said he was optimistic about an “economic turnaround’’ with the economy now stabilized, and with the pending start of programs such as the Grenville Market Development Project; and EC$12.6 million of the $783.4 million budget to be spent on the introduction of a new initiative to create employment and training for at least 1500 young people under the Grenada Youth Upliftment Programme.

Mr. Simmons and Mr. Quarless also reminded residents that the 2011 budget also provides for an average of $350,000 for each of the 15 constituencies in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The aim, Finance Minister Nazim Burke announced in his budget presentation on January 14, is to afford “short-term employment for local residents, as well as improve their quality of life through community roads, drains, water courses, and other facilities.’’

In response to a question about the start of Phase B of the Feeder Road Farm Project, Minister Quarless said government had done everything, including signing funding agreements, to facilitate the start of work by Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC).

However, despite letters to CCC enquiring on when work will begin, no definite answer has yet been received by government, Mr. Quarless said.

He added that government has also been in contact with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, one of the projects financing partners. As part of an agreement, the Fund decides on the company that secures the right to carry out the farm roads’ project.

Minister Quarless said that in a letter dispatched last Friday, government alerted the Kuwait Fund of the delay in launching Phase B of the project and of the inability of the administration to receive a response on the matter from CCC.