The GULP Political Leader was well received on his return from New York. The GULP Political Leader, Collin Francis traveled to New York to organize the Diaspora in New York. He met with party supporters and well wishers in New York and formed a party support group headed by prominent Grenadians. This group is mandated to help raise funds and work cohesively with the current executive. Despite his youth, the Political Leader made many inroads and was able to gain the confidence of many Grenadians abroad and set the sail for the unification and healing of the GULP chapter in New York.
Apart from meeting with members and well wishers, Collin Francis, a brave and talented young man met with investors who are looking at Grenada as virgin territory for business opportunities. The Political Leader has high on his agenda, job creation for Grenadians and working on a plan to alleviate the poverty situation in Grenada. Some of these investors who have businesses in other Caribbean Islands like the Bahamas indicated that Grenada can do a lot more to attract foreign investment but also highlighted that more Grenadians living abroad should be encouraged to invest in Grenada. There were a number of investment opportunities Mr. Francis focused on, in his discussions with potential investors: exploring the possibility of exporting cocoa not as a raw material, which we buy back as chocolate or other products but as derivative products including: roasted cocoa beans, cream or cocoa powder. The Political Leader indicated to investors that Grenada should have the richest chocolate beverage because we have the best cocoa in the world, rich and healthy and under his watch as Prime Minister such would be a major undertaking. From a rough estimate one pound of roasted cocoa bean can be sold for three times the price of dried cocoa beans. It was Former Prime Minister George Brizan, a stalwart and a young energetic former Minister of Agriculture, who indicated that from the research done and has in his possession, the Nutmeg, the Red Lady of Grenada and Princess of the World, if her derivative Products can be explored, will make us much richer as a nation selling those derivative products. Subsequent Governments have yet to explore such possibilities for lack of vision and skewed, failing political priorities.
Another area the Political Leader, who is anxious about a GULP Government discussed with persons interested in investing in Grenada, is the possibility of enhancing our Agro-Processing Industry through the maximum utilization of our fruits, vegetables and herbs to create cottage industries and exporting these on the international market. Our herbs and spices are in high demand, one Restaurant Chain owner indicated to the Political Leader, and our ingenious people can do a lot more to promote itself and improve its Agro-Processing Industry with a little help from the Government. Did you know you can pickle almost any fruit or vegetable and it can be done from your kitchen which is in high demand on the world market? The GULP leader indicated that a GULP Government will develop the creativity of its people and provide support in their business ventures, ensuring more small businesses are developed and reducing the dependency on Government to create employment. This would be in keeping with the new phenomena where Governments around the world have realized that smaller governments and a bigger private sector is a much wiser alternative.
The amount of mangoes and other fruits that are wasted every year is just shameful and GULP believes that more can be done. All it requires is a little creativity and interest in the things that will bring about real benefits to our people by Government. Our country is covered with a green canopy and rich virgin soils, surrounded by water, Grenada should never be talking about food security, we have enough food to feed our own people. The conspiracy to kill agriculture by unrealistic, educated politicians who made it seem like a demeaning adventure, is inhumane and against God’s will, for which a nation will perish. The notion that our people can abandon agriculture, eat from cans like animals and kill agriculture was simply a blinded political plot to gain votes and driving our people to poverty and a begging mentality which Grenada has never seen before the 1980’s. GULP will teach its people independence and save Grenada out of this peril. The notion that young people won’t work lands is untrue and distasteful to listen to from the mouths of educated men and women.
The GULP Youthful Leader also looked at ways the “Tourism Product” can be enhanced and high on his agenda when GULP gets in office would be getting the Diaspora more actively engaged in building the Grenada Economy. The Political Leader observed the many Grenadians who are very successful abroad and many of them on retirement relocate to Florida, USA and not their hometown, Grenada. Although many Grenadians living in England do return on retirement, New Yorkers on the other hand go to Florida, the Sun Shine State. Grenada, therefore as a country, has a lot of work to do in ensuring that the group of Grenadians who prefer to resort to Florida and other places as preferred retirement spots be studied carefully and harnessed. The issues raised by these investors is housing and indicated that Grenada can be the perfect spot as a retirement and rehabilitation center for retired and out-patients respectively. These are high on the Political Leader’s agenda.
The Political Leader also had discussions with promoters, to discuss other ways Grenada can attract tourist throughout the year, reducing the seasonal employment situation for persons in that sector. Grenada’s Tourism Product has to be carefully scrutinized and sold from a much broader perspective. For example, St. Lucia sells her island as the Honey Moon Mecca of the Caribbean and a lot of stars from across the world visit her shores, every year to honey moon and wed. Grenada must look at options like fashion events and hosting of stars, in these hard times even stars are trying to save a buck or two and Grenada can be that option. Grenada, its people and Government must be hospitable to investors and not play these childish political games. There were many other aspects the GULP Leader looked at as possible solutions in continuing to position Grenada on the Map. For GULP, ensuring that persons in the Hotel Industry work throughout the year is crucial and ways to promote Grenada, ensuring that tourist visit our shores throughout the year. The Political Leader put a small Group of Concern Grenadians together to look at ways Grenada can be better promoted to enhance the Tourism Product and ways the Diaspora can be encouraged to select Grenada as their Vacation Spot. Making Grenada more visible to these Grenadians abroad is crucial especially children of migrated Grenadians who may have chosen to depart from the Grenadian Culture and need to stay in touch with their Grenadian Heritage.
The task of constructing an Economy to reflect our vastly untapped resources and unlimited wants of our people is a monumental task for politicians. Oftentimes, selfish ambition and a “Know it all” culture preoccupy the thinking of these politicians that blinds the true intend of politics. Politics have become, “ a take care of me and me friends ” mentality and cursing out each other dividing a gullible population who just want to work hard and pay their bills. The REAL problems remain unresolved and the needs of people are least on the agenda of the “New Politics”. Next election, start four projects and win again and the cycle continues, sadly so. GULP understands best what it means to take care of people because it has developed a culture of putting people needs first and was tested and won. It wasn’t under GULP that so many of our politicians became wealthy over night and so many people living in poverty while politicians live “big lives”. So much so that our population, trained by politicians make it seem like only “big money people” must be in politics. The Poor Man child can’t” gimme nottin ”. It wasn’t under GULP that politicians developed a lack of respect for the people they serve after throwing monies to our people for votes and now flying on more planes as though they working with LIAT, rather than talking to the people on the ground and listening to their cries. It wasn’t under GULP that politicians suddenly became technocrats and not representative of the people. The Cries of the Grenadian People warranties a listening ear and a new breed of politicians who cares about people to save Grenada. GULP seeks to embrace a new approach to the politics, finding a New Breed of Politicians and nothing shall stand its way this time. May God Bless Grenada!