St. George’s, March 12, 2012 – The opposition leader in Grenada has dismissed claims by Finance Minister Nazim Burke that three years of economic recession in the country have ended.
Burke made the statement last Friday while tabling Grenada’s EC$1.023 billion 2012 budget before parliament.
“The recession is over and Grenada is growing again,’’ Burke said.
But Dr. Mitchell, a former Prime Minister who also served as Minister of Finance in his government, disputed that the recession has ended.
“The economy is still contracting,’’ Dr. Mitchell said. “It is clear to Grenadians the country is not out of recession; people are not seeing or feeling it. Only the minister understands and feels it.’’
A former university lecturer, whose PhD. is in mathematics and statistics, Dr. Mitchell condemned the budget as “misleading’’ and “offering false hope.’’
The budget is also “incomplete,’’ “shabby,’’ “mathematical trickery,’’ and contains “massive contradictions in the economic analysis of growth,’’ the opposition leader said.
The economy, under Burke’s watch, is in “deep trouble’’ and Grenada is in the “midst of a dangerous sea without compass,’’ Dr. Mitchell charged.
“The unemployment situation is desperate,’’ said Dr. Mitchell, who put the unemployment figure at 40 percent. Government says the number is much lower.
The budget, which does not identify how some proposed expenditure will be financed, is the worst since Grenada became an independent nation in 1974, said the leader of the opposition New National Party (NNP).
“This budget is replete with pork barrel accommodation,’’ said Dr. Mitchell, who also gave an insight into his approach to governance if returned to power in general elections due by 2013.
He promised that all projects started by the NDC will be continued by his government.
Dr. Mitchell, who described himself as being in the “twilight period in service to the country,’’ pledged that the focus of a future NNP administration will be on “job creation and uniting people for common good.’’
Dr. Mitchell has represented St. George’s North-West in parliament for the past 28 years.
Burke, responding to Dr. Mitchell’s attack on the budget, said he was not surprised at the opposition leader’s position.
“He did what I expected,’’ said Burke, who labeled Dr. Mitchell’s presentation as “incomprehensible.’’
The finance minister remains “satisfied’’ with the government’s budgetary figures.
“The numbers make sense and could be explained,’’ he said.
