St. George’s, December 3, 2009 (GIS) – Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas has reaffirmed a pledge of his government and party to decentralise services and develop all parts of the nation, including St. Patrick.
The Prime Minister, who is leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and MP for St. Patrick East, made the comment to reporters following the recent release of a report on poverty levels in Grenada.
The Country Poverty Assessment – carried out over a period from 2008 to 2009 – was undertaken by the Trinidad and Tobago firm, Kari Consultants Limited, with support from the Caribbean Development Bank.
Among the findings in the consultants’ draft report, which was present to Cabinet on Monday, is that St. Patrick is deemed to have the highest incidence of poverty. It also showed a steep population increase in St. George’s, with the migration of residents from rural communities to the capital.
One government official, who spoke to the Government Information Service (GIS), said the report raises questions about the priority of the former administration during its 13 years in office.
“Once again, this report clearly demonstrates that very little was done in more than a decade to improve life and living conditions for many of people in communities such as St. Patrick and St. Mark,’’ he said. “Agriculture was abandoned, the poor were neglected and no attempt was made at genuine people development.’’
Prime Minister Thomas dismissed claims by former Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain that the NDC government, which took office in July 2008, had failed to continue the construction of a port and marina in Sauteurs, St. Patrick
Hon. Thomas said the former administration had done no feasibility study for the proposed port and marina, and had made no formal request for funding.
“After we came into office, we started making enquiry about the project. We didn’t find any documentation,’’ Mr. Thomas said. “If there was a project to continue, we were going to continue the project. For the former minister to say we didn’t go ahead with the project is totally untrue. They didn’t do any feasibility study.’’
Mr. Boatswain, in a February 2008 appearance on GIS TV, told an interviewer that a feasibility study for the project had not been “completed.’’
Prime Minister Thomas said Exim Bank of China, which was being considered by Mr. Boatswain and his colleagues as a possible source of funding for the port and marina, would have asked for a feasibility report.
“Exim is really a bank and not a grant agency. So they look at your feasibility study before they invest in a project,’’ Hon. Thomas said.
The Prime Minister said the Poverty Assessment report, while it’s only an assessment, is also a “wake up call’’ for pressing ahead with plans for alleviating poverty in the country.
He said that in the case of St. Patrick, his government will proceed with taking all necessary measures leading to funding for the port and marina.
St. Patrick, a large nutmeg producer, was hard hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Ivan had a serious impact on the nutmeg industry in St. Patrick, said the Prime Minister.
“That industry created income – reasonable income – for several homes,’’ he said. “With the advent of Ivan, that source of income is no longer there. So I could see that as part of what created the problem in St. Patrick.’’
