Prime Minister says he did not authorize the use of force in industrial crisis

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has denied authorizing the use of armed forces on striking workers of the Grenada Breweries Limited on Wednesday.

Are Grenadians paying attention?

All Grenada must be particularly concerned that fees from cruise ships are not going into the Government coiffeurs as a result of a loan dispute between this country and Taiwan.

That money would have no doubt been integrated into the state budget for Government expenditure.

The harsh reality is if this problem drags on the country’s all important tourism sector in particular and the economy in general could further diminish.

At the moment, there is no end in sight to this problem.

The Government is yet to face the nation and state clearly how they intend to resolve this matter.

Diplomatic and legal offensives can only do so much but at the end of the day the problem remains.

Ideas for ending the dispute seem to be coming from everywhere and political wrangling among the two main parties has not abated.

We maintain that both the ruling National Democratic Congress and the main opposition New National Party have to share the blame for this lingering fiasco.

In the case of the NNP, who governed the country when Taiwan won the summary judgment we question its strategy in dealing with the matter.

Why didn’t the Keith Mitchell government not update the loan before severing ties with Taiwan?

By allowing the loan to go into default the acceleration clause was violated and so Taipei called the loan as stipulated in the agreement.

It could well be that based on preliminary proposals from the Kepping Foundation that the previous government was hoping to complete the payments from funds from China.

The strategy of the ruling NDC is also called into question.

Why didn’t the Tillman Thomas administration not service the loan in its three years reign thus far even if the matter was now being played out in court?

The fact of the matter is, Taiwan court action aside, the loan has to be repaid.

The longer it’s delayed the bigger it grows in interest since it is attracting a US 5000 dollar a day .

Now in the presence of  ongoing political recriminations and  in the absence of clarity, the nation is being allowed to speculate.

One such speculation is the notion that Grenada has approached China in recent times to help it repay the loan.

Of course this has not yet been confirmed but the Government, and Prime Minister Tillman Thomas needs to deliver a national address stating clearly how this matter is being resolved.

It must be similar in stature to how the Grenadian leader announced plans to roll out projects, a job creation strategy or a plan to rescue the tourism sector.

When government already budgeted revenues are being threatened it does not take an economist to surmised gloom.

Therefore, the country does not need to be left in the dark on this one.©

Former Finance Minister not surprised consumer sentiment has fallen

Consumer Sentiments in Grenada has fallen to an all-time low, according to a survey of the Department of Management Studies of the University of the West Indies (UWI), and former Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain says he’s not surprised.

Grenada Opposition calls for travel policy

Grenada’s Opposition leader Dr. Keith Mitchell has called on government to announce their policy on overseas travel. He is also calling for the government to say how the country stands to benefit from these overseas trips.

NNP announces new ‘shadow cabinet’

St. George’s Businessman Nicholas Steele has been named ‘shadow minister’ of Trade and Business development in the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP).

Steele, who is touted to come up against the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Peter David in the town of St. George,  is one of three new comers to the party, since it lost the general election in 2008.

Business tell politicians no time for blame game in EXIM Bank affair

Private Sector representative in the Senate Christopher De Allie says politicians should stop the blame game and deal with the fiasco between Grenada and Taiwan Export Import Bank (EXIM).

His comments come as politicians in the two major political parties in Grenada – the New National Party (NNP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) publicly seek to blame each other for the moves by Taiwan to collect on a 21-year old debt.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas’ National Address – Grenada’s Thanksgiving October 25th, 2011

Fellow Grenadians, Ladies and Gentlemen, I address you on the occasion of the annual observance of our Thanksgiving. At this time each year, we commemorate the events of October 1983 which led to the intervention by US and Caribbean Forces to restore Democracy to our country.