Grenada is delighted with the proposed package of economic development from the United Kingdom to the region.
Prime Minister the Hon. David Cameron paid a courtesy call to Grenada, Wednesday, 30 September and announced that his country has set aside an economic package of £300 million for the Caribbean.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, who greeted his English counterpart at a red carpet reception at the Maurice Bishop International Airport, is elated.
“I am very happy we have seen this. We have a number of infrastructural projects that are already written up and are ready to go,” he said, in a brief interview with the Government Information Service.
Dr Mitchell assured the nation that Grenada’s slice of the cake will be put to meaningful use, and thanked Prime Minister Cameron for the timely assistance.
“The fact that we have £300 million available to 8 countries in the next 5 years and we do not have to repay that money, we are going to be up and running,” Dr Mitchell said.
The English Prime Minister said, the visit to Grenada is intended to re-establish the strong bond of friendship between Grenada and the United Kingdom, which goes back to several decades.
“The visit is to say that I want this relationship to be reinvigorated, to be rebooted and I think there is a real opportunity to do that. The ties between Britain and Grenada, and the Caribbean are very strong ties of history, of language, of culture of people of the many thousands of Grenadians and Caribbean people, who have given to Britain”.
Prime Minister Cameron said that the visit is a clear indication that the United Kingdom is renewing its friendship with Grenada and the Caribbean.
“This is to say we are back and this £300 million infrastructure fund is to say, let’s invest in your infrastructure and provide the roads, ports and the other infrastructure that is necessary for your economy and let’s start and reinvigorate this relationship,” Prime Minister Cameron said.
During the visit, he met with the Cabinet and a delegation comprising Works Minister Gregory Bowen, Trade Minister Oliver Joseph, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Timothy Antoine and Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Ministry Ruth Rouse.
Prime Minister Cameron also visited the collapsed Hubble Bridge in St John, and was given a walkthrough of the operations of the Nutmeg Pool in Gouyave.
He was also accompanied by Secretary of State for International Development and Member of Parliament the Rt Hon. Justine Greening, as well as British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Victoria Dean.
