by Linda Straker
- 3rd Session of 11th Parliament opened on Friday, 4 October
- 2025 budget will be outlining a 3-year cycle budget
- Grenada’s recovery will focus on laying foundation for stronger, more resilient future
Grenada legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary year will include repealing and replacing the existing procurement legislation as well introducing new legislation for Pension Reform, Deposit Insurance and Energy Efficiency.
Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade made the announcement when she presented the traditional Throne Speech during the ceremonial opening of the 3rd Session of the 11th Parliament on Friday, 4 October 2024.
“In the upcoming session of Parliament, my Government will prioritise a legislative agenda focused on fostering economic resilience, advancing social equity, and combating climate change. Some of the key initiatives will include new procurement legislation; energy efficiency legislation; deposit insurance legislation and pension reform legislation,” she told the joint sitting of parliament.
She said that more details of government’s policies, projects and programmes for the upcoming parliamentary year will be enunciated in the upcoming budget, which will be laid before parliament in due course.
In an interview after the ceremonial opening, Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall said that a date is yet to be set for the 2025 budget. He said that the 2025 budget will be outlining a 3-year cycle budget. The budget or Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure is traditionally presented the last Friday in November or during the first week of December. Regardless of what date it is presented it must be approved and published in the Government Gazette by 31 December.
In the area of National Security, the Governor General told the members that the preservation of public peace and safety remains a major priority for the government. “We will continue to pursue policies that discourage crime and anti[1]social behaviour, while at the same time keeping our no-nonsense approach to crime, in particular, gun and firearms related crime,” she said.
“We will continue to support our police and prison officers through the provision of better equipment and upgrading their facilities. My Government will also begin the process of prison reform, including the identification of land for, and the modelling for a new prison,” she added.
The theme for the 2024/2025 session of Parliament is “Unifying our focus toward vision 75.” We will embark on a journey to reconstruct, revitalize, and renew our resolve to transform our nation. Our aim is not just to replace lost or damaged social and economic assets, but to build back better and more resilient,” said the Governor-General.
This theme, she explained, is deeply rooted in Grenada 2035 National Plan. The plan was developed by the previous New National Party administration. It describes Grenada as a resilient and prosperous nation, with a conscious and caring citizenry, promoting human dignity, and realising its full potential through sustainable economic, social, and environmental progress for all.”
In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, she said that Grenada’s recovery will not merely focus on rebuilding what was lost but on laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient future. “Accordingly, in this session of Parliament, my Government will focus on rebuilding a more resilient Carriacou and Petite Martinique while advancing the Government’s transformative agenda,” she said.
