The EC$1.9 billion budget, tabled in Parliament on 1 December by Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall, “had some good” but “lacked depth in terms of structural changes” to improve the economy and move Grenada, according to opposition MP Peter David.
The expenditures outlined in the budget are simply a “continuation of the same pattern” of allocating money “here and there” for ministries and projects, said David, Member of Parliament for the Town of St George and political leader of the Democratic People’s Movement.
“What we are doing is just applying maintenance to the country, rather than deep structural changes that would truly do what the government said that they want to do, which is to transform this country,” David argued.
“Structural change” David explained, involves measures to help farmers, young entrepreneurs, and getting “people in the community involved in decision-making, which is a development issue, not a political issue.” The ongoing approach to budget allocation is “not going to transform the country,” David emphasised.
What’s required, he said, is “structural change” to get young people to form their own businesses; to get “our agriculture going” and, to ensure “that our food prices don’t continue to skyrocket, because 80% of the food we eat is imported food.”
David, in his contribution to the budget debate, said Grenadian families in discussions at home and around their kitchen tables worry about issues such as paying their medical bills and meeting the cost of groceries.
“That is why we are here — to ensure that we address the concerns of the people, make critical comments and, surely, to make recommendations where appropriate,” David told parliament.
“Across this land, families are talking about issues. Will they be able to send their kids to school well-nourished because of the high price of foods in the supermarket? Worried about if they fall sick, will they be able to pay the medical bills,” he said.
“Worried about the price of medication and its availability; worried about what will happen to them if they lose their jobs. This is the discussion at the kitchen table in every house across this land.”
DPM
STRUCTURAL CHANGE: Those are nice words. What are your pieces to the puzzle of STRUCTURAL change? Have you thought of reafforestation and water conservation? Preservation of woodlands by enforcement of not burning? Water conservation for dry season planting of adaptable crops. Storage and processing for out of season crops? Planting of adaptable agricultural crops? Doing this along with poultry, cattle and pig rearing? Introducing fruits from similar climate countries? For lettuce, tomatoes etc how to pneumatically?
You can do mathematics by mixing numbers and letters and symbols. STRUCTURAL need to be mixed to get positive results
As a patriot, and being around since 1979 to 2022, you must be well equipped with economic plans to create the structural changes you desire. Let’s hear them.