by Linda Straker
- Budget is being debated by Upper House on 10 December
- Adrian Thomas, Leader of Government Business said budget reflects dream of Grenada
- Norland Cox believes Grenada is experiencing disaster-driven reconstruction spending, financed by short term passport sales and long term borrowing
Norland Cox, Leader of the Opposition side in the Upper House or Senate, has described Grenada’s 2026 Budget or Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure as a document that is not a forward-looking financial plan, but one that is filled with repetition and a recycling and reheating of promises.
“Grenada is not experiencing bold economic transformation, Grenada is experiencing a disaster driven, reconstruction spending, financed by short term passport sales and long term borrowing, that is what is happening Madam President and that is what the document reflects,” Cox told the Senate in his response to the budget which was presented to the Lower House for approval on 1 December, and is being debated by Members of the Upper House or Senate on 10 December.
Adrian “Persuader” Thomas, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, told the Members that the 2026 budget, which was presented under the theme “Towards Vision 75: Powering Progress Through People’s Participation and Innovation,” reflects the dream of Grenada. This dream, he said, is one in which there is shared prosperity through people-centred development, innovation, resilience, equity and opportunity.
However, in his response, Cox, who is a former Minister for Infrastructure, said that Grenada is not experiencing a bold economic transformation, but the island is “experiencing a disaster-driven reconstruction spending, financed by short-term passport sales and long-term borrowing.”
“That is what is happening, Madam President, and that is what the document reflects. This is not transformation, it is not resilience, and it is not sustainable,” he told the House, pointing out that the measure of a good economy is not just figures but whether ordinary people feel that their lives are being improved. “At a time when citizens are demanding bold action, innovative policies, and decisive leadership, the government has presented a budget that simply brings back what was already digested. No new programmes, no new industries, no new solutions, just a regurgitation of unrealised commitments.”
Speaking about the Government’s announcement that the economy grew in 2025, Cox said that the Government’s pronouncement about the growth of the economy was misleading. Cox said the growth is not driven by new industries, nor by the result of major reforms, nor by products of innovation or export expansion. “This growth is the result of reconstruction after Hurricane Beryl, a storm that caused damage amounting to 16.7% of GDP. This growth is not due to structural productivity gains. Grenada is growing only because it first fell. This recovery is important and welcomed, but it is not transformation,” he said.
“If we continue to confuse temporary rebuilding with long-term economic strength, we risk misleading both ourselves and our people,” he told the Senate, claiming that key sectors in the economy are collapsing, but the government hides the truth.
“While we boast about growth in one sector, agriculture continues to struggle. Nutmeg output fell by more than 51%, mace by 33%, cocoa by 9%, even one year after the hurricane. Our farmers are struggling with labour shortages, high costs, and limited technical support. Our farmers remain resilient, but resilience alone is not policy. They need irrigation, replanting support, better markets, and agro-processing capacity,” he said.
