(An abridged version)
GOOD NEWS
Last week (Sunday March 31st to April 7th) brought several items of good news arising from the developmental initiatives of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government.
Among these were the following: (ii) The announcement by Delta Airlines that starting December 20, 2025, Delta will fly non-stop, daily to Argyle International Airport (AIA) out of Atlanta , Georgia, United States of America, over the winter tourism season; (ii) SVG received aid for the poultry industry with a delivery of 17,500 broiler chicks from the ALBA Bank of which SVG is a member, headquartered in Venezuela; (iii) Fisherfolk and seas moss producers in Bequia received vital supplies under the Hurricane Beryl Emergency Response and Livelihoods Recovery Programme through the auspices of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the government of SVG; (iv) the certification of 200 fisherfolks under the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) – SVG Food Security Project of the government of the SVG; (v) the continued, and faster roll-out of the Post-Beryl Housing Rehabilitation Project, including the acceleration in the rebuilding process in Union Island with the start-up involvement of a 40-member Construction Brigade of the Guyana Defense Force; (vi) the ramping up of the roll-out of all the capital projects and recurrent initiatives of the ULP government across SVG as detailed in Budget 2025; (vii) the holding of the Diaspora Investment Promotion event in London , UK, under the auspices of Invest SVG, at which the Minister of Finance, Camillo, delivered the feature address; and (viii) the official visit of our Prime Minister, Comrade Ralph, to Romania, from which benefits are already flowing; (ix) the continued good governance of SVG, including the averting of serious criminal misconduct; and (x) enhanced regional cooperation amidst America’s tariffs.
services provided in SVG; more employees at AIA; more jobs in hotels and restaurants; more revenues for government; more money in the hands of hoteliers, workers, farmers, fishers, entertainers, service providers of all kinds. And so forth. All in all, a prosperous SVG!
In terms of international airline connections, SVG now has: Virgin Atlantic out of London; Air Canada out of Toronto, Canada; American Airlines out of Charlotte (North Carolina); Caribbean Airlines, Jet Blue, and American Airlines out of New York; American Airline out of Miami; and as of December 20th, Delta out of Atlanta. As the Comrade had correctly advised: “Build the AIA, and the airlines will come – Build it and they will come.”
The genius of the ULP government in building the AIA which every government hitherto, and the current opposition NDP, had thought impossible must now be fully recognised and applauded by all patriotic Vincentians. Sadly, and falsely, there are those in the NDP who still insist that AIA was not a necessity, and a milestone around the necks of Vincentians. The people must continue to punish the current NDP for its continued folly on AIA. Similarly, the people must continue to reward the ULP and its leadership for its vision, foresight, capacity, and quality governance in all matters, large and small.
And, we remind everyone that the same people who now “bad-mouth” the Modern Port in Kingstown are the very same ones who “bad-mouthed” the AIA. Daniel Cummings, Glenford Stewart; and the weakling of a “leader” Lorraine Friday, have no shame. They do not want to see real progress in SVG; they have no uplifting vision; they pull down, they cannot, and do not, build up.
RAMPING -UP HOUSING REHAB
The ULP government has set itself the mammoth task of assisting the people in the repairs, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of some 6,000 houses across SVG consequent upon the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024, and inclusive of a remainder of houses damaged by the volcanic eruptions of April 2021 which have since deteriorated. North Windward, North Central Windward, North Leeward, Bequia, and the Southern Grenadines were mainly affected, but elsewhere too. Beryl destroyed Union Island and severely battered Canouan and Mayreau.
The ULP government, Ian Wace’s Gombolimbo group in Canouan and Union Island, and home-owners themselves where able, have been doing a good job of rebuilding houses. All across SVG, some 3,000 or one-half of the 6,000 houses have been already satisfactorily addressed. Of the 143 houses in Mayreau which required attention, only seven (7) or so remain to be rebuilt/repaired. In Canouan, practically all the houses have been rebuilt/repaired. In Union Island, some 400 of the 1,000 affected houses have been satisfactorily rebuilt/repaired; and a ramping up is currently underway in union Island.
