New Democratic Party president and Northern Grenadines MP Dr Godwin Friday is hoping the US government’s
shutdown, which is now the longest in history, having entered 26 days, will be halted soon and resolved as a very
long shutdown can have serious implications for remittances coming to St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In an interview on Friday afternoon, Dr Friday said that he did not have specific information on how many persons
from this country are working with the federal government but for those who might be and “if they are affected
then it would definitely have some impact.”
“I don’t know what the actual figures are and to what extent people who are sending remittances to St Vincent from
the US – the specifics about that – could be affected. But I would hope that there is a resolution to it. Because, you
put yourself in the position of the workers who are affected and, through no fault of their own – some of them are
going to work and are not getting paid… But I hope it will be resolved,” Dr Friday said.
The Leader of the opposition further stated: “But, as to how it affects us here, I can’t see it as anything positive. If it
affects one person being able to send that money to pay school fee or to send to buy uniform for the child to go to
school, or to help to pay the electricity bill because their parents are living at home; these are things that families in
this country go through all the time. Brothers and sisters abroad, you know, uncles and aunts sending a little thing
home to help out. And if they are affected then it will definitely have an impact here. Since the unemployment here
is so bad there is no way for persons to adjust. You can’t go out and borrow money to try and adjust. And you hear
talk that this situation may continue for weeks. I think the President almost said even for years. I mean, let’s hope it
doesn’t happen because I’m sure it will impact more people in St Vincent.”
A report by The Guardian newspaper today says “members of Congress were out of Washington, Donald Trump
was unmoved in the White House, his border wall unbuilt, and around 800,000 federal workers were still without
pay and facing mounting hardship.”
