(Excerpts of PRO of the NDP, Lavern King’s, presentation at Town Hall meeting in New York)
I stand before you representing a portion of the Vincentian population who are deeply frustrated. I bear a heavy burden knowing that in our beloved St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We face a near 50% unemployment rate among our young people. It is a harsh reality that we cannot ignore any longer.
Some people think when we speak in the NDP, we are exaggerating. Friends, it is a fact that many aspects of our nation are in the ‘red’. I have in my hands a list of over forty-four (44) promises from the ULP’s manifesto. Pledges they have made for the young people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I will highlight three (3) of these promises, not to exaggerate but to illustrate that our concerns are very real.
First, let us talk about the book loan scheme, which is in the ‘red’. In the ULP’s manifesto, they said that they would enhance the book loan scheme. In the year 2000, under the then NDP government, we allotted $2.7 Million dollars to the book loan scheme. In 2023, one would expect the ULP to at least match that figure. Instead, they allocated a mere $1 million. Twenty-three (23) years later, we are putting less money into the book loan scheme. This is not progress; this is regression.
Our streets are ‘red’. More blood is being shed and people no longer feel safe in their homes and on the streets. This is point number two. Remember, I said that I am going to pull three (3) of the broken promises to our young people. The ULP said in their manifesto that they were going to focus on community crime prevention and early interventions to give young people the best chance at rehabilitation and personal growth. And, they would provide legislatively and practically, sensible alternative sentencing particularly to first time and young offenders. They have failed to implement such policy. Instead, we have more and more of our young people going down the wrong path.
Instead of them getting the opportunity to learn a skill and to be redirected, they are just left to a one size fits all system which does not consider rehabilitation and as such they end up becoming hardened criminals. Further, it must be disheartening for you to be reading the news about what happens back home, because I know that it feels like almost every week, you expect to read of another crime, be it gun violence or robbery.
Thirdly, I will touch on the promise to restructure the disadvantaged student loan program. I will touch on it because I feel this pain. They said that they were going to waiver the interest on student loan payment during the COVID months and they were going to reduce the percentage on the interest of those loans and here we are today in 2023 and that too did not happen.
I am telling you that the young professionals in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are frustrated because often times no matter how much you try because the conditions are not conducive to our success; we find that we still come out struggling and in the ‘red’.
I want you to picture with me that you have a young person, a brother, a sister or a cousin in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and you send money to them to help them through school. You help to pay their fees for university. That person did all the right the things and graduated with a degree and still cannot find a job at home. Friends our country is in the ‘red’ and it is not working for young people.
ULP Government adopting policies from the NDP
Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced recently that his government intends to cut the interest rate on student loans. The reduction of interest rate on student loans is an NDP policy that was a key plank of our 2020 general elections manifesto.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) welcomes it when the ULP government adopts its policies because people benefit. However, we cannot be sure that the ULP will not just say what people like and not implement them.
Other policies that have been proposed by the NDP, which the ULP government has adopted entirely or in part include:
- Expanding the YES programme to include private sector placements;
- Expanding the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET);
- Reduction of customs duties for taxi operators;
- Introducing stiffer penalties for crime.
Leader of the Opposition and President of the NDP, Honourable Dr Godwin Friday, said, “We know imitation is the best form of flattery. We in the NDP welcome it when Gonsalves adopts our policies and says they would implement them. The problem is, after two decades, we cannot trust them to follow through on any of their many empty promises. It would be safer to have an NDP government to implement NDP policies and ideas.”
Dr. Friday went on to say, “Only last month, we launched the Youth Guarantee Pledge that promised a job, training or placement in an education program or an internship for every young person. Maybe, this is something that can be discussed by the PM and his youth council. We want to improve the lives of everyone in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, especially young people looking to make it here. We are looking forward to rolling out more plans for our country in the months ahead. Ralph can copy them if he wants to. But, we look forward to changing government so that we can implement them and improve our country! ”