Entire ULP Cabinet to Blame for Taiwan Debt.
Senator Israel Bruce, candidate for South Central Windward
representing the New Democratic Party (NDP), has placed full responsibility for the country’s growing debt to Taiwan on every member of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government, including his political opponent, Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar.
Speaking on the New Times program last Thursday, Bruce said the ULP administration must collectively answer for the estimated $800 million owed to Taiwan. According to him, if government members “subscribe to what their leader says and didn’t challenge him,” then they are all responsible for the debt. He added that if interest were added, the amount would likely exceed $1 billion.
Bruce was responding to comments made by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who said that the loan owed to Taiwan would be a “hook in the gill” of the NDP if the party were to form government. The Prime Minister explained that if a new administration decided to change diplomatic relations, the loan would become payable immediately.
Bruce rejected that notion, arguing that the statement was meant to create a political entanglement between Taiwan and mainland China. “That’s not the real issue,” he said. “The real issue is that this government has decided that it will determine the future of foreign policy for the country by placing an economic burden on the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
He questioned the government’s motives, saying that the decision to borrow was not driven by necessity but by a desire to control the nation’s foreign policy even after leaving office.
> “Whether it’s 15, 20, or 30 years, nobody knows where the fortunes of global hegemony will shift. It is improper to take such a decision, not because the country needs the money, but because you want to dictate a foreign policy when you demit office,” Bruce stated.
To illustrate his point, Bruce used a local example involving the payment of driver’s licenses several years in advance. He explained that if 10,000 people were to pay for licenses for 2025, 2026, and 2027, it would give the current government access to funds that should have been available to the next administration.
> “It’s the same thing with this loan. By taking on this massive debt, the ULP is putting the incoming government in an economic bind,” he said.
Bruce further emphasized that the “hook in the gill” is not on the NDP, but on the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “It’s not the NDP who will have to repay the loan — it’s the taxpayers of this country,” he said.
The Senator also drew an international comparison to highlight the unpredictability of global alliances. He pointed to the shift in U.S. foreign policy regarding Russia and Ukraine, noting that less than a year ago, President Bush and the United States were seen as supporting Russia, and now America is supporting Ukraine.
> “Nobody knows what can happen in global affairs. That’s why it’s dangerous to tie our nation’s economic future to one foreign policy decision,” Bruce warned.
He concluded that the government’s handling of the Taiwan relationship and its accompanying debt represents not just poor fiscal management, but a strategic and moral failing that will weigh heavily on the Vincentian people for years to come.