Tourism Minister Peter David has suggested that more shared sacrifices and greater collective decision-making could assist Grenada in meeting its economic challenges.
Above all, the Grenadian people must experience the benefits of their sacrifices, David told a sitting of the House of Representatives.
“We cannot call on people to make shared sacrifices, if they suspect that when the growth comes there will not be shared benefits,’’ David said in his contribution to the 2012 budget debate.
“The people – especially the most vulnerable – must be at the center of all we do; not just saying that they are at the center of all we do but visibly demonstrating through policy actions that they truly are at the center. The people must always be at the center.’’
Any economic gain will be quickly eroded, if too many Grenadians are left behind, warned David who is MP for the Town of St. George and General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
During the budget debate, criticism of the package was leveled by NDC MPs Karl Hood and Michael Church.
Hood, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, chided his NDC colleagues for their lack of cohesiveness, saying they have not “gelled and worked well in the interest of the people;’’ and complained about the cut in the budgetary allocation to his ministry.
In the lead up to the presentation of the budget on March 9, some government members also expressed surprise that Finance Minister, Nazim Burke, was publicly promoting the Grenada Individual Investment Program (GIIP), which the minister himself admitted had not been adopted or approved by cabinet.
Burke, in wrapping up the budget debate on March 14, said government is still interested in pursuing the implementation of GIIP, although cabinet is said to have decided to temporarily shelve the program that some claim too closely resembles the failed “passport-selling’’ scheme of the former NNP administration.
“We are part of a team and there must be collective responsibility. But the responsibility can only be collective, if the decision-making is also collective,’’ David said in his budget address.
“In going forward,’’ he added, “we must understand that when we take varying ideas on board, we do not diminish our positions. In fact, we strengthen them.’’
(Source http://www.spiceislander.com/?p=6533)
