Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves has issued a scathing critique of the current administration’s economic policies, citing the dire plight of minibus operators as a primary indicator of a “dead” national economy.
According to Gonsalves, the transport sector is currently grappling with a severe lack of passengers, a situation he claims is indicative of the “hard” reality facing ordinary Vincentians. He reported that operators running routes from Georgetown and Barrouallie into the capital are struggling to fill their vehicles, even during their peak daily runs.
“You think it easy to leave Georgetown or leave Barrouallie come into town when you’re making your second trip and you only have five, seven people in your bus in your 18-seater?” Gonsalves questioned during a recent radio broadcast. He noted that the lack of patronage has become so unsustainable that many drivers are simply “parking up the buses” because they cannot afford to operate them under such low volumes.
This downturn in the transport industry is mirrored by a general lack of commercial activity in the streets. Gonsalves described a recent visit to Middle Street, where he observed “more vendors than people” and noted that by 4:00 p.m., vendors were already heading home because the streets were virtually empty.
The struggle of the minibus operators is part of a broader industrial slowdown, Gonsalves argued. He pointed to the absence of “big trucks” on the roads and a significant decrease in traffic at Rabbacca, where people typically go to collect construction materials. “The workers who used to have to work late and get overtime none of that available now, you know, because things gone slow, slow, slow,” he remarked.
Gonsalves attributed these difficulties to the government’s pursuit of IMF-backed austerity measures, which he believes are “bitter medicine” for the poor and the working class. He claimed that policies such as “wage moderation” and the reduction of public sector jobs through “natural attrition” are draining the economy of its circulation and purchasing power.
Characterizing the government’s approach as “anti-developmental,” Gonsalves suggested that the economic hardship being felt by minibus operators and vendors is a direct result of the electorate making a “mistake” in the last election. He urged the public to recognize an “obligation” to correct this error by returning the ULP to power at the earliest opportunity.
“The only way out,” Gonsalves concluded, “is the framework of the ULP,” which he argued focuses on public investment and economic growth rather than the “austerity program” currently being implemented. He warned that without a shift back toward state-led enterprise, the country would continue to face “chaos and disorder.”