LABOUR IS WORKING FOR ALL
Even as the campaign is ramping-up for the forthcoming general elections, generally expected to be held before the end of 2025, the ULP government is, as always, working assiduously for all the people of SVG.
All over SVG everyone can see the activities, including: Completing the construction of the modern port in Kingstown, a project costing EC $700 million; the ongoing construction of the Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale, costing EC$250 million; the ongoing construction of the massive sea defence at Sandy Bay to save our main Callinago/Garifuna community at a cost of almost EC $40 million; the road construction and repair programme throughout SVG costing, currently, nearly EC$100 million; the ongoing multi-million dollar school rebuilding programme; the current EC $40 million housing repair/rebuilding programme on top of the over EC $150 million spent thus far on this programme since hurricane Beryl; the supportive EC $66 million recovery programme in partnership with Ian Wace; the construction of several health and community facilities; an EC $7 million programme of the National Lotteries Authority in upgrading the sport facilities; and so forth. Big things ah gwaan in SVG!
Additionally, there are the other non-infrastructure activities of the state covering every aspect of life and living, including the social protection initiatives to help the poor and disadvantaged.
MEANWHILE MORE ROLLING OUT
Meanwhile, more governmental initiatives are rolling out including: The impending signing of the agreement with Sandals for a US $375 million, 375 keys, Beaches Resorts at Mt. Wynne; the prospective signing of the agreement to build out a 300-room Marriott Hotel at Peter’s Hope; the rolling-out early next year of the hotel and marina project at Cumberland; multiple focused initiatives in agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing; the BOSVG-GECCU-NIS “town houses” project at Peter’s Hope for young professionals (64 town houses), with government support, and more in the offing; expansion of electricity, water, and telecoms services; the soon-to-be distribution of 2,700 laptops to 5th formers and first-year students at the Community College; and so forth.
Last week at Cabinet, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (the 5Cs), based in Belize, presented the final version of the US $52 million programme for strengthening water delivery in the Grenadines (desalination plants will be placed on Bequia, Canouan, Union Island, and Mayreau) and on St. Vincent, financed mainly by a grant from the Green Climate Fund.
And earlier this week Cabinet approved: (i) the final details of the US $56 million upgrade of the Canouan Airport financed mainly by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); (ii) the final arrangements of the US$50 million “Grenadines Wharf” to be relocated at the Bottom Town area to be financed by United Kingdom Export Credit (UKEC) and the CDB; (iii) the approval of a US $10 million loan grant from the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) of which US$5 Million is for the expansion of the Argyle International Airport and two projects in agriculture (youth-in-agriculture programme and an abattoir); and (iv) the imminent roll-out in early 2026 of the redevelopment of Little Tokyo, funded in part by resources from ALBA.
At the same time, the Cabinet is proceeding with an engagement with the Global Ports to develop the old site of the Kingstown Port into a modern cruise-ship and tourism facility. And on Monday September 22nd, the Prime Minister gave approval, in principle, to the Board of the state-owned Ottley Hall company to proceed with a lease agreement with a private sector entity from Martinique to develop further, and immediately, the Ottley Hall facility with capital investments of at least US $12 million.
Clearly, the ULP’s transformational leadership is at work. While the ULP has laid the strong foundation for SVG’s further development into a “first world nation” of a special type in the Caribbean in 15 or so years, the NDP is still at the “pit-latrine” level with its bits-and-pieces suggestions, for our country’s future. The truth is simple: The ULP has the vision, the plans, the leadership, the team, and the organization, in communion with the people, to lift SVG higher, while the NDP is running on empty, on noisy fumes, in every material particular.
PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH
On Monday September 29th, Parliament meets. Among the Bills on the Order Paper for consideration and passage are: (i) the Beach Vending Bill to regulate beach vending on several beaches across SVG; (ii) the Bill to address the matter of freedom of movement on October 1, 2025, between SVG, Barbados, and Belize, and to facilitate easier movement otherwise; and (iii) the Port Restructuring Bill to facilitate the management of the modern port facility. We also want to pass other important Bills before the general elections including those regulating lawyers and pharmacists. We are a working government; Labour works for all!
THE LABOUR CAMPAIGN IS GETTING IN STRIDE
Labour is on the move in the pre-campaign. Last weekend there were massive crowds at ULP events in Central Leeward (Layou), West Kingstown, and the Southern Grenadines (Union Island). The Comrade Leader was at Layou and Union Island. The response of the people was fantastic at each event. Labour supporters are energised and can hardly wait for the Comrade to ring the bell. And former NDP supporters are coming over to Labour in droves. They see the progress in SVG; and they embrace the ULP vision. They know that they are better off, by far, under the ULP government; and they see even more progress on the horizon. In the midst of it all, the cultural artistes are responding with outstanding creativity in song for Labour.
The ULP is on track to win all the seats on St. Vincent and to take the Southern Grenadines for the first time. And in the Northern Grenadines, Lorraine Friday, the Canadian resident in Bequia, cannot stand on his own even after nearly 25 years as the parliamentary representative; he is all-about Bequia invoking the ghost of the legendary James Mitchell; he is telling people to vote with their “memory card”, to give him another chance in memory of Mitchell. But “Son” Mitchell thought very little of Friday; he considered Friday to be lazy, weak, indecisive, aloof from people, and a fake. Mitchell was right on this. Friday is a failure.
Register and vote: Remember Labour is working for all!
