OUR VISION FOR SVG Contents LETTER FROM THE POLITICAL LEADER

Letter From The Political Leader ...... 1 Operation Recovery And Reconstruction ...... 5 infrastructure (schools, roads, bridges, river Helping You Rebuild ...... 5 defences, coast areas), hundreds of homes The Most Successful Government In Our History ...... 6 of our people especially those of the poor Delivering for You: Hundreds of Projects ...... 10 NDP: Turning Back The Clock On Ulp Progress ...... 18 and the working people, and our people’s The Commitments On Which We Will Deliver ...... 20 economic and social lives, particularly but A. Finishing Argyle International ...... 20 not exclusively in the northern half of St. B. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS ...... 22 Vincent. Already, the ULP Government is C. Economic Approach Competitive Economy Sustainable Growth, ...... 23 very busy at effectively rebuilding St. Job Creation And – Proposals For A Sound Economy Vincent and the and is daily D. Private Sector Development ...... 28 providing a helping hand to all those who Economic Growth & Job Creation E. Our Economic Pillars ...... 31 have endured pain, loss, damage, and (ii) FISHERIES: Nutrition, Jobs, Wealth Creation ...... 36 suffering at the hands of Tomas. I feel sure (ii) TOURISM: The Transformational Sector ...... 37 that the overwhelming majority of (iv) MANUFACTURING: Finding the Niche ...... 38 Vincentians are more than satisfied that the (v) CONSTRUCTION: A Growth Industry ...... 39 ULP is best placed to lead “Operation (vi) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES: ...... 40 Recovery and Reconstruction” in St. Vincent Linking the World, Making An Industry (vii) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES ...... 41 My Dear Fellow Vincentians and Voters, and the Grenadines. F. POVERTY REDUCTION: Fighting the War Against Poverty The STAR TEAM ...... 42 It is widely acknowledged at home and G. FISCAL POLICY: Managing the Money With Prudence and Enterprise ...... 45 As the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the abroad that the ULP administration, over the H. THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION ...... 47 Grenadines and the Political Leader of the past ten years, has presided over the most I. HEALTH AND WELLNESS REVOLUTION: Health for all in the 21st Century...... 53 Unity (ULP), I come humbly to impressive achievements of any J. HOUSING FOR ALL: Lands for the People ...... 55 you yet again to ask for your vote in the government in the history of St. Vincent and K. PUBLIC WORKS AND ROADS: Linking the Nation ...... 57 L. PREPARING FOR AND MANAGING NATURAL DISASTERS ...... 58 forthcoming general elections to enable my the Grenadines. So, we seek your vote for M. ENERGY AND VINLEC: Powering Production and Modern Living ...... 59 party and government to complete certain another term partly on the basis of our N. WATER: Our Lifeblood ...... 61 unfinished tasks and to take the lead in record of outstanding accomplishments but O. AIR TRANSPORT AND AIR ACCESS: Linking SVG to the World...... 62 lifting St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the also on our solemn commitments to you for P. SEAPORTS, MARINE TRANSPORT, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION: ...... 64 next level of development in the interest of the future. In the 2001 and 2005 general Letting Our Seas Serve Us ...... 64 our people as a whole. In the process, I elections we made pledges to you about Q. THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY: Solidarity and Upliftment ...... 65 R. EMPOWERING THE WORKING PEOPLE ...... 66 ask you to own this campaign; make it what we would do, and we kept our word. S. THE ELDERLY: Protection, Love and Caring ...... 67 yours; it belongs to you. You can trust us to keep our promises YOUTH, SPORTS & CULTURE ...... 69 because we have earned your trust not by T. THE GRENADINES: Our sland Jewels ...... 69 Defend your country, your ULP, your family, mere words, but by real deeds, by doing U. GOOD GOVERNANCE: An ULP Record ...... 72 and the gains which you have had in what we promised for our nation’s (i) Reform in the Public Service...... 73 abundance over the past ten (10) or so upliftment. (ii) Reforming and Modernising Public Enterprises ...... 73 years. V. JUSTICE, LAW, ORDER AND NATIONAL SECURITY...... 74 (i) Fighting Crime and Ensuring Justice in the Courts ...... 74 The Unity Labour Party has detailed (ii) The Police & Security Forces: Modernising the Frontline Against Crime ...... 77 The General Elections of 2010 are being elsewhere its people-centred vision, its (iii) Correctional Facility for a Safer Nation...... 80 held in the immediate aftermath of the philosophy of applied social , its W. VINCENTIANS OVERSEAS: A National Treasure ...... 81 havoc caused by Hurricane Tomas to our many-sided economic strategy of X. CARIBBEAN INTEGRATION: Making Our Region Whole...... 82 nation’s agriculture, its physical sustainable development, its socio-cultural Y. FOREIGN POLICY: Friend Of All, Satellite Of None ...... 83 CONCLUSION: We Naaah Tun Back!!! ...... 84 1 quest to advance further our Caribbean have His people return us to government so In our third term in office, the ULP promises This Manifesto elaborates further other civilisation and its magnificent Vincentian as to ensure that we do not leave behind any to focus further on these TOP TEN programmatic details on these TOP TEN, component, and its creative policies and unfinished tasks. POLICIES: and other, policies of the ULP. They, programmes which are transforming St. collectively, illuminate the only feasible path Vincent and the Grenadines, for the better. The ULP, on its return to government, will 1. Waging the ongoing War against for our nation’s further progress, subject Further, our ten years in government have extend, consolidate, deepen, and build upon Poverty; always to God’s grace and favour. sharpened us for greater achievements the remarkable successes of the years since 2. Wealth Creation and Job Creation; particularly with the unified blending of a core 2001. We have practically doubled the wealth 3. Pursuing a many-sided strategy of Over the last ten years it has been my of experienced stalwarts and some fresh of St. Vincent and the Grenadines measured sustainable economic growth and personal joy to witness the growing list of faces of the highest quality. The ULP is thus by way of the universally accepted index of its development in an increasingly outstanding achievements by Vincentians, offering continuity, including consolidation, of Gross Domestic Product; and individual modern and globalised especially the young, in all areas of human our sound public policies such as those incomes have risen markedly. We have environment, including the endeavour. Our students at home and at related to wealth and job creation, education, created some ten thousand new jobs. We consolidating of fiscal discipline, universities abroad have been excelling; our poverty reduction, housing, health and have fashioned appropriate public policies, balancing prudence and enterprise; sports personalities and cultural activists wellness, information and communications including targeted strategic interventions, 4. Extending and deepening the have been making immense waves technology and airport development and which have made possible a significant Education Revolution, including a regionally and internationally; our business- change to take our nation to the next, higher reduction of poverty and the roll back of further emphasis on ICT training owners and entrepreneurs have been level of development. indigence from 25.7 percent of the population and the implementation of the one initiating and expanding their business to 2.9 percent; in the process we have made laptop per child policy; activities at home and in the region; and The truth is that the other major St. Vincent and the Grenadines a fairer and 5. Making St. Vincent and the Vincentians of all walks of life have been in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the NDP, more equitable society. We have witnessed Grenadines safer and strengthening exuding a greater confidence in themselves has wasted its last ten years in opposition. It an unprecedented growth in the private sector law and order; and our country than ever before. These is bankrupt of ideas; it opposes everything owned by Vincentians. We have embarked 6. Enhancing the Health and Wellness have not been accidental happenings; they which is progressive; it is disunited; it trades successfully on the Education Revolution, the Revolution, including relocation of are a consequence of focused public daily in the currency of untruths and insults; it Health and Wellness Revolution, and the the main hospital; policies which have better facilitated has a leader whom practically everyone Housing Revolution. We have enhanced by 7. Uplifting the communities by enterprising individual efforts. Success knows is unable to lead especially in these leaps and bounds the physical infrastructure properly addressing the vital areas breeds success and a spirit of optimism challenging times; it looks forward to the past of our country, including roads and bridges. of concern, including road repairs, fills the air. We do not embrace the in full knowledge that its future is behind it, We have advanced, as never before, the sports and cultural facilities; learned helplessness and negativism of and it is yet to purge itself of backward preparation for, and management of, natural 8. Elaborate plans for the building of a those whose vision and imagination are elements who are awaiting the first disasters. We have strengthened our legal new city at Arnos Vale and limited and limiting. We emphasise our opportunity to plunder resources of the State. system and waged successfully the war enhanced access to Kingstown; people’s possibilities and strengths rather Simply put, the NDP has to wheel and come against crime and the causes of crime. We 9. Completing the Argyle International than to be dulled into a negativism which again. The nation cannot afford the have lifted sports and culture to Airport and enhancing connectivity celebrates their weaknesses and limitations. monumental gamble with this lot. unprecedented heights and, in the process, in every way between St. Vincent The ULP is in love with solutions not the have raised up our sporting and culture and the Grenadines and the world. problems. This mood, which becomes an Meanwhile, the ULP has been focused on personalities higher and higher. Similarly, 10. Delivering top-notch good enduring strength, envelopes our people, for delivering good governance most admirably, workers in the public and private sectors, governance all round, in every area the better. as we indeed had promised. To be sure, there farmers, youths, the elderly and women, and of public policy, including regional can be no perfect governance in our Earthly their organisations, have had the quality of integration. At a personal level I reaffirm my profound City since that exists only in the Heavenly City. their lives immeasurably improved. Our love and caring for, and commitment to, the In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as in every regional integration and foreign policies have All of these policies will be implemented people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. other part of the world, we ought never to been fashioned to our nation’s advantage. within the context, too, of the immediate Over the past ten years or so, I have worked make perfection the enemy of the good. We Overall, the people of St. Vincent and the “Operation Recovery and Reconstruction” in very hard, honestly, and conscientiously for have delivered thus far. Now we ask God to Grenadines are far better off today, in every St. Vincent and the Grenadines. the people of St. Vincent and the material respect, than they were in 2001. 2 3 Grenadines and our Caribbean civilisation, successes belong not only to my party, but OPERATION RECOVERY AND at home and abroad. As always, I have to the people of St. Vincent and the been in communion with the people; I have Grenadines. I thank you for the opportunity RECONSTRUCTION: learnt from you; and in turn you have been I have had to serve you, thus far, and I ask steadfast with me, even at the most again for yet another opportunity to serve HELPING YOU REBUILD challenging times. You have invested you even better in our third term. enormously in me and there are still more Development Bank, (CDB), and the Food returns for you to receive from your Please be assured that you are all in my Hurricane Tomas caused hundreds of and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to investment. My training as a social scientist prayers always. I thank you for keeping me millions of damage to water and assist in agriculture’s rehabilitation. This is (economics, government, philosophy, in your prayers, too. Let us work together electricity infrastructure, agriculture, a task which the ULP will continue to pursue history, law, administration), my work meaningfully for another five years. I pray houses and other buildings, roads and most vigorously. experiences as a university lecturer and for God’s blessings upon us all. bridges, the coastline, and river lawyer, my political activism in and out of defences. Immediate and urgent action is Rebuilding Homes: Some 1,200 houses Parliament, my functioning as Political being undertaken under “Operation have been damaged, dozens of which have Leader of a mass party and Leader of the Sincerely yours, Recovery and Reconstruction in St. Vincent been totally destroyed. The repair and Opposition, my nearly ten years as Prime and the Grenadines:” rebuilding of these houses are being carried Minister and regional leader, my life’s out mainly through the State-owned Housing experiences as father and husband, and my Helping Our Farmers The Ministry of and Land Development Corporation holding of the office of citizen, have all put Agriculture has preliminarily assessed the (HLDC). We have been distributing me in good stead to add further to my life’s devastating damage to agriculture as substantial quantities of building materials work in service to you, the people. I have amounting to $67.2 million and a further and providing workmanship for housing been a political activist for 42 years; I have Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves $61.7million is required for rehabilitation and reconstruction from as early as the second lived through epoch-making times; and I am Political Leader of the income support for farmers. The ULP day after Hurricane Tomas. Resources for here to serve you again faithfully and well. I Unity Labour Party Government has been mobilising domestic this effort have been coming from shall be here fore you; I love you most resources, monies mainly from the World government funds, credit facilities from sincerely. My government’s enormous Bank, the European Union, the Caribbean building suppliers in St. Vincent and the

4 5 Grenadines and the region, help from the CDB, European Union and , is Mustique Charitable Trust, grants of building directing all work on the roads and materials, and monies from Venezuela, the associated drains and bridges. A full CDB, and other agencies. assessment is also ongoing regarding the significant and manifest damage to our Rebuilding Roads, Drains: The secondary coastline and rivers. Their restoration is roads, village roads, feeder roads, drains, being done with special funding from the culverts, bridges have been damaged, very World Bank while further assistance is badly in many cases. The State-owned anticipated from international agencies BRAGSA, with resource assistance of the connected with adaptation to climate change. THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT IN OUR HISTORY In March 2001, the ULP met the condition of The ULP is satisfied that under its our country and the government finances in leadership, and with God’s blessings, our an awful mess. At the same time we in the people’s resilience and focus will ensure ULP have had to take the country forward. that this setback will be turned into an We have done all this in the most advance. challenging circumstances at the start of our first term and toward the end of our second Too many achievements to print! Get the term in office. It has been our nation’s full list at www.VoteULP.com misfortune to have been faced on

6 7 September 11, 2001, with the terrorist British American as a consequence of attacks on the United States and their which, many of our citizens suffered debilitating economic and security tremendous losses. consequences. Then, in mid-September 2008, the international economic and In between the harsh consequences of financial meltdown commenced dramatically and continues up to the present time 9/11 in 2001 and the 2008 to 2010 unabated, in what has become the worst financial meltdown, St. Vincent and the global economic recession since 1929, over Grenadines has had to face more than 80 years ago. This global economic crisis its fair share of other externally-sourced has wreaked havoc in developed and challenges, including: The largest price developing economies alike. Countries in hike internationally ever for oil; the the Caribbean, including St. Vincent complete removal, practically, of the and the Grenadines, had nothing to preferential price for our bananas in the do with causing this economic European market; and serious natural recession, yet we have been on the disasters almost every year. Despite all front line of those most severely these challenges, and more, the affected. One clear example is the economy of St. Vincent and the and the quality of our peoples’ lives has improved markedly. directly related collapse of CLICO and Grenadines has survived and thrived, In spite of the challenges, St. Vincent and the Grenadines narrowed the wide gap which had existed between the better regional economies in the OECS

8 9 and ours. It is an almost unbelievable story but it is absolutely true. The ULP and ! Built a modern 2-story YWCA facility, ! Rebuilt and restored the former Kim’s St. Vincent and the Grenadines have done commendably well, though as always, including an Early Childhood Rental Building as the modern headquarters of the Housing and Educational Centre, at the back of there is better still for us to do. Land Development Corporation Grammar School. (HLDC). In ten years, the ULP Government has spent in excess of $1 billion on capital ! Purchased, rebuilt and extended the ! Rebuilt, reconstructed, extended and projects through the central government; in the preceding ten years the then NDP Cyrus Squash Complex as the modernised the Kingstown Fish government spent less than $400 million or less than forty percent of what we have National Lottery Headquarters. Market. laid out in capital spending. ! ! Built a modern, state-of-the-art two- Constructed a modern multi-million storey Technical Centre at dollar headquarters for the National Kingstown, near to Bishop’s College. Delivering for You: Hundreds of Projects Insurance Services. ! Built an ultra-modern Emergency ! Built a modern, state-of-the-art two- Operations Centre and National Including: ! Built the George Mc Intosh storey Technical Centre at Emergency Management Office Community Market at Paul’s Avenue Kingstown, near to Bishop’s College. (NEMO) Headquarters. ! Repaired all primary and secondary and cleaned the street area in front of ! schools and other educational Bishop’s College of unsightly shops. Built and enlarged modern facilities at ! Built an ultra-modern Emergency institutions between July and August the School of Nursing. Operations Centre and National 2001 at a cost of $5.5 million. ! Renovated Victoria Park and put in Emergency Management Office ! Restored and upgraded the old flood lights to play football. The Administrative Wing of the Milton ! (NEMO) Headquarters. Rebuilt and extended the Post Office floodlights alone cost in excess of Cato Memorial Hospital. and Old Ministerial Building. $300,000. ! Built and enlarged modern facilities at ! Rebuilt and restored the former Kim’s the School of Nursing. ! Restored, rebuilt and extended Rental Building as the modern ! Built the Leeward Bus Terminal. Peace Memorial Hall. headquarters of the Housing and ! Restored and upgraded the old Land Development Corporation Administrative Wing of the Milton (HLDC). Cato Memorial Hospital.

10 11 ! Rebuilt, reconstructed, extended ! Extended several existing and modernised the Kingstown secondary schools, namely, Fish Market. Grammar School, Girls High School, Campden Park ! Built and equipped a modern Secondary, Carapan, North Union, National Public Library at Georgetown, Adelphi, Barrouallie, Richmond Hill. Troumaca; and Emmanuel Kingstown (before the building of ! Rebuilt and extended a modern a new school). Curriculum Unit Building at Kingstown. ! Restored, extended and rebuilt existing physical facilities into ! Restored the Radio 705 AM secondary schools at Sandy Bay, Facility. Colonarie, Belair, Richmond Hill, and Buccament. ! Built, thirteen Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) at: Sandy Bay, ! Completed modern primary Chester Cottage, Colonarie, schools (which had barely started South Rivers, Evesham, Sans by March 2001) at Byera and Souci (North Union), Biabou, Sandy Bay. Villa, Upper Cane Hall, Questelles, Layou, Fitz Hughes, ! Built a modern, state-of-the-art and . Automotive Repair Training Centre at the Technical College at ! Built a modern, well-equipped Arnos Vale. School for Special Needs at Georgetown.

12 13 ! Built a replacement primary more would shortly be established ! Built three modern, well-equipped clinics at Greggs, Biabou, and Retreat as school at Colonarie. at: Sandy Bay Government well as a polyclinic at Stubbs. School, Spring Village Methodist ! Rebuilt and extended the Lodge School, Lowmans Windward Village Primary School. Anglican School, Calliaqua Anglican School, Colonarie ! Built a modern primary school at Government School, Park Hill Peruvian Vale. Government School, Dickson Methodist School, Rose Hall ! Built two ultra-modern primary Government School, and Belair schools at and Fair Hall. Government School.

! Established nine (9) state- ! Built three ultra-modern operated Early Childhood secondary schools at Edinboro, Education Centres at: Owia Peter’s Hope, and Union Island. Government School, Langley Park Government School, Argyle ! Established the National Institute Government School, Marriaqua of Technology (NIT) at Ottley Hall. Government School, Cane End Government School, Troumaca ! Constructed the Information Government School, Kingstown, Technology Centre of Excellence Bequia Anglican School, and Fair at Diamond. Hall Government School. Nine (9)

14 15 ! Repaired and renovated 21 clinics ! Built a modern, multi-million dollar ! Built the historic Rabacca Bridge. ! Built Sea Defences at several sites nationwide, including pharmacies at: Fisheries Complex at Owia. including major ones at Arnos Vale , Biabou, Greiggs, Retreat, ! Built the Canouan Jet Airport. and Langley Park. Richland Park, Lowmans Windward, ! Renovated and modernised the Evesham, Barrouallie, Layou, Arrowroot Factory at Owia. ! Renovated and upgraded at a cost of ! Built River Defences at several Georgetown, Mesopotamia, Belair, several million dollars the at places, including major ones at Union Island, Sandy Bay, Owia, ! Built a Cassava Factory at Rabacca. E.T. Joshua, Union Island, and J.F. Colonarie and Langley Park. Byera, Calliaqua, Colonarie, Park Hill Mitchell (Bequia). and Diamond. ! Built a Coconut Water Bottling Plant ! Built a Land Fill at Belle Isle for Solid at Congo Valley. (It has some ! Built two Golden Years Activity Waste Disposal. ! Rebuilt Police Stations at Owia, technical operational problems which Centres for the Elderly at Cane Sandy Bay, Mesopotamia, and Rose are being sorted out). Grove and Black Point. ! Extended the collection of garbage Hall. weekly throughout St. Vincent. ! Built and operationalised a Vacuum ! Built and reconstructed the entire ! Built modern Police Stations at Packaging Plant for Root Crops at Windward Highway, including several ! Completed the Dallaway Water Canouan, Biabou, Questelles and Lauders, and expanded it into the bridges. Project. Georgetown. bottling of fruit juices. ! Widened, fortified and restructured ! Built the massive Windward Water ! Built a jetty at . ! Built a Chicken Hatchery at the Byera Tunnel and the Park Hill Project sourced at Jennings Valley Dumbarton. Tunnel. and distributed from North Central ! Built power facilities at Mayreau and Windward to East St. George. Lowmans Leeward. ! Built, so far, over 650 low-income ! Built the multi-million dollar Sea houses across the country Defence and Board Walk Project at ! Constructed a huge warehouse for ! Renovated, extended, and Layou. National Disasters at Campden Park. modernised the Bequia Fisheries ! Built and upgraded 14 Tourism Sites. Centre.

16 17 ! Rebuilt, extended and modernised the Arnos Vale Playing Field. (in fact the NDP intends to lay off ! The PETRO CARIBE Agreement and some of these employees); ! Rebuilt and renovated playing fields at Arnos Vale, Sion Hill and Stubbs. the ALBA membership; ! The extent of salary increases, ! Built two additional courts at the Villa Tennis Centre. ! The Medical Assistance Programme allowances, and bonuses for public with Cuba; servants, teachers, nurses, police ! Renovated and rebuilt the Chili Playing Field. officers; (the NDP plans to follow the ! The National Stadium Project; salary-cutting dogma of the IMF.)

NDP: TURNING BACK THE CLOCK ON ! The Low-Income and No-Income ! The Modern Medical Complex at ULP PROGRESS Housing Projects; Georgetown; ! The Hall of Justice at the De Freitas ! The Programme of Rehabilitation/ Over the last ten or so years, the opposition to do so. Among the matters on the NDP’s Site at Richmond Hill; Rebuilding and Constructing Police NDP took backward, obstructionist, and chopping block, in the unlikely event it is anti-national stances on a number of Stations; returned to government, are: ! The Youth Empowerment Service excellent progressive policies and (YES) Programme; ! The policy of providing economic programmes of the ULP Government. ! The Argyle International Airport; Indeed, the NDP is on record of pledging to stimulus to boost the economy; ! The further employment of public halt and roll back many admirable policies, ! The Cross-Country Road; servants, police officers, teachers, ! projects, programmes or initiatives of the The targeted strategic interventions nurses and other medical personnel; to create Jobs and Reduce Poverty; ULP administration, if ever it got the chance ! The Education Revolution;

18 19 ! The distribution of 10 cents per square foot land for housing; The ULP Government has lined up the construction of an amazing support from friendly governments and interconnecting bundle of roadways ! The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDEC); agencies internationally for this huge including the Rabacca Bridge and the project which when completed would Cross Country Road; the improvements ! The Financing and Support for LIAT; cost around $600 million. It is an at our seaports and the provision of extraordinary venture demonstrating incentives for a fast-ferry service ! The Ottley Hall Enquiry; leadership, creativity, and between our islands; and the vastly unquestioned boldness on the part of improved air access and air access ! The subsidy to farmers on their purchase of inputs; the ULP Government. What others options, including the saving of LIAT, the thought was impossible, the ULP is construction of the Canouan Jet Airport ! St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ membership of the Non-Aligned Movement; and making a reality. Only the ULP and the improvements at the other Government can finish this necessary airports in St. Vincent and the ! St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ progressive, independent, beneficial foreign policy. and desirable international airport. Even Grenadines are ongoing. the opposition forces accept this truth. That is part of the reason why they In our third term, the ULP Government THE COMMITMENTS ON WHICH WE constantly “bad talk” the international will build on its outstanding record airport. Argyle International Airport is regarding air transport and air access by: WILL DELIVER: earthworks commenced in August 2008 coming under the ULP. A. FINISHING ARGYLE and are proceeding quite well. The ! Strengthening and expanding LIAT. construction of the Terminal Building and When it comes to transportation and INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ancillary facilities will be completed in interconnectivity, the new international ! Strengthening the nexus between early 2012. All phases of the airport’s airport is only the beginning. An “Inter- LIAT and Caribbean Airlines. The ULP Government is on target to construction will proceed at the same Connectivity Revolution” is taking place complete the construction of the Argyle time. The work has been planned in this in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ! Enhancing the capacity of the Eastern International Airport by June 2012. The manner. through: The revolution in Information Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority and Communications Technology (ICT); (ECCAA).

20 21 ! Strengthening security at our airports. approach as outlined throughout the Canouan Developers; the generation of employment over the next five years. Read manifesto; our sensible fiscal policy some 1,400 jobs (construction and tourism- on to learn more about our big ideas and Providing further training and job mixing well both prudence and enterprise; related) of the Buccama Resorts bold vision to bring jobs and opportunity to opportunities for skilled personnel in every our government’s commitment to social Development; by the sensitivity of local our country. area of the business of civil aviation. justice; our targeted strategic employers; and the adaptability of interventions; the Education Revolution Vincentians in entering own-account C. ECONOMIC APPROACH: COMPETITIVE ECONOMY, B. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS and other sound social policies; the economic activities. releasing of the creative and SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, entrepreneurial spirit of our people; our In the ULP Government’s third term, we will JOB CREATION AND A Jobs Revolution. focused foreign policy which brings create even more jobs, and quality jobs, as SOCIAL JUSTICE – Jobs are connected to everything we do. PROPOSALS FOR A SOUND resources to us; the deepening of the our policies are refreshed and the ECONOMY They are created through a strong regional integration movement; and good foundations of the last ten years bear economic environment across all governance, including the maintenance of greater fruit. The combination of domestic The ULP is committed to its quest to build a economic sectors. Our policies in law and order and the enlarging of our private sector developments, foreign direct modern, competitive and diverse post- agriculture, tourism, aviation, construction democracy and freedoms. investment particularly in tourism, and public colonial economy which is at once local, and much more are all developed to sector investments in an increasingly Even in the global economic down-turn, St. national, regional and global. Such an maximize job opportunities for diversified and competitive economy, will Vincent and the Grenadines has been economy, by definition, must be sustainable Vincentians. produce yet more jobs. Our government’s saved from the major job lay-offs which and focused on delivering wealth, jobs and target is to reduce unemployment in the have occurred regionally and overseas. We social justice. The central features of the In its almost ten (10) years in office, the next ten years to below 10 percent of the have been saved from that pain and economic approach or strategy are as ULP Government has created over labour force. Only the ULP Government suffering through: Sensible employment follows: 10,000 additional jobs, net. can accomplish this! Our unemployment policies by the ULP Government; the Unemployment is down; employment is target for 2020 is below 6 percent of the undertakings given to the government, and 1.The harmonious and effective workings up. All this has been achieved through labour force. The ULP has to be in office for kept, by the Mustique Company and of a involving the our pro-active and strategic economic a third term to create this level of private, and State sectors in

22 23 a non-ideological and practical manner 4.The location of social equity at the core suitable to the circumstances of St. of the considerations in the fashioning of Vincent and the Grenadines. economic policy.

2. The placement of private sector and 5.The pursuance of a policy of balanced, non-State cooperative enterprises at sustainable, economic growth, without the centre of the the volatility of peaks and troughs as far although the economic role of the as practicable in our small, open, export- State ought not to be confined solely led economy, and which generates to business facilitation and successful businesses and more jobs. regulation. It cannot retreat as a force This policy of economic growth for good. Still, the State must not have demands, among other things, optimal an overwhelming presence in the human resource development and an ownership and management of efficacious application of modern economic activity or businesses. science and technology.

3.The maintenance of the macro-economic 6.The push for economic diversification to fundamentals of a stable currency escape the historical trap of “mono- through the Eastern Caribbean Currency cropism”, though admittedly with at least Union (ECCU), low inflation, fiscal one lead or transformational sector prudence and enterprise, fair and (tourism), among others. competitive tax regimes, enhanced business competitiveness, engendering 7.The further integration of the economy of new and better attitudes to work and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the production, increased productivity, and economic union in the OECS and the effective good governance. CSME in CARICOM.

24 25 8. The practical implementation of the ! Boosting and modernising the fishing National Trade Policy which has been industry; elaborated, and adopted by Cabinet. ! Developing a quality, many-sided, refreshed 9. The further intensification of the tourism industry as the lead transformational search for favourable credit facilities sector in the economy; for start-up businesses, for investment in plant and machinery, ! Building, even in a difficult international and working capital. climate, a viable and sound international financial services sector; 10.The continued aggressive hunt for investors, domestic and foreign. ! Targeting further the manufacturing of high- end quality products while maintaining and The strategic framework involves a enhancing existing types of manufacturing; package of policies and programmes, including: ! Enlarging further the production of services, and their local value-added, such as ! Intensifying the diversification of merchant shipping, banking and insurance, agriculture and increasing this sector’s telecommunications, and professional absolute and relative share of the services; economy; ! Developing the creative arts and sports as ! Enlarging the domestic production economic and employment-creating of livestock and poultry; activities;

! Creating more viable opportunities in ! Adding value in diverse areas such as agro-processing; transportation, construction, water,

26 27 D. PRIVATE SECTOR ! Reduction of the standard rate of ! Provision of generous tax incentive or electricity, and government services; DEVELOPMENT, company tax on tourism enterprises from reliefs of all kinds for producers in ECONOMIC GROWTH & 40 percent in 2001 to 30 percent in 2005 agriculture, fisheries, tourism, !Facilitating the retailers and JOB CREATION and to 20 percent from 2008; transportation, manufacturing, wholesalers in making their trades restaurants and fast food more efficient and competitive; The ULP Government’s policy of ! Reduction of tax to 25 percent on the establishments, telecommunications providing unequivocal support for the providers, shipping, construction ! Marketing in a more focused way, the chargeable income in relation to exports private sector and of building a strategic companies of residential houses, and goods and services produced in St. of manufactured commodities to partnership between the private and small enterprises, among others; Vincent and the Grenadines; cooperative sectors and the State, has CARICOM countries and to 15 percent been a tremendous success in terms of to extra-regional markets; ! ! Creation by government of six vital Stimulating further the wealth and job creation, poverty ! institutions to facilitate businesses development of Small and Micro- reduction, social cohesion, and Increase in tax allowances for housing s generally and in specific sectors, Enterprises (SME ) in the domestic construction companies engaged in the democratic governance. namely, Centre for Enterprise economy; building of housing developments; Development (CED), Invest SVG, the No government in the history of this ! Utilising even more assuredly in Tourism Authority, the Inputs country has been as supportive of the ! Support to the housing construction enhancing business and its Warehouse Company, the Banana domestic private sector like the ULP industry through a number of other promotion, the state agencies such Services Unit of the Ministry of Government. Our record of measures including the 100-percent as Invest SVG, the Commerce and Agriculture, and the Commerce and Intellectual Property Department, the achievement includes: mortgages for public servants through Intellectual Property Department; Tourism Authority, the Centre for the State-owned National Commercial ! Enterprise Development, the Reduction of the standard rate of Bank (NCB); ! Liberalisation of telecommunications Standards Bureau, and the Banana company tax and personal income tax which, through competition, has Services Unit. from 40 percent in 2001 to 32.5 percent ! Support for Small and Micro-Enterprises improved the quality and range of in 2009; (SMEs) through the Micro-Enterprises services at reasonable prices. Loan Programme at the NCB;

28 29 ! Ensuring an independent, fair and " Seek further credit facilities at competitive E. OUR ECONOMIC PILLARS ! Provided substantial income support for transparent tendering process in the Central prices for starting-up, business expansion, farmers while tackling the Moko and Government and Public Sector enterprises working capital, and private sector (i) AGRICULTURE: The Economic Black Sigatoka diseases; on one for building contracts and the procurement of development generally from development Mainstay occasion we paid $4 million in support at goods and services; institutions such as the Caribbean the time of Moko; Development Bank the ALBA Bank, the Agriculture sustains the rural economy and ! Reduction of the number of commodities Export-Import Bank of Taiwan, and the is still the largest single employer of labour ! Provided subsidies on inputs from 2004 requiring input licences and generally freeing regional entities of the Libyan Export Group of any of the productive sectors, outside of until now at an annual level of $1.5 up regional and international trade; of Companies. the State administration and public million; enterprises. ! Providing generally a very sound investment " Promote sharpened competitiveness through ! Provided fertiliser at half-price in 2009 and business climate acclaimed by increased labour and management In the BANANA SECTOR, over the past ten into 2010 through the Petro Caribe international agencies such as the World productivity; an appropriate application of years, the ULP administration has project; Bank and the Heritage Foundation; modern science and technology, including supported the banana industry in every information technology; a more efficient State material particular. From the outset of our ! Established properly the Banana In the next five years, a ULP Government administration; facilitating the sourcing of Government, and continuing, we: Industry Trust to assist farmers in the pledges to: cheaper raw materials for production inputs; first seven years of our government with the availability of cheaper energy; and lower ! Took over immediately $18 million of the EU money; " Target a further reduction of the standard taxes. $30 million debt in which we met the St. rate of corporate and income tax from Vincent and the Grenadines Banana ! Ensured reforms in WIBDECO to 32.5 percent to at least 27 percent over " Improve further the cleanliness nationwide Growers Association (BGA) and provide direct benefits to farmers; the next five-year period; especially in the city of Kingstown; provided it with $2 million in cash; ! Built the Reception and Palletisation " Make permanent the reduction of the " Include even more private sector ! Restructured the industry twice with a centre at La Croix; standard rate of corporate taxation on personalities on the boards and new Banana Act first in 2002 and then in tourism enterprises at 20 percent; management structures of the public 2008, after widespread consultation with ! Oversaw all the changes in the industry enterprises. farmers; including EUREGAP certification;

30 31 ! Increased banana exports to the regional " Secure from the European Union our fair market; share of the resources of Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) which the ! Led the way regionally in the difficult European Union in conjunction with the lobbying process for a sustainable African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) market in Europe for CARICOM countries are fashioning as a consequence of bananas; the dismantling of the preferential market regime. ! Established a Banana Industry Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture in the wake of " Assist farmers even more in improving the dissolution of the BGA. quality and yield so as to be more cost effective; ! Assumed all the debts of the dissolved BGA, including the costs for severance " Strive to make WIBDECO even more farmer- payment, amounting to in excess of $15 friendly, cost effective, and a ready investor in million. non-banana agriculture;

! In its third term, the ULP " Ensure the continued viability of the insurance administration will: system through WINCROP;

" Implement the Banana Production Plan " Repair/rebuild more vital feeder roads through in the context of the National Agricultural BRAGSA and the Ministry of Works. Plan; In OTHER AREAS OF AGRICULTURE (NON- " Continue to subsidise agricultural BANANA), the ULP administration in its next term input significantly; will:

32 33 ! Maintain a viable arrowroot industry built Agricultural Training Institute at especially for the farmers in the north Rabacca; east of St. Vincent; ! Sort out the teething problems and ! Ensure the successful functioning of operate effectively the “Land Bank” for the Lauders Agricultural Plant at young, prospective farmers and other Lauders, the Cassava Factory at interested farmers in leasing land for Rabacca, and the Chicken Hatchery at farming; Dumbarton; ! Accelerate the Agriculture ! Work with the Food and Agricultural Diversification Programme in the Organisation (FAO) of the United context of the National Agricultural Nations to ensure that all the technical Plan and the Food Security Plan problems at the Coconut Bottling Facility especially root crops, fruits, at Congo Valley are sorted out for a full vegetables, coconuts, cocoa, production; plantains, etc.;

! Operationalise effectively the Agricultural ! Facilitate further appropriate credit and Livestock (Prevention of Theft) Act facilities specially-designed for in conjunction with the 20 specially- farmers; selected Rural Constables and the Police; ! Deepen cooperation with the Taiwanese Agricultural Mission; ! Commence full-time training for farmers and agricultural workers at the recently-

34 35 ! Maintain St. Vincent and the Social Development by way of a more ! Provide further training to fisherfolk in importantly, the creation of quality jobs for Grenadines’ self-sufficiency in pork structured Inter-Ministerial Committee for every aspect of the fishing industry; Vincentians. and expand production for export; Rural Development. ! Continue to pursue with the help of the In its third term, the ULP administration will: ! Work closely with poultry farmers to ! Repair/rebuild more feeder roads. Ministry of Fisheries a sensible, produce in sufficient quantities for as independent policy on whaling in the ! Complete the construction of the much local consumption as possible; (ii) FISHERIES: Nutrition, interest of St. Vincent and the Argyle International Airport which will Jobs, Wealth Creation Grenadines and no other country; revolutionize our tourism industry ! Increase the production of livestock and spur development; especially cattle, sheep and goats; Since 2001, the ULP administration has ! Strengthen further the institutional been most active in building capacity in the capacity in the Fisheries Department. ! Encourage more and more the ! Work with ECGC to keep the price of industry, improving the management development of quality small hotels and animal feed as low as possible; frameworks, and enhancing the physical guest houses, especially by Vincentians; plant. Examples of this include the (ii) TOURISM: The ! Implement further the Integrated modernisation and expansion of the Transformational Sector ! Continue to work closely with the Forestry Management Plan and fully Kingstown Fish Market at a cost of $16 developers of the Buccament Resort protect our forests; million; the construction of the Owia Fishing Tourism has become the major economic Complex to complete it fully (1,000 Facility at a cost of $33 million; the sector in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. rooms), by June 2012, but to have ! Put agriculture, livestock and forestry at renovated Bequia Fisheries Centre; the The net effect of the ULP Government’s phased openings before then; the centre of the Sustainable Livelihoods provision of a special credit line at the NCB comprehensive Tourism Sector Plan has Project; for fishers to upgrade their vessels and been the significant investment in hotel ! Encourage further foreign direct equipment; and enhancing training for development both on the mainland and in investment in quality hotels, resorts, and ! Ensure better coordination for the benefit fisherfolk. the Grenadines, more focused training of real development in Bequia, Canouan, of the rural communities the Ministries of persons in the hospitality industry, improved Union Island, Mayreau in the Grenadines Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; In its next term in office, the ULP marketing of our destination, the ongoing and at Mt. Wynne/Peter’s Hope in St. Rural Transformation; Industry; and Government will: development of standards, improved air Vincent. access and the saving of LIAT and most

36 37 ! Pursue, in conjunction with the State- 2001, this sector has been holding its own We will continue our quest for high-end (PSIP) drive the construction industry in owned National Properties Company, the despite its competitive challenges in the manufacturing, agro-processing, bottled housing, hotels, and the physical development of the proposed Tourism USA and Canada arriving from the North water export, and products with a “Vincy” infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and and Hotel Project at Orange Hill; American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and in reputation/tradition. Our government will government buildings. Foreign direct Trinidad because of its competitive continue, too, its substantial fiscal and other investment, remittances from abroad, and ! Enhance existing efforts at marketing St. advantage in energy. incentives to the manufacturing sector. The external grants or soft loans to the Vincent and the Grenadines as a tourism Bureau of Standards will enhance its government provide substantial capital for destination through the Tourism In ten or so years, we have noted already excellent work. the construction industry. Authority, Invest SVG, and the private manufacturing expansion and increased sector; investment in the production of beer, soft (v) CONSTRUCTION: A The ULP administration has been quite drinks, wines, bread and pastry, windows Growth Industry supportive of the construction industry in ! Ensure continued, and improved, and roofing material, construction and innumerable practical ways such as the management of the Tobago Cays quarrying materials, furniture, agro- Historically, economists and central 100-percent mortgage programme to the through its Marine Board, and the host of processing, fish-processing, water bottling, planners have tended to sneer at the NCB, several other incentives; sourcing other tourism sites by the recently- flour, rice, animal feed, data processing and construction industry as a “non-trading” building materials; a sensible land policy; created National Parks Authority; clothing, among other commodities. sector as though its importance is entirely efficacious physical planning laws and episodic to the economy. In the case of St. guidelines; as well as training in the building ! Upgrade further the recently-established In our third term, the ULP Government Vincent and the Grenadines and other small trades and professions. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism will continue its push to target specific economies of the Caribbean this is a Authority. manufacturing enterprises with a good misreading as regards the centrality of the It is also manifested in the hefty Public track record (quality product, favourable construction sector in providing an Sector Investment Programme PSIP (iv) MANUFACTURING: market prospects, and sound economic stimulus, job creation, and amounting to over $120 million annually and Finding the Niche management) for special assistance to production linkages. The private sector, which is implemented at twice the rate of move them from a “cottage industry” including the financial institutions, the the NDP government in real terms. A large The manufacturing industry is vital to our status, to a more substantial cooperative sector such as the credit portion of the PSIP is directed to economy for wealth and job creation. Since manufacturing enterprise. unions, and the State sector through the construction. Public Sector Investment Programme

38 39 In our third term, the ULP administration will This is an area of the highest priority for continue to beef up an allied area of intensify its efforts to support the vital of the ULP Government thus far. Today we further social and economic development. services, namely, the international construction industry. This is a growth have a functioning Eastern Caribbean shipping services, through the work of the industry with substantial capital resources (vii) INTERNATIONAL Ships Registry locally, and the offices of Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL); a FINANCIAL SERVICES from overseas. We will continue to well-run National Telecommunications Maritime Administration here in St. Vincent strengthen the building code to ensure that Regulatory Commission (NTRC); a well- and the Grenadines and overseas in sound buildings that can withstand natural staffed and expanding Ministry of The ULP has reformed the IFS sector, Geneva. disasters are built across our islands. We Telecommunications (established for the established an excellent regulatory regime will create training programmes that will first time ever by the ULP in 2001); over overseen by the International Financial F. POVERTY REDUCTION: result in the certification of skilled artisans to Services Authority (IFSA) and its Fighting the War Against 120,000 active mobile telephones of the Poverty ensure that they are qualified to ply their highest quality at competitive prices; over companion, the Financial Intelligence Unit trade and to make those artisans more one-third of the homes with internet (FIU). The ULP Government will continue to Ten years ago, under the NDP marketable in the local and regional job connections and expanding; over 20,000 be on the ball in reviewing its legislation, administration the Gross Domestic market. fixed-line phones; government intranet and improving IFSA so as to enable the Product (GDP), which measures the services and the extension of government private sector providers of IFS to sell a combined value of all goods and services (vi) INFORMATION VOIP PBX; the National Centre for wider range of quality IFS products to TECHNOLOGY SERVICES: produced in the country for a year, stood Technological Innovation Incorporated and discriminating clients. St. Vincent and the Linking the World, Making An at $1.1 billion. By the end of 2008, this its extensive national training programmes; Grenadines is building itself as an excellent Industry country’s GDP had jumped to almost $2 and building of the Centre of Excellence. IFS jurisdiction. Invest SVG will ramp up its billion. That is substantial wealth creation The ULP Government shall take us to the promotional work in conjunction with private Over the past ten or so years, there have to which the ULP was, and is, committed. cutting edge of technology and will sector service providers to strengthen St. been impressive achievements chalked up Correspondingly, average annual GDP per strengthen the legislative framework. We Vincent and the Grenadines as a major in telecommunications. In this regard, head of population rose from roughly will focus, too, with international partners, on jurisdiction for International Financial sterling leadership has been provided by Dr. $10,000 in 2001 to almost $19,000 at the the development of a software industry in Services. Jerrol Thompson, who has been the end of 2008. Large numbers of persons St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Minister of Telecommunications for the life Similarly, the ULP Government will accordingly entered the middle class; and

40 41 42 STAND FIRM FOR THIRD TERM! 43 huge numbers of persons graduated out of countries have gotten deeper into poverty G. FISCAL POLICY: Managing implementing the ECCU’s Eight Point indigence and poverty. Still, vulnerabilities in the last decade, St. Vincent and the the Money With Prudence Stabilisation and Growth Programme remain and we must strive to do even Grenadines has moved forward. Further, and Enterprise reflecting prudence and enterprise. better. our society is becoming less unequal. In 2001, the Gini Coefficient which measures The ULP Government has fashioned a Over the next five years, the ULP Poverty Reduction and the Education equality was 0.56; by 2008, it was 0.41. sensible fiscal policy for St. Vincent and the Government will: Revolution remain among the top priorities (The closer the number to zero, the less Grenadines, mixing prudence and of the ULP administration. inequality there is; the closer to the enterprise in measures appropriate to the 1. Provide an appropriate balance between numeral one, the greater the inequality). changing economic circumstances the conflicting objectives of injecting a The sharpest reduction in poverty ever in nationally and internationally but always with fiscal stimulus and maintaining a St. Vincent and the Grenadines has taken All the material indices point to poverty a bundle of core benchmarks and central sustainable debt path. Depending on place under the ULP Government. In reduction in St. Vincent and the elements. In the process, the ULP the circumstances, prudence or 2001, when we took office, the general Grenadines: Employment, income per Government has had to take issue with enterprise will be emphasised while poverty level was 37.5 percent of the head, food and nutrition, housing, water, some of the International Monetary Fund’s ensuring that they ride in tandem. population and indigence or “dirt poor” electricity, telephone, education, health, judgments and prescriptions, only to have poverty was 25.7 percent of the other social services, social protection and the IMF acknowledge that we were correct 2. Pursue vigorously the policies outlined in population. By 2008, general poverty in safety nets, and life expectancy. Simply with our assessments and policies. In the Fiscal Covenant which was drawn up St. Vincent and the Grenadines had been put, the ULP’s socio-economic policies fashioning our fiscal policy, the ULP in concert with NESDEC. The Fiscal reduced to 30.2 percent of the population and good governance effect a reduction in Government works in concert with the Covenant emphasises: and indigence had fallen dramatically to poverty. Eastern Caribbean currency Union (ECCU). 2.9 percent of the population. St. Vincent The ULP is managing the money well.Still, (i) Fiscal consolidation; and the Grenadines had moved from In our third term, the ULP Government will the challenges are awesome in this difficult (ii) Improvement in Public Revenue being the poorest country in the Western ensure further reductions in poverty, by international economic and financial measures, including compliance and Hemisphere after Haiti to one which was heightening the implementation of our situation. administration; among the fastest risers from poverty. In socio-economic and good governance (iii) Sensible management of deficits and fact, when some other Caribbean policies which have worked in this area, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has played debts, including a focused debt including the targeted interventions. a leading role in the ECCU in fashioning and management strategy. A well-staffed

44 45 Debt Management Unit has been (iii) Reducing taxation on working people H. THE EDUCATION and parents are more meaningfully engaged established in the Ministry of Finance. It by raising the income threshold for REVOLUTION than ever. The terms and conditions of will be strengthened further in our third payment of income tax from $18,000 teachers’ employment have improved term. annually to at least $21,000 over the In 2001, the ULP Government launched its drastically. No child has been left behind; (iv)Improvement in the Productivity of Public next five years. [ULP increased this Education Revolution as a central plank of no teacher has been left behind; no parent Expenditure; threshold from $12,000 to $18,000]. its socio-economic platform for living and must be left behind. Special challenges (v) Transparency of Public Expenditure; production, for human and social have been and are being addressed (vi)Safeguarding equity and the social 4. Institute tax reforms so as to promote development. The Education Revolution efficaciously. The ULP Government has safety net through fiscal measures; and equity, fairness, and investment has been a spectacular success but much pumped massive resources into education (vii)Strengthening further the institutional enhancement. In this regard, a raft of more still needs to be done. The progress and training: On an average since 2001, framework for democratic controls, measures will be reviewed including made thus far has been hailed by the annual expenditure has been in excess accountability and monitoring in fiscal property taxation. There will be no educationists locally, regionally, and of $150 million for this area of social policy. matters. increase in the tax burden. In this internationally. Immense strides have been In other words, over the ten year period regard, we shall continue our efforts at made, as never before in St. Vincent and (March 2001 to the present time), the ULP 3. Continue the further reduction in removing VAT on even more food items the Grenadines’ history, in every area of Government would have spent in excess of personal income tax and company tax where practicable. education: Early Childhood, Primary, a mind boggling $1.5 billion on education by: Secondary, Post-Secondary, Tertiary, and training. Details of all this are available 5. Look for other creative revenue Teacher Education, Nursing Education, elsewhere in this Manifesto addressing a (i) Reducing the standard rate from 32.5 measures which do not affect adversely Technical and Vocational Education, Adult summary of our accomplishments and in percent to at least 27 percent; the people especially the poor and Literacy, Continuing Education, and Special other publications. Recurrent spending on working people. Still, we emphasise Education. Both the quantity and quality Education in 2010 is a whopping 25 percent (ii) Keeping the rate for tourism that we are vehemently opposed to aspects of every facet of education have of a growing Recurrent Budget overall. enterprises at the current 20 percent; the Opposition’s proposal to sell been dramatically transformed for the better [ULP reduced this from 40 percent]; Vincentian citizenship and passports under the ULP Government. The In our next five years in government, the to foreigners. The ULP will NEVER do management of the educational system and ULP intends to consolidate and extend that! of the schools or educational institutions has every aspect of the Education Revolution in been lifted. The teachers, their ,

46 47 the interest of all the stakeholders, in information technology and the basic especially the students, and the society as commitment, especially in the following sciences; x Emphasizing those aspects of the a whole. We shall emphasise Access, areas, is to: curriculum which connect directly with Quality, Performance, Relevance, " Strengthen further our policy and the building of a modern, competitive " Affordability. Accordingly, a ULP Carry out another comprehensive programmes regarding universal economy in an advancing Caribbean Government will: repair/renovation programme in all 61 access to quality Secondary Education civilisation, such as: The Sciences, primary schools nation-wide; by: Information Technology, Mathematics, ! Make sure that every child between the Critical Reasoning, Modern Languages " Focus, at every level, on remedial work ages of three and five years attends an x Repairing and upgrading the physical (English and Foreign Languages), Early Childhood Education Centre or particularly in reading, literacy, and facilities at a number of secondary Caribbean History and Civilisation, and School whether operated by the State numeracy; schools; Applied Business Studies. or the private sector. Universal access " Ensure a solid primary foundation in ! to Early Childhood Education is an x Completing the construction, including Delivering meaningful remedial imperative. This will be achieved by English language, Mathematics, Basic the equipping, of the modern programmes especially in English mid-2011at the latest. Science, Information Technology, a secondary School at West St. George; Language, Mathematics, and Critical Foreign Language, and Social Studies, Reasoning to students who are including History. Critical Thinking as ! Enhance every facet of Early x Renovating and extending the St. challenged in their academic/ Childhood Education in terms of distinct from “rote” learning will be Vincent and the Grenadines Grammar intellectual development. acceptable physical facilities, quality emphasised. Primary education is the School and the Girls’ High School; ! teaching, support services for students foundation of the education enterprise. Develop further Post Secondary It will be enhanced further. and sound management. x Upgrading further the Science Education through the integrated St. Laboratories and Libraries at all Vincent and the Grenadines " ! Consolidate, deepen and broaden the Equip properly all the primary schools secondary schools; Community College by: advances in Primary Education: Our with facilities for teaching and learning

48 49 " " Expanding the physical facilities (Third reduce the extent of non-performing accommodation in such a facility. This is Focusing university education on those Phase) of the Division of Arts, Sciences students and to improve performance; an urgent matter. areas of professional training where and Humanities (former “A”-Level there is an urgent manpower need such ! College) to include more classrooms, " Expanding and upgrading the offering Continue the aggressive pursuance of as in the branches and specialties in the lecture halls, science labs, extension of and delivery of a wider range of marked enhanced access to University Health Sector, Engineering, the the administrative bloc, more student programmes leading to university degree Education so as to achieve the goal of at Sciences, Mathematics, Land Surveying, support service facilities (including courses not only those of the University least one university graduate per Quantity Surveying, Forensic Science, cafeteria), and specially-designed of the , but of other household in St. Vincent and the the Technical areas in Tourism and facilities for Art. universities. Grenadines by 2025 at the latest, by: Hotel/Restaurant services, Modern Languages, Economics, and Technical " " Renovating, upgrading and extending " Enhancing the Library facilities markedly; Securing more scholarships, bursaries, and Vocational Education, and so forth; the physical facilities of the Divisions of grants, and student support for our ! Nursing Education, Teacher Education, " Focusing greater attention and prospective university students; Deliver further quality, and enhanced Technical and Vocational Education. resources on the Sciences, access to, Special Education. " Mathematics, Critical Reasoning, Building up the National Student Loans ! " Keeping enrollment levels high to satisfy Information Technology, and Modern Company especially to facilitate Consolidate and further expand the the demand for post-secondary Languages so necessary to modern economically-disadvantaged students. delivery of Adult and Continuing education at every Division of the living and production; Education. " College; Expanding access to university ! " Exploring the practical feasibility of education in St. Vincent and the Lift the quality of Teaching at all levels of " Placing appropriate Technical and building and running a competitively- Grenadines, through the various the education system by: Vocational Education centrally in the priced Students’ Hostel for students from divisions of the Community College and " education system. the Grenadines, North Windward, North in collaboration with UWI. Training teachers in the core subject Leeward, and other distant geographical areas to better deliver content; " " Making sure that structured educational areas, and other students whose socio- Encouraging actively persons to pursue, " and other systems are in place so as to economic circumstances cry out for where appropriate, on-line or distance Emphasising Critical Thinking/Reasoning university education; as the core methodology for teachers.

50 51 " Making premium payments to teachers range of matters touching and I. HEALTH AND WELLNESS developed the provision of tertiary health in vital subject areas especially where concerning education at all levels REVOLUTION: Health for all services overseas by the government. teachers are in short supply such as the including: Counseling, The School Meals in the 21st Century Generally, every facet of health services is Sciences and Mathematics; Programme, the Book Loan Scheme, far better today than in 2001. Security, Health Facilities, Sporting The delivery of Health and Environmental " Achieving the goal of having employed Facilities, Facilities for the Performing Services has improved significantly over the From the very beginning of our third term, as teachers only those who are both Arts, Parenting, Special Student past ten years under the ULP Government. the ULP Government will ramp up further trained as teachers and competent in the Services, Curriculum Development, We have repaired or renovated 21 clinics; the priority status of the delivery of health relevant subject areas. Measurement and Testing. built and equipped four brand new and services. One signal already of this is our modern clinics; installed well-supplied government’s decision to make the Health " Working with the St. Vincent and the ! Integrate sports, physical recreation, the pharmacies in all the clinics; built a modern Sector the focal sector for financing from the Grenadines’ Teachers Union to lift the creative arts, and music fully into the polyclinic at Stubbs; improved the delivery 10th European Development Fund (EDF) professionalism of teachers in the Educational System. of health care and hospital services at the Programme. classroom; Milton Cato Memorial Hospital despite the ! Build further the Parent Teachers’ terrible legacy left us there by the NDP In the next five years, the ULP Government " Continuing to improve the salaries, terms Associations. including a badly-built hospital extension; will: and conditions of employment of curbed epidemics including HIV/AIDS; teachers; ! Provide enhanced transportation drastically improved primary health and ! Embark on, as a matter of the highest facilities for our students. public health services; enhanced markedly priority, the relocation of the Milton " Ensuring that teachers in non-State the delivery of water of the highest quality at Cato Memorial Hospital. This will schools who were hitherto not employed ! Continue to reform the management the most competitive price to 98 percent of involve the construction of a modern by Government, but now are, be systems in the Ministry of Education so the houses on St. Vincent; improved water hospital elsewhere. Arnos Vale is accorded credit for the earlier years for as to better deliver educational policies delivery to the Grenadines; ensured that being suggested as the preferred pension purposes; and programmes. garbage is collected and properly disposed location. of nationwide; beefed up the delivery of ! Consolidate further and enhance to the ! Implement the “One Laptop per Student” secondary health services; hugely ! Complete the construction of, and optimal level possible, programmes on a policy through the acquisition of thirty thousand laptops by January 2011.

52 53 equipping fully, within months, the Modern so as to improve further the delivery of waste management throughout St. and secondary health services, dental Medical Complex at Georgetown with all pharmaceutical services run by the Vincent and the Grenadines. services, and health delivery generally. modern hospital facilities in addition to being State. the centre for dialysis treatment. ! Extend further and deepen the ! Continue to expand further assistance to ! Continue to wage aggressively the fight community health programmes, health persons seeking specialist tertiary health ! Implement, through ALBA, the Lives to against HIV/AIDS through the well- education, and family life education to care overseas. Live Project, so as to take care of the staffed HIV/AIDS Unit and an win the battle against the so-called “life mentally and physically challenged adequately-resourced strategy. style” diseases. ! Work with the relevant regional and persons. international agencies on the issue of ! Continue the “Vision Now” Eye ! Examine more closely the possible Climate Change. This is vital for our ! Build two more fully-equipped Programme with the Cubans. introduction of an affordable National existence and development as a small- Polyclinics, one at Marriaqua and one in Health Service though the National island developing country. Buccament; ! Implement the plans to rehabilitate the Insurance Services. Lewis Punnett Home within the 10th EDF J. HOUSING FOR ALL: Lands ! Build Doctors and Nurses Quarters on Programme. ! Ensure that the health system is well- for the People the sites for the Polyclinics and at Union staffed by the appropriate health Island; ! Elaborate further and continue to personnel: Doctors, nurses, The ULP Government has done a implement a programme, including pharmacists, dentists, technical magnificent job in putting roofs over ! Implement, in conjunction with a regional improved physical facilities, for the better health workers, and so forth. people’s heads. Our housing policy has “Health and Wellness Revolution”, a delivery of quality psychiatric services. manifested itself into: A Low-Income comprehensive programme to tackle Funding is earmarked for this under the ! Strengthen further the management at Housing Programme; a No-Income Housing chronic non-communicable diseases and 10th EDF programme. the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Programme; the 100-percent mortgage for illnesses or injuries related to violence public servants, through the State-owned and/or accidents. ! Keep the environment clean, enforce the ! Continue, generally and specifically, to National Commercial Bank (NCB); the environmental laws, and enhance solid improve and build upon the past ten provision of tax concessions to private ! Work closer than ever with the OECS years’ advances in public health, primary sector builders of housing estates; the Pharmaceutical Procurement Services

54 55 ! Strengthen further the planning and K. PUBLIC WORKS AND revamping of the Housing and Land monies paid by purchasers of State-owned institutional frameworks to facilitate ROADS: Linking the Nation Development Corporation (HLDC) to better lands; the reduction of interest on arrears’ better housing construction and land carry out the housing policy; the elaboration payments for State-owned lands; and the use. The ULP Government has repaired, rebuilt, into law of a sensible building code; the facilitation of people obtaining their title and built far more miles of roads (main, provision, more than ever, of building deeds quite easily for these lands. ! Implement further on an orderly basis village/community, and feeder roads) than materials for the disadvantaged and needy; the Informal Human Settlements any other government in St. Vincent and the the cleaning up of the mess which the NDP In its third term, the ULP Government will: Programme with central elements Grenadines. Still, there is so much more to left at Gibson Corner and Diamond (Colonial including: Surveying; land titling; drains be done in this regard. It is for this reason Homes); the facilitation of the secondary ! Build more low-income and no-income and roads; electricity and water; security that the ULP Government has established mortgage market; and the structured houses to satisfy the demand. and solid waste disposal; sports, shops the Buildings Roads and General Services development of Informal Human and churches; schools and clinics. Authority (BRAGSA) to facilitate the repair Settlements. We see affordable housing ! Continue to deepen and extend every and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, drains as a human right. aspect of our government’s established ! Train more technical persons in every and government buildings even as it works policies on housing. Utilise even more aspect of housing and land in tandem with the Ministry of Works which Accompanying this housing policy has been than hitherto the HLDC, in partnership development. has oversight in respect of the major the allied land policy of “turning dead with the private sector, to implement infrastructure projects. The mountainous property into live property” through the housing programmes for young ! Implement the National Lands Policy terrain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following: The enactment of the Possessory professionals and middle-income approved recently by the Cabinet. the heavy rainfall, the hitherto ill-constructed Titles Bill which has been delivering land families. roads, and increased heavy-duty traffic, title to those who have been in “adverse ! Make land available for housing at create technical and financial challenges for possession” of the land for 12 years or ! Mount a special housing-repair reasonable prices, especially for those a comprehensive road-repair/rehabilitation more; the selling of State-owned lands to programme between the private sector, who have been long in occupation/use of programme. Still, it must all be done for a the people for as low as 10-cents per the State, the National Commercial State-owned lands and who are more efficient economy and an increasingly square foot; the refunding of excess Bank, and Credit Unions. disadvantaged. sophisticated society with an abundance of motor vehicles:

56 57 ! Complete the bits and pieces, including ! The ULP will implement a Management Office (NEMO) under the management by the ULP Government. the rebuilding of the Colonarie Bridge, comprehensive traffic plan which is Office of the Prime Minister; we rescued the which remain from the massive being elaborated. Where necessary, Emergency and Disaster Management In our third term, the ULP Government will Richmond Hill to Fancy Road practical by-pass or other access Project for which the earmarked financing further elaborate and refine its strategic Reconstruction. roads will be constructed on a had been withdrawn by the World Bank Disaster Management Plan and planned basis, including from the because of non-performance; we built a accompanying Work Plan; execute this ! Rebuild the entire main Leeward proposed new development at Arnos well-designed and equipped National Strategic and Work Plan in conjunction with Highway from Hospital Road to Vale by way of a tunnel under Cane Emergency Operating Centre at Old sister agencies regionally and Buccament. Garden to Kingstown. Montrose; we laid out, for the first time ever internationally; strengthen further NEMO in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a and its affiliate associations nationally which ! Resurface the deteriorating sections on comprehensive Strategic Disaster are engaged in managing disasters. More the main access/travelling roads, L. PREPARING FOR AND Management Plan which NEMO resources will be provided in this area, including from Buccament to MANAGING NATURAL implements on an ongoing basis; we have including our financial contribution to the FitzHughes, and the main internal DISASTERS done exceptional disaster mitigation World Bank disaster insurance initiative. roadways, and village/community roads physical projects such as the Layou The drainage issues in Kingstown will be throughout St. Vincent and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among Waterfront, and Sea Defences and River comprehensively addressed within the Grenadines. the countries world-wide most prone to Defences; we constructed and stocked a framework of an Urban Development Plan. natural disasters. When the ULP came to huge warehouse at Campden Park; we ! Complete the construction of the Cross office in 2001, there was only a have completed a Hazard Mapping Country Road. ramshackle institutional arrangement to Exercise; addressed the draining issues in M. ENERGY AND VINLEC: address disasters. There was one officer Kingstown; and carried out extensive public Powering Production and ! Build a proper roundabout at the assigned to this task and he was in the education and training. Modern Living intersection near to the former Ju-C Ministry of Local Government with little The recent commendable efforts by building. or no resources. That was a disaster! NEMO in handling the disaster of The steep increase in the cost of energy Under the ULP Government, we set up a Hurricane Tomas attest to the policy and since the year 2000 (from US$30 per barrel ! Facilitate the building of capacity within well-staffed National Emergency programmatic initiatives in disaster to over US$70 in crude oil prices) coupled the private sector road construction and buildings’ construction industries.

58 59 with the worst financial and economic crisis even better its supply uninterruptedly since the Great Depression created a major consumers to satisfy, among other 98 percent of the households have pipe- and at a better, more competitive price; energy challenge. In response, we things, the requisite of fairness to them; borne water directly in them. fashioned a comprehensive and modern ! Complete the vital installation of storage ! National Energy Policy (NEP). Ensure that all Informal Human Since 2001, the ULP Government has done capacity at Lowmans (Leeward) of Accompanying this NEP is a detailed Work Settlements are provided with a most admirable amount of work in the diesel, gasoline, and aviation fuel, in Plan. This included the sourcing of a electricity so as to lift electricity provision of low-priced quality water, sufficient quantities for energy security in significant quantity of energy products under connections from 95 percent of the especially through its agency, the Central a modern, productive economy. the attractive financial arrangements of households to practically 100 percent; Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA). PETRO CARIBE and the ALBA, the focused Among other things, we completed the ! Continue to provide LPG (Cooking ! quest for renewable energy sources, the Continue the Rural Electrification Dallaway Water Project; started and Gas) at a lower price to consumers further modernisation and expansion of Programme and the Street Lighting completed the Windward Water Project under the Petro Caribe Agreement. VINLEC, energy conservation, the pass- Programme; at a cost of EC $23 million; commenced through pricing mechanism, particular fiscal and completed the new water treatment ! Build out VINLEC’s “Wind Energy measures, relief for hoteliers, and a targeted plant at Marjorca; improved vastly the Project” and place its supply in the N. WATER: Our Lifeblood transport subsidy, have all been part of the delivery of water to the Grenadines national energy grid; ULP Government’s efforts to stabilise and (especially Bequia and Union) through advance our work in the energy sector of We assert without fear of contradiction that the building of additional water storage ! Continue our focused quest to explore the economy. St. Vincent and the Grenadines boasts the facilities or their upgrading; built a and build out the supply of geo-thermal best delivery of quality water to all its people storage tank at Kelbourney; built a 400-ft energy. This holds enormous strategic In our third term, the ULP Government will: at the lowest price in the entire Caribbean. pipeline at Layou; provided water for the significance and it is a real practical St. Vincent itself has one of the best water first time to several elevated areas of St. probability imminently; ! Complete the current phase of VINLEC’s supply systems in the world. In 2001, Vincent; upgraded the water distribution modernisation and expansion so as to quality pipe-borne water was available to system; removed the water-meter charge of ! Implement the review of the Pricing of continue to satisfy the increasing some 70 percent of the households in St. $16 for consumers who are 65 years of age Electricity for all categories of demand for electricity and to deliver Vincent and the Grenadines. Today, some and who are on public assistance; and

60 61 strengthened the CWSA so as to ensure its solid waste, since 2001, the CWSA has service between our islands; and the vastly governments of Antigua-Barbuda and efficiency. performed extremely well. The ULP improved air access and air access options, . Other regional governments Government targeted island-wide garbage including the saving of LIAT, the would be pressed to provide market In our third term, the ULP Government will collection on St. Vincent, and this was construction of the Canouan Jet Airport, the support or to become equity partners. build on this most impressive foundation. achieved by October 2001. The Belle Isle improvements at the other airports in St. Further restructuring and enhanced Our focus will be on: Land Fill was constructed and opened for Vincent and the Grenadines, and the efficiencies at LIAT to reduce the cost of operation to complement the one at ongoing construction of the Argyle air travel are on the agenda. Fleet ! Addressing more than ever, in a most Diamond. In the Grenadines (Bequia, International Airport. renewal is imminent for LIAT and comprehensive way, the special water Union, Canouan and Mayreau) garbage requires substantial investment. needs of the Grenadines. collection and disposal have been enhanced In our third term, the ULP government will markedly. On Mustique, the Mustique build on its outstanding record regarding air ! Strengthening the nexus between ! Building another storage facility in the Company handles this matter very well. transport and air access by: LIAT and the State-owned Trinidadian, South Leeward area of Vermont to Caribbean Airlines (CAL). facilitate enhanced supply for the O. AIR TRANSPORT AND AIR ! Completing the construction of the growing demand in that part of St. ACCESS: Linking SVG to the Argyle International Airport in June ! Enhancing the institutional capacity of Vincent, including the Buccament World 2012 and commencing its operation. the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Resorts. Authority (ECCAA) as our sub-region’s An “Inter-Connectivity Revolution” is taking ! Maintaining and improving further the regulator of civil aviation, so essential in ! Providing further training in all technical place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines delivery of service at each of the other maintaining safety, security, and our disciplines touching and concerning the through: The revolution in Information and airports: E.T. Joshua (until June 2012), hard-won Category One Status, among delivery of water. Communications Technology (ICT); the Canouan Jet Airport, and the airports at other things. ECCAA will continue to construction of an amazing interconnecting Bequia, Union Island and Mustique. work comparatively with other regional ! Achieving 100 percent access to quality bundle of roadways including the Rabacca and international regulators. water supply directly in households. Bridge and the Cross Country Road; the ! Developing further LIAT as the principal improvements at our seaports and the intra-regional air carrier in conjunction ! Strengthening security at our airports. In terms of the collection and disposal of provision of incentives for a fast-ferry with the other two shareholder

62 63 ! Providing further training opportunities ! Improve markedly the physical facilities ! Continue to work with the private sector ! Strengthen the institutional capacity of for skilled personnel in every area of the and service delivery at the Campden in the fishing industry to upgrade St. the various agencies of government business of civil aviation, including the Park Container Port (CPCP). Vincent and the Grenadines’ fishing fleet. which work in this broad policy area, management of airports. including the Family Affairs Division, so ! Build a Cruise Ship Facility in North ! Renovate and expand the port as to better execute government’s P. S E A P O R T S , M A R I N E Leeward. facilities at Bequia, Union Island and policies; TRANSPORT, MARITIME Canouan. ADMINISTRATION: Letting ! Provide very generous fiscal ! Broaden and deepen the Community Our Seas Serve Us incentives to the private sector to Q. THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY: Poverty Alleviation Programme currently acquire and operate inter-island and Solidarity and Upliftment financed by ALBA CARIBE; The very extensive seascape of St Vincent regional fast ferries and ships/ and the Grenadines is vital to the economic vessels. A central plank of the ULP’s programmatic ! Implement fully the recently-enacted livelihood of our people and its managed platform is to empower the family, to Child (Care and Adoption) Bill; exploitation is at once sensitive and critical. ! Continue to build St. Vincent and the strengthen its bonds of solidarity, and to Grenadines as a reliable, quality flag- uplift it. Accordingly, in our third term, the ULP state for ships’ registration. ! Expand the Children Against Poverty Government will: In the ULP’s 2001 Election Manifesto, we Programme; ! Strengthen further the division of made nine specific pledges in this policy ! Continue the process of restructuring the Maritime Administration in St. Vincent area and they were addressed. In our 2005 SVG Port Authority to better provide its and the Grenadines which was Election Manifesto, we expanded on them, ! Operationalise fully the Crisis Centre for services to its clients. established by the ULP administration. brought new focus to them in changing Women and Children; circumstances, and pursued them and other ! Carry out extensive repairs and ! Expand and beef up the St. Vincent targeted strategic interventions directed ! Implement a comprehensive policy reconstruction of Port Kingstown, and the Grenadines Coast Guard towards Family Empowerment. In the next regarding “gender affairs”, including including the Cruise Ship Pier. Service. five years, the ULP Government will:

64 65 “teen mothers”, young boys and girls at risk, women, and young men; family members, including through the from January 2003, the workers’ pension government for all Vincentians, including Public Assistance Programme, the scheme at NCB up to 15 years arrears at a businessmen/women and entrepreneurs. ! Continue the implementation of the National Insurance Services, and other cost of $2 million; strengthening severance We will continue to modernise the labour Pastoral Care Programme for Street targeted /social development pay and protection of employment laws; and social protection laws in the interest of Children; initiatives. ensured that the workers’ union at the the working people; we will continue to Banana Depot/Port in Kingstown got the pursue socio-economic policies which ! R. EMPOWERING THE contract to operate the facility; the setting up create jobs, increase wealth, ensure equity, Adopt all relevant international WORKING PEOPLE conventions regarding Women, Children, of the Workers’ Institute for Research and and strengthen the social safety net. We the Protection of the Elderly, and Education; the strengthening of the Labour will always carry out targeted strategic This ULP Government has done remarkable Persons with Disabilities; Department; and the reclassification interventions for the working people. things to advance the working people’s exercise in the government service to the condition of life, including: Payment of $3 S. THE ELDERLY: Protection, ! Accelerate further the programme of re- benefit of the employees; the creation of million in severance payments to some Love and Caring entry of teen-aged parents into over 10,000 job since 2001; the increase in 1,000 former estate workers whom the secondary schools; wealth in the country; and the enhanced former NDP government refused to pay benefits of the working people from the Since 2001, the ULP Government has for 17 years; payment of other severance addressed the condition of the elderly in a ! Implement the “Lives to Live” range of government programmes including payments due, but not paid hitherto for more focused and satisfactory manner than Programme for persons with disabilities. housing, education, health, public works, several years, to workers including those any government hitherto in St. Vincent and This is a major programme to build upon and social services generally. at the Banana Growers’ Association, the Grenadines. Indeed, the ULP existing work in this vital area. Sanitation, Diamond Diary, and Belle Vue In our next term, the ULP will build upon Government’s work in relation to the elderly Arrowroot Factory; payment of annual tax has been outstanding. We must do even ! Develop further the Liberty Lodge Boys’ all this excellent work. We assert free bonuses to central government better in the next five-year period. We owe Training Centre. emphatically that we are a “Labour” employees; increasing thrice all NIS government, a working people’s government it to the elderly who so selflessly built this benefits; reduction in direct taxation on nation. ! Ensure appropriate safety net while at the same time being a truly national workers at the top and bottom rates; funding arrangements are in place for various

66 67 Since 2001, among the achievements of the ! Rebuild substantially the Lewis Punnett ! Make sure that the pension benefits of th ULP Government are: Increasing the Home under the 10 EDF Programme; elderly persons are protected through a universal secondary education since number of elderly persons on the non- stable currency, low-to-moderate 2005. contributory schemes at the NIS, and on ! Extend further the Home Help for the inflation, and appropriate fiscal Public Assistance; increasing thrice the Elderly Programme; measures. " Built a modern primary school in Bequia, monthly sums paid to the elderly through a learning resource centre in Union ! the NIS and Public Assistance; removing Build two more Golden Years Centres: YOUTH, SPORTS & CULTURE Island and both a Marine Resource the monthly water-meter charge for persons One in the Kingstown area, the other in Our Youth Manifesto, “Let the Youth Soar Centre and a new police Station in 65 years if they are on public assistance; Marriaqua; Like Eagles” will highlight our Canouan. instituting the Home-Help for the Elderly accomplishments and vision for our Programme of some 400 elderly ! Increase payments to recipients young people, our unique culture and beneficiaries and 100 Helpers; building two under the Non-Contributory NIS our sporting future. " Rebuilt, modernised and extended the Golden Years Activity Centres; beefing up provisions by at least $30 monthly in Bequia Fisheries Centre. geriatric care in the hospital services; 2011, and under the Public Assistance T. THE GRENADINES: Our Island Jewels providing free health services for persons Programme by one quarter (25 " Built a modern Jet Airport at Canouan. over the age of 60 years; providing elderly percent); In the ULP’s first two terms (2001 to the persons with more building materials than " Upgraded the Canouan Fisheries ! present), a tremendous amount of ever; renovating the Lewis Punnett Home; Train more persons and create more Centre. better protecting the security and safety of jobs in the area of the elderly care; developmental work was done in the Grenadines including: the elderly; and the elaboration of a National " Enhanced the health facilities in Bequia, ! Policy on the Elderly/Aging. Provide supports to, and a proper Canouan, Union Island and Mayreau. regulatory framework for, private caring " Built a modern secondary school in In the next term, the ULP Government will: institutions for the elderly; Union Island. " Built an Electricity Power Plant and a ! ! " Improved markedly the access to and Implement the comprehensive National Working closely with the NGOs which jetty at Mayreau. Policy on the Elderly; focus on the elderly; quality of secondary education, including

68 69 " Built additional quality water-catchment as part of an overall “Belmar ! Building a secondary school on facilities on Union Island and Bequia. Development Plan” for Bequia. " Forfeited the 100 acres of land at Canouan. Chatham Bay because of investors’ " Built the Hugh Mulzac Square in Clifton, " Devised with Edstone Associates breaches of conditions to the Aliens ! Improving markedly the quality of Union Island. (EDSA) a comprehensive development Land-holding Licence. This matter is in secondary education in Bequia. plan for Canouan, which we have been court. The Government has won at the " Repaired all the schools in the implementing. High Court. The investors have ! Renovating the Port Elizabeth Health Grenadines. appealed to the Court of Appeal. Facility. " Provided building lots in Canouan, " Purchased back the Canouan Beach Bequia and Union Island for persons In the ULP’s third term, we will build upon ! Building Nurses and Doctors Quarters Hotel and placed the property as “native” to those islands. this impressive list by: on Union Island and Bequia. Government’s equity in a Development Company with the Canouan Developers " Updated the Mustique Agreement to the ! Working closely with the foreign and ! Building a Learning Resource Centre on and other Equity Partners to build a improved advantage of the people of St. local investors to further develop tourism Bequia. modern marina and real estate Vincent and the Grenadines. in Bequia, Union Island, Mayreau, development project on the south of Mustique and Canouan. Literally ! Renovating the Fisheries Centres at Canouan. " Returned to the Anglican Church its hundreds of millions of dollars in Canouan and Union Island. school property in Bequia which was investment are in the offing. " Established a Court House in Canouan. illegally taken away by the former NDP ! Building a Coast Guard Base in administration. ! Providing more housing lots at affordable Canouan in conjunction with the " Established a Sustainable Livelihoods prices to the “native” islanders in the American government. Project in the Tobago Cays and placed " Renovated the Union Island Airport Grenadines. the Marine Park under sound including the complete resurfacing of the ! Set up consultative Local Government management. . ! Cleaning up fully the environmental systems in the Grenadines. disaster left by the NDP government at " Enhanced the harbour at Port Elizabeth " Rehabilitated the JF Mitchell Airport on the so-called Union Island Project. Bequia.

70 71 U. GOOD GOVERNANCE: An services, open, transparent, and Integrity and Anti-Corruption measures for organisational changes; the Reclassification ULP Record competitive; cut out completely the abuse public discussion and comment. The Exercise; the Performance Management and misuse of government vehicles by Constitutional Reform issues are now on the and Development System (PMDS); The ULP Government has distinguished ministers of government; made sterling political back-burner but we shall, within the improvement in terms and conditions of itself on its good governance record. The efforts at stamping out official corruption and context of the existing Constitution of St. employment; and more and better training in British and American governments have so waste of government’s resources; Vincent and the Grenadines, continue to the public service. praised us; so, too, has the World Bank and established a “Together Now” approach and press for still more improved good regional organisations. In 2006, the moved against political victimisation; governance. These reforms have been directed towards -Caribbean Institute for Democracy strengthened the office of the Director of greater efficiencies, transparency, based in New York awarded Prime Minister, Audit and its independence; cut out sweet- In our third term we will build on our solid accountability, enhanced job satisfaction, Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves its heart mortgages at the NCB and any foundation of good governance. Good and better service delivery. “Democracy Prize”. Recently, the Heritage preferential treatment to anyone on the Governance remains at the heart of ULP’s Foundation scored St. Vincent and the ground of political affiliation; ceased the politics. It would be a good thing if certain (ii) Reforming and Modernising Grenadines very highly for its “Economic immoral and illegal practice, of selling State persons in the opposition would come clean Public Enterprises Freedoms”. These accolades are testimony lands at knock-down prices to government and not seek to delay further the work of the to the fact that the ULP has delivered on its ministers and friends in high places; Ottley Hall Commission of Enquiry by Court The reform and modernisation process has promise of providing “good governance”. improvements in the Judiciary including the challenges. They must speak to the whole also been in train in public enterprises under In our first two terms, the ULP Government Magistracy; enhanced popular consultations truth on Ottley Hall. the ULP Government. Internal processes of accomplished, among other things, the and the establishment of NESDEC; the good governance coupled with oversight by following in the area of good governance: setting up of the Ottley Hall Commission of (i) Reform in the Public the Monitoring Committee on Public Reform of the Public Service and State Enquiry; building a culture of political Service Enterprises (MCPE) and Parliament have Administration; Reform and Modernisation hygiene; releasing public servants from Substantial reforms have been carried out in delivered excellent outcomes in most public of the Police Force; improved the workings unreasonable restraints on their freedom of the Public Service under the ULP enterprises. Still better can be done. We of Parliament, including its broadcasting on expression; encouraging the promoting of Government. These include: Reform in resolve to continue our work in a focused radio and television; made the tendering persons according to merit in the public financial administration with the passage of manner in this regard. Private Sector process for the procurement of goods and service; and published Bills relating to the Financial Administration Act of 2004 and partners are being sought for some entities the Audit Act if 2005; administration and such as the Fish Marketing Company and

72 73 Food City. The veritable “crown jewels” of (i) Fighting Crime and Ensuring the State such as NCB, VINLEC, National Justice in the Courts " Improving the physical facilities and Grenadines is rated the best in the Properties are being jealously guarded in equipment, including the provision of OECS in this respect. the national interest. Privatisation for the An independent judiciary of the highest computer and IT systems, in the ULP is not an ideological matter; it will be quality possible in a democratic society is Magistracy and the High Court. " Establishing the Commerce and considered only if in the particular essential for the delivery of justice for all. In Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). circumstances, the national interest our ten years in office, thus far, the ULP " Toughening the laws in relation to illegal demands it and the purchase price of any Government has not merely talked the talk firearms, drug trafficking, and money " Setting up the independent Police share of these “crown jewels” is most but walked the walk in the delivery of quality laundering. Oversight Body to investigate alleged satisfactory, fair, and reasonable. For justice. abuses of people’s rights by the Police. example, in pursuance of our long-standing " Ensuring a better use of the Coroner’s policy of possible divestment of a proportion In its ten year governance of St. Vincent and Inquest especially in cases where it is " Passing a huge number of Bills in of the shareholding of the National the Grenadines, thus far, the ULP alleged that persons have been killed in Parliament touching and concerning a Commercial Bank to a regional bank and Government has been tough on crime and engagements with the Police. range of subjects designed to deliver local investors, our government signed a tough on the causes of crime. We have quality justice and improve the people’s Memorandum of Understanding with that addressed the challenge of crime through " Making it more difficult for criminals to well being. bank and has engaged the Caribbean an admixture of socio-economic policies and walk free by closing certain procedural Development Bank (CDB), too, in the those targeted specifically to the detection, and evidential loopholes while " Building independent, quality Offices of exercise. This process is ongoing. prosecution, and punishment of criminal maintaining the full panoply of rights for the Attorney General and Director of offenders. individuals who are charged with criminal Public Prosecutions. V. JUSTICE, LAW, ORDER AND offences. NATIONAL SECURITY Among the ULP’s governments " Collaborating regionally and achievements in this regard are: " Providing the best possible security internationally with other Court systems The ULP Government places great arrangements for Judges, Magistrates, and agencies to better deliver justice. emphasis on its policies and programmes " Setting up a Serious Offences Court in and their families. St. Vincent and the on matters of security, law, order and Kingstown and a Magistrate’s Court in justice. Canouan.

74 75 " Making St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ ! Working with other OECS governments ! Reviewing and publishing a new set of fighting crime in a number of ways, contributory payments on time to the to regionalise the Magistracy along lines bound volumes of the Laws of St. including: OECS Supreme Court System and the which have already been fashioned. Vincent and the Grenadines in a more Caribbean Court of Justice. modern, up-to-date format. This " Adopting in Parliament a 14-Point ! Mounting a programme of rehabilitating process is nearing completion. Strategy on Crime Prevention and In our third term, the ULP Government will criminal offenders. elaborating an accompanying Work Plan build upon its excellent foundation in this in which the Police have a central place. area of public policy and will focus further ! Enacting a modern Legal Professional (ii) The Police & Security on: Bill, which has already been drafted, so Forces: Modernising the " Establishing a Permanent National as to properly regulate, monitor, and Frontline Against Crime Commission on Crime Prevention ! Pushing for speedier criminal trials in the foster development of, the legal (NCCP) which interfaces with the Police, Magistracy and the High Court and profession. A modern, efficient Police Force, including the Youths, Community and Religious ensuring a veritable permanent Criminal the Coast Guard, and allied institutions of Organisations in the fight against crime, Division of the High Court. ! Continuing and extending the provision quality are vital in the fight against crime. the prevention of crime, and the of training in law, its various branches, Indeed, they constitute the front-line in that rehabilitation of offenders. ! Building the modern Hall of Justice at the and in legal administration, including battle. No government in the history of St. " former De Freitas property at Richmond the training of more and better Vincent and the Grenadines has spent so Setting up the Durrant Commission on Hill. much resources and expended so much the Reform of the Police Force from Prosecutors in the Police Force. effort as the ULP administration has done which recommendations have emerged ! Providing further resources to ensure into building the Police Force into a highly for corrective action and development. ! Reforming further the criminal law and that the Possessory Titles Act works professional outfit, the best ever in our practice so as to make it more difficult even better for the people. nation’s history. " Carrying out a Reclassification Exercise for criminals to get away without in the Police Force which has resulted in ! Putting in place a modern system of land compromising fundamental human Between March 2001 and today, the ULP massive salary increases and improved titling and registration upon which work rights, including the presumption of Government has done spectacularly well in working conditions for the Police as has already commenced. innocence. modernising and uplifting the Police Force in never before in our history.

76 77 " Equipping the Police Force with a " Equipping far better than ever the Fire women, and the payment of annual Rural Constables to assist the Police in huge increase in new vehicles, two Services, including the acquisition of bonuses, as never before in our stamping out theft of agricultural produce mobile Police Stations, one motorised modern Fire Tenders. country’s history. and animals. Police Station, new Fire Tenders, a Coast Guard Vessel, several Rigid " Building modern Police Stations of " Increasing the number of policemen/ " Establishing a Forensic Laboratory. Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), the highest quality at Biabou, women significantly. household facilities, and modern Canouan, Questelles, and " Civilianising and improving the telecommunications equipment. Georgetown. " Building the St. Vincent and the Immigration Department. Grenadines Cadet Force from a " Establishing the highly-regarded " Renovating or rebuilding Police declining institution of 100 persons to " Building a sound working relationship Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) which Stations at Owia, Sandy Bay, Stubbs, some 800 members, including a Marine with the Police Welfare Association. deals with the proceeds of crime and Marriaqua, Kingstown (Fire Division), Wing, from across all the nation’s money-laundering, and which works Retreat, Rose Hall; and placing the secondary schools and other young " Instituting the Machine Readable closely with the Police. Station at Spring Village in another persons. The Cadet Force’s facilities CARICOM Passport with special security building. have improved markedly. features. " Establishing with the assistance of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, a " Repairing every other Police Station in " Working closely with the Regional In the ULP’s third term in government, we Radar System to better detect, and aid St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Security System (RSS), CARICOM will continue to build on the excellent in the apprehension of, criminal activities Security arrangements, the USA, Britain, foundation thus far and will: at sea. " Facilitating the training and education, France, Holland and Canada in the fight including university and professional against transnational crime and drug ! Continue the reform process in " Setting up in the Police Force training, of police personnel. trafficking. accordance with recommendations from specialized crime-fighting units such as the Durrant Commission and the real the Rapid Response Unit and the Major " Enhancing the salaries, allowances, " Passing appropriate legislation to fight experiences in the Police Force. Crimes Unit. and conditions of service (including Praedial Larceny and the recruiting of 20 the retirement age) of policemen/

78 79 International Airport, Canouan Jet Airport the Prisons. The prisoners ran things. The ! Assist in the process of reintegrating ! Pass a modern, comprehensive Police and other airports. ULP Government acted swiftly. We put in prisoners into mainstream society. Act to improve the delivery of the Police proper leadership; fashioned a disciplined Services and to better build the Police ! Acquire four new Coast Guard vessels regime while recognising prisoners’ rights; ! Make the Prison overall an institution Force. at a cost of $19 million. The contract is improved the physical conditions and for enhanced safety of the nation. already signed. Delivery starts in 2011. facilities at the Prisons; trained the Prison ! Continue the programme of building staff; recruited better personnel; and set W. VINCENTIANS OVERSEAS: modern Police Stations. Two which are ! Receive two fast interceptor boats from about to build a new Prison. A National Treasure immediately on the agenda are for Union the American government in 2011. Island and Spring Village. In our third term the ULP Government will: Vincentians overseas are a treasured part of ! Continue to improve markedly the salary our nation. They contribute immensely to ! Place one of the two non-motorable and working conditions of the Police ! Move into the modern Correctional the support and development of their mobile Police Stations at Mayreau, and Force. Facility at Belle Isle with the minimum families and country. Residing in our the other at Fancy. and moderate security prisoners, who diaspora, scattered overseas are persons ! Build a Coast Guard Base at Canouan are the bulk of the prisoners. with skills, material resources, ! Continue the process of further repairing/ with the assistance of the American entrepreneurship, cultural and sporting renovating Police Stations including the government. ! Complete the final phase of the talents which we can, and do, utilise in our Headquarters at Kingstown and at Old Correctional Facility so as to place the nation’s development. Still, much more can Montrose. (iii) Correctional Facility for a maximum security prisoners from the old be done on all sides to deepen the bonds Safer Nation Prison. and to make greater use of the treasure ! Enhance further training and educational which is our diaspora. opportunities for police personnel. In the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the ! Emphasise the rehabilitation of prisoners then Commissioner of Police, Osborne while punishing them in accordance with Accordingly, our government has been ! Build up further the Fire Brigade Quow, Prime Minister was told that the most the judgments of the Courts. making great efforts, on an ongoing basis, generally and specifically for the Argyle serious security problem in the nation was to strengthen these ties that bind. In this

80 81 regard, the ULP Government has X. CARIBBEAN INTEGRATION: Our government will continue to deepen In our third term, the ULP Government will established the well-staffed Regional Making Our Region Whole functional cooperation, coordination of security build on the sound foreign policy foundation Integration and Diaspora Unit (RIDU). It The ULP is deeply committed to regional and foreign policy within CARICOM. We are and further, will: has been doing excellent work. We shall integration. Indeed, we push always for the strong advocates of better governance continue, in our third term, to build on all most profound integration which the political arrangements in CARICOM. We shall work ! Strengthen relations with traditional allies its worthwhile initiatives. market can bear. Thus, we favour whatever always to make our region and our Caribbean such as the USA, Canada, the UK, the best form of integration is possible, and civilisation whole. European Union, Taiwan, Japan, and Further, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will practicable in the circumstances, including a Kuwait while at the same time deepening fortify the delivery of quality consular political union, first with the OECS member- Y. FOREIGN POLICY: Friend Of productive relationship with other services for our nationals abroad. There states and then with the wider CARICOM. All, Satellite Of None countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, has been immense improvement in this In the meantime, we push for the Economic Mexico, Brazil, Libya, South Africa, area since 2001. They will be further Union in the OECS, the Single Market and The foreign policy of the ULP Government over Ethiopia, Turkey, India, Russia, enhanced. Economy in CARICOM, and the most the past ten years has been bold and Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Syria, favourable governance arrangements in the pragmatic; principled yet realistic; creative and Portugal, Austria, and Australia. In our third term, too, we shall regional bodies. To us, all other alignments at the same time well-grounded. We have establish a “Diaspora Forum” which or associations take second place to the fashioned a foreign policy in our national ! Make regional integration in the OECS shall meet on-line with RIDU and face- OECS and CARICOM. interest; we have been a friend of all and a and CARICOM the bedrock of our to-face every two years to strategise on satellite of none. The central purpose of our foreign policy. the Diaspora-Nation linkages. All this is In our third term, the ULP Government will foreign policy has been to enhance our nation’s part of a Policy on the Diaspora which has ensure that the new Treaty on OECS capacity to address more efficaciously, more ! Continue to work within ALBA and the been adopted by Cabinet for ongoing Economic Union will be operationalised. compellingly, its external environment in the Petro Caribe Agreement to advance our implementation. We have engaged the We will endeavour, too, to make certain that interest of the people. region’s interests through solidarity, World Bank in a process for assistance in the CSME becomes fully implemented complimentarity of members’ economies, implementing the ULP Government’s provided that all the necessary safeguards Indeed, the foreign policy of St. Vincent and the non-reciprocity on trade matters, and the policy on the Diaspora. are in place to protect the interests of St. Grenadines has been hailed as a success by defense of our sovereignty and Vincent and the Grenadines and the OECS. independent observers. independence. These arrangements

82 83 are complementary to, not subversive of, concerns and the fight against terrorism our regional integration treaty at the centre of our foreign policy. St. commitments to CARICOM, the OECS, Vincent and the Grenadines addresses and other regional entities, including the its national security issues through the ECCU and the RSS. Regional Security System, CARICOM, the United Nations, the OAS, and ! Continue to build our nation’s multi- through bilateral arrangements with lateral partnerships such as the African Britain, the USA, Canada, France and Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, Holland. SIDS, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth. ! Continue to take progressive, nationalist and internationalist stances on a range ! Participate actively in the World Trade of issues such as Haiti, the International Organisation (WTO) through CARICOM Criminal Court, Human Rights, and and its regional negotiators. Development Financing.

! Step up our preparatory work for non- ! Make the “Climate Change” issue a permanent membership of the UN major one for St. Vincent and the Security Council for the 2019-21 Grenadines. Climate Change is a threat period. St. Vincent and the to our very existence. Grenadines would be the smallest country ever to sit on the UN Security ! Extend diplomatic and consular Council. coverage through the appointment of more Honorary Consuls of the highest ! Establish diplomatic relations with yet quality. more countries throughout the world to better promote our nation’s interests. ! Review and refine our “Foreign Policy Strategy” which has been formally ! Continue to put national security adopted at Cabinet. CONCLUSION: We Naaah Tun Back!!!

The ULP Government has performed exceptionally well since March 2001. Our people- centred vision, its social democratic philosophy applied to our Vincentian condition, its bundle of progressive policies, its sensible and practical programmes, and its Caribbeanness, provide the correct path for our nation to follow. Our government’s tried and tested leadership has delivered. Now is the time to journey with us to the next level of development. Our “Dream Team” of candidates for these general elections, the policies and programmes in this Manifesto, our record of good governance, and our quality leadership, place the ULP in an excellent position to consolidate our nation’s gains thus far and, in communion with our people, to lift St. Vincent and the Grenadines higher and higher. We pray that Almighty God will ensure that we leave not behind an Unfinished Task. WE NAAAH TUN BACK!!! STAND FIRM FOR THIRD TERM!

84