KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, March 19, IWN – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he will give $10,000 of his own money to help repair the pavilion at the Clive Tannis Playing Field in Bequia.
He made the announcement at a ceremony on the Northern Grenadine island on Monday, where the health centre was opened in Port Elizabeth.
“I don’t have my cheque book here. Tomorrow morning, I think we should start a fund for the playing field. I want Loraine to join me as the MP. I will take from my own pocket $10,000 and I want him to sign a cheque, too, of $10,000,” Gonsalves said in reference to Northern Grenadines representative Dr. Godwin Loraine Friday, who also attended and addressed the ceremony.
“I want us to start. He (Friday) is making more than me because he is in private practise in law. … I am going away on Wednesday. I would leave with my secretary a check open, $10,000, she can put in the date, she can put in the fund to which we are going to do it as soon as Loraine calls her and tells her he has $10,000 too,” Gonsalves said to laughter.
“No, no, no. I am not putting Sir James in this,” he said in response to a member of the audience.
Former prime minister Sir James Mitchell is a former representative of the Northern Grenadines.
“I know him (Sir James) well that if Loraine and I put in, he will chip in with a little something too. The government, we will put in and the Lottery will put in too and when we start like this — if Loraine and I start — people in Bequia, including those who are born elsewhere and are … resident in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will also put something in the pot,” Gonsalves said.
He said Deputy Director of Grenadines Affairs, Herman Belmar, can be asked to be the keeper of the money and have a committee and do proper accounting.
Friday has asked in Parliament about repairs to the pavilion.
“Lorain said he spoke to me about it, I agree. I told him the same thing in Parliament. I say it publicly in Bequia,” Gonsalves said, adding that architect Aurin Bennett has said he will do a master plan at a reduced price.
“We have a master plan and this is how we do it bit by bit by bit until we have a fine facility there,” Gonsalves said.