The opposition, New Democratic Party (NDP), says that the public has pledged in excess of the EC$20,000 needed to pay the value-added tax and other duties on disaster relief items sent to the party by Vincentians in Canada.
The office of the Director General of Finance and Planning had initially approved duty-free concessions for the some 45 barrels and boxes containing the items.
However, Cabinet did not approve the waiver.
The NDP raised the money during a radio programme Tuesday night, to which members of the public called in pledges of various amounts.
The party said that its president, Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, in a call at the beginning of the programme, condemned the actions of the government in denying the NDP duty-free concession on relief supplies.
Eustace accused the government of wanting to profit from the humanitarian aid sent to the NDP for distribution to persons affected by the December 2013 floods.
He said that EC$20,000 was estimated to be needed to cover the duties and taxes attached by government to items shipped to the NDP.
Eustace also noted the generosity of St. Lucian shippers, KLC, who shipped the items to St. Vincent free of cost, the NDP said.
The party said that pledges came from across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Tortola, Anguilla, Grenada and Taiwan.
Pledges were also made via email, text messages and social media.
At the end of the programme, Eustace again telephoned thanking the donors “for their determination and assistance rendered to ensure that nothing will stop relief items from the diaspora from reaching those persons who need it most in the affected communities,” the NDP said.
The NDP has refused to conduct its disaster relief effort through the National Emergency Management Organisation, a state agency that it has accused of being partisan in the distribution of relief items.
The government has said that duty-free concessions would not be granted to the NDP if it refuses to work through NEMO.
Tek that inyo face comrade, tek that inyo waste. Tek that man, you wicked little man. The people of SVG has voted with there wallets again against your wickedness. What we are seeing here are the last embers of desperation.
You charge Duties for Vincentians to get relief? Really?
Paying for something that you would’ve possibly gotten for free, well that is the height of dotishness. But hey anything for the people, right? But wait a minute, you haven’t done anything for the people, the people sent the containers and the people paid for the containers…so what exactly have you done for the people in this regard?
In other news… A Russian warship, armed with anti-aircraft missiles and heavy guns, quietly pulled into a Havana port Thursday, about 200 miles from Miami. While Russian ships visit Cuba with some regularity, their arrivals are usually major events in Cuba with wide coverage in the state media there and even tours offered to Cuban citizens.
But this time, the Russian warship seems to have arrived in secret.
Word on the street, the real reason they are in Cuba, is to lay the ground work for the invasion of…..SVG! Peter Binose was right!…the Marxist- Leninist revolution is here!
As I said elsewhere, the NDP could have simply consigned the shipment to the Red Cross or Salvation Army to gain the duty-free exemption. But they preferred to put petty party politcs ahead of the needs of the disaster survivors the party leaders claim they were trying to help.
Ultimate power is still with the people of SVG Comrade; Vincentians have shown the dictator that his abuse of state power is no match for people power. This bad-minded, delusional and inept friend of Chavez days are numbered. Time is running out for the alleged rapist who must go before the judgment seat on election day. What a day that will be!
One thing he can be sure of his evil actions, the spite, malice and sheer nastiness has cost the ULP a lot of votes.
No one likes a spiteful malicious man. Such a man does not deserve the drippings from our noses.
I for one has lost all confidence in the majority of people in SVG the mentality that you all comrade is playing on to win votes is still firmly engrained in our people , go to SVG and try to walk from top town to bottom town and everyone you come across knows or remembers you and want something from you but dont try to give five dollars they don’t want that , when you do give them a ten they hang on to you for the rest of the time they want you to buy food and drinks as well , it is this mentality that gonsalves is making use of and was afraid that the NDP will steal his thunder his one means he have of getting votes so it stands to reason why he and his son refuse the NDP request . The children that we all expected to be educated and able to take over and run our country has become a disappointment the boys sit on the street smoking and the girls produces unwanted babies the others just leave the country .
After all the problems you will now see that anyone accepting aid from the NDP will be branded and the cycle of vindictiveness will begin again . SVG has truly hit rock bottom .
On which PLANET does it cost $20,000 to clear 45 boxes?!? $450 duty PER BOX???? I would have a hard time beliving it would cost more than $75 – $125 per box, depending on size/content. Then boxes didnt cost more than $5000, trust me. That $20K number was designed to embarrass. Check it out. Then ask what they plan to do with the extra $15K, since it was raised under false pretenses, lol. THAT’S investigative journalism.
This is ultimate madness and should not go unnoticed by the people of SVG; regardless whether the items were consigned to a Non Government Organisation (NGO) directly responsible for the relief efforts or to a political party, every effort should have been made by the government to see that import duty and other taxes were not charged against the consignment(s).