Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves says that a Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration will create at least 4,650 jobs if voted back into office for a fifth consecutive term.
Gonsalves told the launch of his party’s election manifesto in Kingstown that 3,000 jobs will be created in the hotel and hospitality sector.
“And then we’re building a new port. We’re building a new parliament. We’re building a new courthouse. We build new houses for the people in Rose Place. We’re building roads and bridges all over the country that is going to create an additional 700 plus jobs,” he said.
Gonsalves, who is seeking re-election as MP for East St. George said that Clear Harbour, a local call centre, will increase its staff from 200 to 750.
“And then as the economy grows, and the government grows, we will employ another 400 or so people because we have to employ people for the new hospital, we have to employ new police. We have to employ new engineers and architects.”
The minister further said jobs will be created in the medicinal ganja space, “for all of the skilled men and women who know how to plant ganja and reap ganja”.
He said that when Rain Forest Seafood opens in Calliaqua they will hire 100 persons and hundreds more fisher folk will be selling fish to them.
“And we know that with PRYME will create jobs in this country for Vincentians,” Gonsalves said, adding that the government will get rid of PRYME, saying it is reckless to give people money to start businesses and they must go by a bank and borrow.
“Imagine you mustn’t get money for free to start a business. But they must sell passport for nothing. Imagine that. Think about it,” he said, referring to the opposition’s proposed citizenship by investment programme.
Gonsalves made a mockery of the manifesto that the main opposition New Democratic Party launched on Saturday in Petit Bordel.
“Every morning they wake up, they mek ah idea, they throw it in the manifesto. Every day they read something on Facebook, they say that is a good idea, leh we throw that in there too. But they are not ready for serious business of governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If you want serious governance in the country look to this man here, the five star general, and salute the five star general for the work he has done,” the finance minister said, referring to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
“I look to see what they saying about jobs because you look all round on the billboards you seeing ‘Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.’ ‘Jobs. Jobs. Jobs’ but ain’t telling you where the job them coming from,” he further said of the NDP manifesto.
Gonsalves spoke with continued disdain for the opposition’s proposed citizenship by investment (CBI) programme, which the government has dubbed the selling of passports.
“Passport money is the solution to everything. You want a job, sell a passport; you want a house, sell a passport; you want a new car, sell a passport; you want agriculture, sell a passport. That is not the way that we go forward in this country,” he said, noting that SVG was on the verge of its 41st anniversary of the independence.
“But we know in St. Vincent and in the Labour Party, that by the sweat of your brow, by the sweat of our brow, by the sweat of our brow, we will eat bread in this country.
“We don’t believe in no pie in the sky. We believe that this crowd of people represents intelligent Vincentians — people with a brain and an education who know hard work and are willing to strive and get better. And we know that because of that we will all lift Vincent and the Grenadines higher.”
He said that in the NDP manifesto there is nothing about medicinal cannabis.
The NDP is proposing to legalise the possession of two ounces of marijuana and the cultivation of five plants.
“… but they wah share way the thing for free,” he said of the NDP’s position on marijuana. Because if everybody ha’ five plants in their backyard, who go buy the ganja? … Who yo go sell it to… They ain’t thinking,” Gonsalves said.
“The Five Star general has a plan,” the finance minister said, referring to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
“The plan involves every facet of this country. The plan involves creating jobs, protecting our environment, improving our information communication technology,” he said.
“So on this eve of our independence, when you have to reflect on what it means to be a Vincy, a true, true Vincy when you reflect on the fact that nobody is better than St. Vincent and the Grenadines, when you reflect on the fact that the NDP always wants to pull the country down … If you don’t believe in your people, you can go on your people…
“But this man, the five star general, believes in you, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He has proven over and over again that he loves you, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He has proven over and over again that he has an open door. If you have a problem, you can walk off the street and go to the Prime Minister’s Office and deal with your matters with the prime minister live and direct. He has proven over 40 years in electoral politics that he loves you and that he will sacrifice for you.
“We cannot know, as the five star general leads us into battle one more time, do anything but say thank you Ralph Gonsalves for the work and the sacrifice that you have made for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And we cannot send Ralph Gonsalves into this last election with no one-seat majority. We cannot send him back with eight-seven again,” the finance minister said of the prime minister, who is also his father.
“So our work is simple. Read the plan. Read the program. Read the policies. Understand that we are the party with the ideas to take us forward. Understand that the UL P is the only choice if you love your children. Understand that the ULP is the only choice if you love your granny. Understand that your jobs are safer with labour. Understand that your country is safer with labour. Understand that your passport is safer with labour. Understand that each and every one of us will be lifted higher together because the Unity Labour Party is not self-centred. They are people-centred. And we have a leader named Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who will continue to lift us to higher heights. We love you as much as you love us. And together we will lift this great country higher.”
Sorry but it is blatantly untrue. Even if all the new hotels open that is an untruthful number.
The problem is most of them will not open. According to the trade 30% of all hotels world-wide will go broke and shut down in 2021. In smaller Caribbean countries that could be 50%.
That is the problem of putting all your eggs in one basket, sometimes the basket has a hole in it.
Camillo there is a common adage that goes like this , “you can fool some people sometimes but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. You had 20 years to do all that you promised, however, you have failed the country. The list being counted 46 % unemployment, bad roads and you want another five years. Your time is up, you gave expired. You will or may get your wish since a lot of us are not analytical and suffer from brain freeze.
I had a recent conversation with a Ulp supporter and cannot give me a valid reason why she supports the Ulp except that her grand father was a labor supporter This is the kind of thinking that make changes impossible. Vincentian I wish you well in you choice what ever that choice is .
Camillo’s promise of 4,600 jobs after the ULP’s twenty years in office is hardly something to shout about, when so many more Vincentians are out of work and sucking salt, because of Ralph Gonsalves selfish economic policies!
What’s worst though, can anyone believe this privilege individual Camillo who does not know what joblessness really is or how it affects a family?
We’re gonna spend and spend and spend!…with money we don’t have. Don’t worry! We’re gonna borrow and borrow and borrow! Don’t worry because we’re gonna tax and tax and tax! Don’t worry, your future children and grandchildren will pay. ULP forever! Don’t worry! You will have perpetual poverty and poverty and poverty.
If that does not convince you to vote for us, think about the fantasy jobs we promise (but never deliver) every election after election after election!
We promise, we promise we promise, because you are doltish, doltish, doltish!
Fool me once shame on you! Fool me 5-times…?
Empty promise that comes way too late. I believe 4600 more on poor relief. The NDP is focused on job creation. For 19 years, all job creation by the ULP is street vending leading to a dirty capital. Who will believe this empty promise? It will be higher taxes, more poverty and low self esteem for Vincentians. The hotel industry will not improve any time soon. Please spell out where these jobs will come from.
Camillo you are the Minister of Finance. So you have economic knowledge to know, that you must grow the economy to reduce unemployment. The ULP has consistently failed over the years to do so and that is the main reason why unemployment is high. I think SVG is one the worse countries in the OECS for employment.
You spoke about the Manifesto of NDP. I am surprised you touched that issue. Because I don’t think the ULP needs a new manifesto at each election. You DON’T do what you say you are going do when you get into power. Like building a hospital and so many other broken promises. Just use the old manifesto. Another disadvantage is the promises in your Manifestos become cumulative and Vincentians have a good memory.
Minister you spoke of the Labour Party. The party is the LUP. We do not have a labour party.
It is the “U” in ULP which makes the party so toxic and voter warry.
Then you talked about the leadership of the five star general. WOW minister.
The leader have presided over a divided country. He can’t unite SVG.
There are people overseas who are worried about coming to SVG for a holiday and some would gladly come home to live, but not under the ULP. Your leader needs to heal the nation. And remember when I write about the diaspora I am talking about a population as big, and perhaps bigger that the current population in SVG of around 109,000. They say New York has as many Vincentians as those in SVG. Those people overseas: Trinidad, Barbados< England, the US, Canada and elsewhere. Some will support ULP but a lot want a change in government in SVG. They want their country back from the hands of the five star general.
The five star leader has made things in SVG better for only a small group of people. The unequal distribution of income. Where a small group have so much income and the vast majority of VIncentians have so little. This is not good for the country. Then the level of poverty and the sufferings of poor people. Minister you can't be, and should not be proud of the current state of SVG. And I am not talking about Covid-19 and Dengue Fever.
Minister take this message from the NDP:
One Nation!
One people!
One SVG!
Formulate policies with this view in mind.
We are all Vincy. I wish you a happy Independence Day Minister.
Real desperation, A promise is comfort to fools Mr yuggie, we are no longer fools nor slaves. You all really have vincentians very low. Hope you give yuggie a job to.
I believe that if the Pryme loans program was properly designed we would have been able to expect something from it. By this I mean putting a structure in place to guide the recipients as to how to manage a business including finance, staff, purchases, production, sales and marketing. Experts must be able to visit them to ensure they are on the right track and direct them accordingly. And they in turn must have some place to turn to if they need help. This is the only way to help them to develop and to employ others. HOLD THEIR HANDS!!!
CED would be ideally placed to do this, but that institution must be structured, financed and staffed for such an undertaking. Put some money into it if we serious.
Instead the program was done as a political tool ( we just have to look at the ULP ads using the recipients of Pryme grants).. Put money in the hands of inexperienced people with no oversight or directions, and it disappears in no time, and no one is better off. Clearly this was never meant for success by these young people, but simply for vote harvesting
So when Camillo talks about creating jobs, he just tricking- you can’t reap what you don’t sow (prepare for). But by then the elections will be over, and the purpose achieved. And to hell with these young people. Ha ha, we tricked them once again.
How and why is Camillo talking about jobs at this time? Where was he for the last 5 to 20 years? He can’t promise anything from tourism dollars at this time. Tourism and Sandals will be dormant for several years. Agriculture should be the top entity for helping Vincentians out of this piss hole. No one should mention banana, because it’s dead and no one can bring back the good old days of green gold.
Camillo, Manifesto is just Projection of Ideas( future plans) they are not real as you aware from 20yr.
You should be same to speak of such. Your Manifesto is balloons with the old false promises that is unobtainable and unsustainable from these small States(SVG) unless we are getting infusion monies from external sources.
Base on the two Parties Manifesto NDP is Targeting some vital areas which can grow Economy fast whicj is.prudence at this time and ULP same Old red herring of from year to year. “New wine in old bottle” bible.
There is better chance for success when some thing is Targeted you can easy see results and address accordingly.
Camillo, In your style of Government that why there is no ACCOUNTABILITY to Nation.
Beat your flat chest on this. What inside your manifesto for East ST.George for jobs creation and development .
This Constituency that is so unrepresented by you and others because Labour Party in their blood, but remember blood do run out.
My two cents.