By Sehon Marshall, Press Secretary, Office Of The Prime Minister
Recently, the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) and some of the leaderships of two public sector unions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have been pedalling the untruth — the BIG LIE — that from the onset of COVID-19 in the year 2020, the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government mishandled the pandemic in social and economic terms.
One critical indicator of the government’s handling of the pandemic relates to economic performance measured by the growth in gross domestic product (GDP) during the first year of COVID (the year 2020). The relevant data from the authoritative United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC) was published in its Preliminary Overview of the Economics of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2021.
On page 128 of that publication, there is a Table A1.2 under the heading “Latin America and the Caribbean Annual Growth Rates In Gross Domestic Product (Constant Prices)”. This Table lists the Caribbean countries and their growth rats as follows:
Country GDP Growth Rate In Year 2020 (in percentages) Antigua and Barbuda -20.2% Bahamas -14.5% Barbados -17.6 Belize -16.7 Dominica -16.6 Grenada -13.8 Guyana 43.5 Jamaica -9.9 St. Kitts and Nevis -14.4 St. Lucia -20.4 Suriname -14.5 Trinidad and Tobago -6.8
The data above show that tourism economies such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, and St. Lucia were badly hit. The data also show that countries with relatively small tourism sectors such as Belize, Dominica, and Suriname were also badly hit. More diversified economies like Jamaica and Grenada were also badly hit. The energy (oil and natural gas) economy of Trinidad and Tobago also recorded substantial negative growth. Only Guyana, with its new-found oil production and export, grew, and did so at a huge rate (43.5%). SVG recorded negative growth but relatively much smaller (-3.3%) than in the case of the other CARICOM countries. And St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not sell passport and citizenship!
Incidentally, all Latin American countries recorded negative economic growth rates in 2020, ranging from a low of minus 0.6%in the case of Paraguay to minus 17.9% in the case of Panama. The Latin American “economic giants” recorded negative growth rates as follows: Argentina (-9.9%); Brazil (-3.9 percent); Chile (-5.8%); Colombia (-6.8%); and Mexico (-8.2%).
In SVG, the ULP did not follow the advice of the NDP to impose “draconian Chinese measures”. Instead, the ULP government kept the country open with sensibly targeted restrictions. Moreover, the ULP government’s socio-economic and health policies ensured that the wheels of the economy kept turning as best as practicable in the circumstances.
Similarly, the government also acted prudently and enterprisingly in 2021 in the year of COVID, volcanic eruptions, Hurricane Elsa, and increasing global turmoil. In 2021, the GDP growth outturn was positive at 1.3% because of a relatively productive second half of the year; the first half with the volcanic eruptions had an annualised prediction of minus 6%. Thankfully, the second half of the year improved matters.
Let us stick to the facts and not the NDP lies!
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Kenton, dis izza Gonsalves ULP government plant. Day tryin fo tarnish yo good stranding with dis propaganda crap. After dem fya scores of people fo christmas now day tryin evry ting fo blindfold we.
So where is SVG on this list ? Are we not part of the Caribbean? Please show us the real list with the real facts , don’t just write what you want and expect us to believe you.
Time to stop this BS .
I would have to agree that before the vaccines the ULP was practicing better economics than what the “lock-down” NDP was suggesting. All that changed when the globalist establishment launched the cash-cow for the rich vaccines. Since that time the top ULP cats went in with the power-mad WEF to take away a human right to decide what goes into your body, and attempt to force “90 percent” of the population into the experiment. That is when SVG and the economy started getting worse for the long-term based on bad government policy, not to mention that the NDP again started demonstrating they are far better in the area of economics.
At the beginning of the Covid I was even considering voting ULP…then came the TYRANICAL vaccine mandates!
Sehon Marshall wah you just do deh? Might aswell you had keep your mouth closed bro. Because there is no substance to what you had just mention. I really thought you had more depth bredda
My father in his own saying no better the beef no betteri the barrel. Was it not the same author of this article who was accused of inappropiate behaviour with respect to his wife or former wife or there is something wrong with the state of my memory? If this the case how can one have confidence in anything this man is saying? Therefore, no better the beef no better the barrel. What comes out of this man’s mouth defiles him and his attitude whether or not relating the past defines him. The vast majority of Vincentians do not suffer from collective amnesia i can assure you. This article is timely and appropriate for it defends a regime or better call it a dynasty. But history has shown us that all dynasty has its place and longevity. The Maya empire was one of them, another was the Roman empire.
Mr. Marshall i put no confidence in what you are saying . Where did you.get your sources ,and how credible are they? Were they just a mast to comoflage a regime? Your past behaviour is to rightful thinking people is akin to a resume. I will then let the reasonable reader be the judge or marker of this article.
Mr Marshall there is a saying that one shall not cut off the hand that feeds you. Its a fact that you are being fed and nourished by the Ulp regime. Accordingly, i trust nothing what you are saying and put a confidence rating of zeroon it . Is it a case of a zebra never change its stripes?
Mr Marshall are you in a position to explain to the public the alleged slap you and abuse thar you gave your wife? Being jn the public eyes its encumbent upon you to explain what happen to you posted to the mission in New York. It is a truis4m that confession is a tonic to the soul .Its alleged that you past licks like rain.
Mr Marshal tell us more if its true what happened during the alledged assaut on your wife. Its alledged by the above comments that you battered your ex-wife or wife. This is licks like peas. How qualify are you to speak on matters of such importance?