Opposition Leader Godwin Friday has refused to approve the government’s application to Parliament for EC$25.6 million more for the new port that is being built in Kingstown, saying that opposition lawmakers have been denied access to the construction site even amidst declutching of the sheet piles.
The EC$25.6 million was part of EC$98.6 million in supplementary estimates that the government used its parliamentary majority to approve shortly after midnight on Thursday, following hours of debate.
Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, said EC$28.2 million of the amount is for the roads programme underway in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, EC$41.75 million to rebuild and repair houses damaged by Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024, and, EC$3 million for the accommodation in apartments and guest houses of people who have been displaced by the cyclone.
“I will not approve any money additional for the port. And the reason for this is that we are being kept in the dark. … you’re treating us as though we are not entitled to that information,” he told Parliament.
The government is asking for more money for the port, which was initially budgeted to cost EC$700 million, even as a “declutching” issue is yet to be resolved, and the completion date has been pushed back from August to October.
The declutching has caused the sand that was used as reclamation material to leak back into the sea, resulting in large pools forming inside the quay wall.
Most of the information on the decluthing has come from politicians rather than technical experts at the port and media access appears to be limited to state media, which do not ask some of the questions that non-state media might be inclined to ask.
Before last week, the opposition had voted in support of spending on the port, even as they have complained about a lack of access to the site amidst questions about the declucthing.
“I would like for us, in the opposition, to have the ability to make a judgment based on what is told to us by people who are experts and who can demonstrate to us that this is what is happening, and this is how we are fixing it,” Friday told Parliament.
“This requires for us as an opposition to be able to visit the project and to be given the opportunity as responsible Members of Parliament to be able to form our own conclusion based on what people are telling us with respect to the project, not what you come into Parliament here and try to tell us.”
Friday noted that the three Kingstown seats are represented by opposition MPs, neither of whom had been invited to visit the port project.
“So until that happens, I cannot, in all good conscience, give money to this government to say, ‘Go and spend it as you like, and then come back and tell us what’s happening’,” the opposition leader said.
“We need to see for ourselves what is going on, and we can arrange that tomorrow. Arrange a visit. I have tried to do it through third sources. It ain’t happening. So arrange a visit for the opposition to visit the port and to speak to the people who are responsible for the work that’s going on. We can do that tomorrow.”
I love that tommo visit the port let him stop the nonsense
Friday is right to refuse any additional funds for the port, until the Opposition can visit the site and be fully informed by professionals, of what’s happening there and any other information to come to a conclusion that there is transparency of the project.
He should insist that the government inform the population of what’s happening at the port and get it to use professionals to help in explaining the issues at the port. The population should know how, when, why and where their money is being used for the plan. As a matter of fact this information should have been explained to the population before the project started. But Noah Ralph believes he knows everything and can use the people funds without telling them what to expect from projects.
Camillo is talking about the roads which have been nothing but a “POT HOLE” issue for many years. The vehicles have been going through this that cost them lots of money for damages to the body and the tires. Recently the police had been examining the vehicle tires instead of inspecting the roads and submitting information to make them better.
Then there is the issue of damage to the roofs of houses like what happened in the Grenadines. Many years ago Australia had the same problem when house were destroyed by a hurricane. They came up with a solution to help protect the houses, roofs and the people. SVG investigate those plans and start implementing them now, so that the next hurricane (and there will be many more coming) will not damage the homes and buildings like it did during the last hurricane.
One other issue I see on the political plate is the issue of increasing the population before the election this year.
1. Are these new citizens on the voting list to participate in the up-coming election?
2. Will the government release the voters list for each constituency?
3. Which constituency will observe these new votes?
4. Why is it necessary to increase the population months before the election?
5. Will the voters list be available to the population and the constituencies before the election?
6. Will these new people have voting cards or document to present when they appear to vote?
The calypso season had many participants providing their views of the up-coming election. This shows that the people are involved in providing changes to the government. They realize that this dictatorial situation has to stop and Ralph is too old to move the nation forward, especially since he wants to pass the torch to Baby Doc.
I believe the NDP can gain three constituencies to increase their seats to 9. I have heard one person talking of 10 NDP and 5 ULP. And I hope he is right.
This is an opportunity for Vincentians to move forward and don’t look back. VOTE THEM OUT!
(2) SVG 2015 election – YouTube
This kinda crap 😭 only happens in SVG seriously a major project and regardless telling us that opposition party law makers ???? Can’t or haven’t been/ invited /visited the site 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 hear me good dem kinda s….. Can only happen in SVG lol my mother land ain’t a real place…
Carl Maylor, in my opinion its a communist country controlled by satan and demons.