St. Georges, Grenada - Members of Her Majesty Opposition view with great concern the actions of the Government which continue to exacerbate the economic situation in the country. 

The decisions to reduce the number of persons benefitting from the debushing programme; to discontinue many of the safety net programmes started by the New National Party Administration; to increase the cost of sand thereby reducing construction activities in the country; and the continued attack on local and foreign investors are only some of the actions of the new administration that are affecting the poor and vulnerable and are   impacting negatively on the economy. 

In recent times, the Government has been calling on workers and citizens in general to make sacrifices and to prepare for the impact of the global crisis.  However, the Opposition believes that while all Grenadians would be expected to make sacrifices, member of the Tillman Thomas Government must lead by example. 

The Opposition calls on the Government to follow the examples of the NNP administration whose cabinet members took a pay cut following natural disasters of 2004 and recently, the Prime Minister of Jamaica Hon Bruce Golding who took a 15% pay cut and called on his cabinet members to follow his lead with a 10% reduction. 

As a government who promised that it will uphold the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance in its campaign to get into office, the Tillman Thomas administration must be prepared to stop all unnecessary travel overseas (a policy of the NNP administration in the last three years in office); and to afford only the Prime Minister the privilege of first class travel as a means of reducing cost (a policy of the NNP administration during the last thirteen years in office).

Office of the Leader of the Opposition
St George’s
Grenada
8th April, 2009