‘La Sagesse Beach’ 2009.

© Hegel Goutier

What is the NDC government doing differently? 

Our approach to governance: we believe in the respect of the independence of institutions. The police force is better organised, more independent and operates more effectively. We say public officers should be promoted on merit rather than through political affiliation. The past administration had a series of litigation matters with the media. Our approach to the media is different and our approach to governance is a partnership with other interest groups in society.

What is your development strategy for Grenada?

We have great potential in agriculture and could do a lot in agro-processing. We have nutmeg, a chocolate factory and a lager industry. These are small but could be expanded. We have great potential in fisheries   smoking and processing fish   and are looking for additional markets. We want to develop community and cultural tourism in addition to sea and sun. For example, the ‘Fish Friday’ project at Gouyave (a weekly fish ‘fry-up’). Training for our young people is vital to enable them to contribute to national development with certificates for occupations such as electricians, builders and plumbers and the hospitality industry.

What about development of social security?

We would like to see a legal framework within the region for both social security and business operations. Say if someone moves from Grenada to St.Lucia or St.Vincent, he or she should continue to benefit [from social security].

Is there too much emphasis on tourism?

We need a balanced approach. The agricultural sector is the most sustainable sector in the long run: to get our rural communities involved in business activities and cottage industries and get new markets for our products. We should not put all our eggs in one basket.

Do you notice a slackening of the pace of CARICOM integration compared with two decades ago?

The original enthusiasm and energy are not there. We fully support the initiative to create an economic space between Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)*. Port-of-Spain is the financial capital of the southern Caribbean, so I believe that the potential is there for integration between Trinidad and Tobago and the OECS. If you look at what is happening with the financial crisis, we need to have a regional framework for companies operating within the region. Because of the lack of that integration movement, there is an ‘opening’  for discrimination.We need to look at CARICOM seriously and decide where we are heading. The region should negotiate as a bloc with international organisations and shouldn’t have one country forming relations with China and another with Taiwan. We could have a supranational legal authority within the region and a regional parliamentary system.

But would smaller-scale economies not be absorbed by Trinidad?

Trinidad may be a bigger country but our tourism product is quite different. The economic structure of Grenada, the type of landholding system we have here where people own property throughout the country: I do not think there would be any mass migration movement if we decide to come together. People always think people want to go to a bigger country, but I do not think this is the case at all because the quality of life in Grenada, in my view, is second to none in the region.

What are the geo-politics that govern Grenada’s external policy?

There is no longer any cold war. No two countries in the region are closer in cultural terms than Grenada and Trinidad. What matters is meaningful engagement – and to share and cooperate in areas that will promote democratic institutions and humanity.

There are currently a few difficult areas of relations with the EU, such as bananas and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). What is your view of Grenada-EU relations?

The EPA has advantages and disadvantages. If we could really work together as a region, we could benefit from the EPA. We have access (since signature of the EPA) to provide certain services to the EU. We must get maximum benefit from these areas of comparative advantage because we cannot really produce as the EU does in terms of manufactured products.

* There are nine OECS member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are associate members of the OECS.

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