TnT handsover equipment to SVG

With Trinidadian Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar in the country for the 25th Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves took the opportunity to publicly thank her for all the help that was given, following the December floods.{{more}}

On Tuesday, a symbolic handing over of equipment from Trinidad and Tobago to St Vincent and the Grenadines, took place at the Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) depot. According to Gonsalves, Trinidad and Tobago was one of the first countries to come to this country’s aid, following the natural disaster.

“On Christmas eve, we had a terrible disaster which struck us. The damage and loss estimated in excess of EC$330 million,” Gonsalves said, citing that this was approximately 17 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

“The government and people of Trinidad and Tobago responded immediately and they responded immediately because of the generosity of spirit of Kamla. She felt it and I have no doubt when she heard about the poor and the suffering of women and children, she would have been deeply touched”.

While Tuesday’s donation consisted of materials to repair the water system, which was reportedly down in some areas for three weeks, the Vincentian prime minister noted that the government of Trinidad and Tobago made several donations before, and each time it was voluntary.

“Immediately, Kamla responded. She sent teams. I have the numbers here to speak the tale but it’s not just the numbers; we didn’t have to ask. There were three shipments. The first shipment of items to St Vincent and the Grenadines, valued at US$1.3 million…the second shipment had a lot of containers with food and also household items and building material, valued at over US$1.1 million…and there was a third initiative with aerial survey and the delivery of items. The final support initiative was to send materials for the repair of our water systems, valued at US$150 000,” Gonsalves revealed.

Additionally, Gonsalves indicated that Persad-Bissessar has already committed to helping further and have been asking in what areas she can do so. Furthermore, he expressed deepest gratitude to the prime minister and her government for their support, citing that “if you look at US$1.3 million multiplied by 6, we see what we have there in TT dollars. And similarly, US$1.1 million multiplied again by 6. We see this is a substantial assistance”.

In response to Gonsalves, Persad-Bissessar thanked him for his kind words and stressed the importance of friendship between countries that are situated in the same space.

Making reference to Machel Montano’s 2013 hit song; “Float”, the Trinidadian Prime Minister said “if we all stay in the same boat, we will float”.

“We can rise together and that is where we work together in the CARICOM, in partnership. I am grateful to the friendship of successive governments in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” she said. “We have been honoured to carry on and been privileged to carry on those friendships with the government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines”.