SVG making progress though being on the “road to Jericho”, says PM

PRIME MINISTER, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has indicated that St Vincent and the Grenadines is “making progress” even as it is on the “dangerous road to Jericho”.

He noted that despite a myriad of weather events associated with climate change, this country’s economy in 2024, recorded growth of 4.8%.

He included the wider region in nations and territories that are on this dangerous road to Jericho as they too are forced to deal with catastrophic weather events that cause severe economic and social damage.

In Biblical times, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a notoriously dangerous place on which to travel, and Gonsalves said that is way he feels about the impact of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024 as well as other climatic and other events that have damaged the economy of SVG.

“… all of us on this dangerous road to Jericho you know, it’s addressed in the book of Luke…as a Christian, I’m quoting the Bible… the story around the dangers…,” Gonsalves said.

He compared British businessman and philanthropist, Ian Wace to the good Samaritan in the biblical story who helped the traveller that was beaten and left for dead while travelling on the Jericho Road.

He noted that Wace has brought various teams to assist with the rebuilding work in the southern Grenadines, and has spent over $25 million of his own funds.

The Prime Minister said that Wace and his Gumbolimbo team, some of whom are Romanians; the government of Guyana; and several other entities, are playing important roles in helping the government accomplish its plans to repair or rebuild more than 6,000 homes affected by Hurricane Beryl, as well as some of the structures damaged by the eruption of La Soufriere in 2021.

“…you know, the cost of this is around EC$450 million call it roughly US$160 million. I told the country straight… I don’t have all the money, but even if I had all the money, I couldn’t rebuild all at the same time because I don’t have all the manpower… and not all the materials, but I took on the responsibility to rebuild and repair the 6,000 houses,” the Prime Minister said recently, while in Union Island at a ceremony at the newly rebuilt offices of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).

“… I told persons, I say we in solidarity with one another. If you can manage it, you start, if you can finish it by yourself, good, because there’s a lot we have done nationally…,” Gonsalves said of the rebuilding process which he stressed is moving along despite the various challenges and constraints.

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