Grenada (CU)_Wednesday marked the beginning of the first session of Grenada’s new Parliament, with Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade detailing the socio-economic plans of the new government led by Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who won the general election on June 23.
Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of Dominica, and Phillip J. Pierre, the leader of St. Lucia, along with other officials from the St. Lucia-based Organization of Eastern Caribbean Commission (OECS), were present for the ceremony. The Head of State declared that the new administration’s main pillars would be environmental management, foreign policy, and citizen empowerment.
“Priorities for the first year are intended to be results-oriented, focusing on the implementation of strategic programs, projects, and policies to gain the maximum benefits from the resources that are available”.
“Rather than making wish lists and setting overly ambitious targets, my government will focus instead on identifying priority areas for investment in different sectors. Through this approach, resources can be efficiently channelled to areas with the greatest need,” Dame Cecile told the legislators.
In her words, “as we endeavor to build, together, a just nation in which every individual has the same opportunity to reach his or her full potential,” this spirit of empowerment is the essence of what the administration intends to foster.
She claimed that in order to do this, the nation’s social and economic problems are immediately addressed by the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration’s transformative vision.
She added that the government plans to introduce legislation allowing people to use alternative energy sources and products in their homes and businesses during the first parliamentary session. “To ensure viability, my government intends to incentivize individuals and businesses that undertake and fully implement this venture,” she said.
According to the Head of State, the government will support micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, cooperatives, and local economies in order to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.
She claimed that the 44-year-old lawyer who leads the administration will make investments in the budding cannabis market. She added that the administration is also acutely aware of the enormous amount of work that needs to be done in the areas of primary healthcare and access to high-quality medical services.
Leo Cato was chosen Speaker, while Dr. Dessima Williams assumed the office of Senate President after the senators and all 15 elected members of parliament took the oath of office.
