'Mamaguy Monday'? NDC rips into Grenada budget

'Grenadians have had enough', say de facto opposition

Wednesday, 6th December 2017

Last updated: 7 December 2017, 7:59 am

The main opposition party in Grenada have launched a savage attack on Prime Minister Keith Mitchell's latest budget.

The presentation, which was billed as the 'mother of all budgets' in the run up, included potential savings for taxpayers, as well as businesses. Money was also set aside to deal with child abuse, which includes the establishment of a sex offender registry.

But the National Democratic Congress said it was though the budget "suffered a painful miscarriage and delivered a stillborn baby in the parliament of Grenada."

"By the time the baby was born all vital organs had collapsed and were lifeless."

Immediately afterwards the leader of the NDC, Nazim Burke, told MTV News that it the day should be known as "Mamaguy Monday".

In a statement posted online yesterday, the NDC highlighted a number of failings that they believe budget did not resolve, including two years of declining agriculture production, lower exports and unemployment.

"The attending doctor - Dr Keith Mitchell - could do nothing to save the baby. He simply does not know what to do. He has run out of ideas," the statement said.

"So while agriculture is dying, he gives agriculture only $24.7 million out of a Budget of $1,112,039,938.

"While fishermen are crying out for refrigeration facilities to be put on the airport to protect their fish before shipping, he is promising to build a new runway and a hotel on the airport.

"While young people are crying out for work he promises to make sure they get a bli out of the debushing and other contracts he gives out to his party hacks and supporters."

During his budget presentation, the prime minister said the country is poised to experience its fifth consecutive year of growth in 2017, which is “provisionally estimated for the year” at 4.5%.

Mitchell stressed the need for the country to “safeguard our hard-won gains.”

During a NDC press conference this week, Burke said: "This was an abject failure. No amount of dancing and posing and pretending and testifying will change that. Let's look at the numbers and you will see how embarrassing this budget was

"If I were to present, pronounce to the nation, that I was going to present the mother of all budgets and I came with something like that, I would run and hide."