“The NDP has a clear plan to create new jobs and the determination to build a better St Vincent and Grenadines for our future.”
For too long a lack of economic opportunities has seen many of our people leave for opportunities in Canada, USA, UK and other countries. Many leave our islands and never return.
Here in St Vincent and Grenadines our cost of living is rising, and it is hard to make ends meet. We need jobs and incomes to look after our families.
In the NDP we are passionate about building a country that works for everyone and where everyone who wants to work can. Our Plan will create better conditions which mean Vincentians are happy to stay.
We will set ambitious targets to deliver the investment, resources and production we need. A strong economy and good infrastructure will bring foreign investment and increased wages for all Vincentians. Without a strong economy, we cannot afford to pay for housing, schools or hospitals.
We will outline specific, deliverable measures for all these sectors, and we will get St Vincent and Grenadines working again.
For too long we have neglected our most precious resource – our people. It’s time to change that and to ensure more of our young people can build careers and raise their families here in St Vincent and Grenadines.
Let’s work together to ensure a brighter future for all of us.
Dr the Honourable Godwin Friday
Leader, New Democratic Partyleav
Top 10 Job Creating Projects<b?
Our Priorities
Job Creation
After 19 long years of the ULP, unemployment has increased from 20% to 26% (even before COVID).
Dr Friday and the NDP will attract new investment to stimulate construction, marine, agriculture, and manufacturing jobs here at home.
We will create jobs by reducing the costs, fees and bureaucratic delays for businesses. They can then expand faster, and hire more.
We will use finance from our new Development Bank to help businesses start, or expand here in SVG.
We will invest in new equipment, financing, lands, and reforms for our farmers and fisherfolk.
We will assist our young people into work by expanding and increasing the YES Program and deliver a national skills training program.
We want our young people to earn and learn and to create jobs for all who want to work.
Health
The ULP have promised to deliver a new national hospital since 2001. They have failed.
The NDP has a fully funded plan to build a new hospital in St Vincent and the Grenadines. We will ensure it is certified as a training school as well.
We will drive foreign investors to investor not just in hotels, but a new hospital. A hospital that will save lives.
Dr Friday will also oversee the roll-out of a National Insurance Scheme. We will also introduce a Patient Travel Subsidy to help patients get to important appointments.
We will upgrade or construct new community health clinics from North Windward down to Kingstown – and villages in between.
Farming and Fishing
Our fisherfolk and farmers have been neglected and have not been able to make a good living.
We will completely reinvigorate our fishing sector – creating a separate Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Conservation – to give this vial industry the attention it deserves.
We will help finance new boats and equipment for our fisherfolk through our National Development Bank.
We won’t dictate to fisherfolk what they need, instead we’ll work with them to get them the right equipment to succeed.
Our plan also includes fixing and building new feeder roads so our farmers can be more productive.
We will also finance new equipment to make their job easier, and to make them more productive so that farming is more appealing to younger people.
We will ensure that there are real markets in place for their produce. So that when you put in a crop and wait months for it to bear, you will have somewhere to sell it into at a fair price.
We want our farmers to be farmers – focusing on what they do best – and earning a decent living so they can build a home, send their children to school and save for retirement.
Arts & Sport
Sports, arts, music and culture are absolutely vital to St Vincent and the Grenadines. It binds us together.
We will build a home for arts and culture, a state-of-the-art theatre to host all major cultural events. It will also be a place to house and display the rich cultural history of St Vincent and the Grenadines in all its artistic forms.
We will also upgrade or construct new lighted playing fields and hard courts from North Windward to the Southern Grenadines. Lighting will ensure teams can practice at night, and used as a community event space.
The arts complex will be able to host traveling regional artists, as well as encourage local productions by new talent.
Our duties and customs review will make it easier for artists, musicians and creatives to bring in equipment.
