CEREMONIAL
OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER, 2002
THRONE SPEECH
DELIVERED BY
HIS EXCELLENCY
SIR FREDERICK
BALLANTYNE, GCMG
GOVERNOR GENERAL
AT
THE THIRD SESSION OF THE
SEVENTH PARLIAMENT
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
KINGSTOWN
ST. VINCENT
Mr. Speaker,
Honourable Members of the House of Assembly, it is an honour and privilege for
me to address this Honourable House on this occasion for the first time. All of my predecessors have been persons of
distinction and I will certainly try to live up to the expectations of this
high and noble office.
Mr. Speaker,
despite the sharp downturn in the international economy occasioned by the
terrorist attack of September 11th 2001 and the damage caused by the
passage of Tropical Storm Lilli this year, our economy has remained stable due
to the enterprise of our people and to careful management and targeted
strategic interventions by the Government.
Despite the adversities which we faced, our national spirit soared. This was evident during the celebrations to
mark the 23rd anniversary of our nation’s independence. Vincentians went about their lives in a
peaceful, patriotic and dignified manner.
Mr. Speaker, we are by and large, a people of remarkable understanding
and discipline.
Mr. Speaker, in
keeping with its policy of good governance and consultation with civil society
and social partners, my government held consultations on the 2003 budget
throughout the country. Indeed, this is
a first in our thriving democracy.
Unlike any other time in our history, the ordinary man and woman have
had an opportunity to participate in the process of budget making. These consultations have been most
productive in every respect.
Mr. Speaker,
education and poverty alleviation remain top priorities of my government. Mr. Speaker, my government is of the
unshakable belief that a sound education is a guaranteed escape from the
clutches of poverty. Mr. Speaker, my
government is of the view that education, like health care, should be accessible
to all, regardless of class, colour or creed.
As my government launches a frontal assault on poverty it seeks to make
education the central weapon. My
government is pursuing an educational policy for living and production.
Mr. Speaker, in order to enhance the quality
of education and make it accessible to all, my government intends to do the
following in the new year:-
1. Increase the
number of secondary school places to accommodate 500 more students from the
common entrance class;
2. Improve the pass
rates of the National Examinations;
3. Initiate the
process to grant Associate Degrees and Certificate Programmes at the Community
College;
4. Conduct a study
to determine the volume and types of special needs which exist in the state;
5. Develop an
Information Technology Curriculum and establish a National Grid for learning;
6. Provide support
for all registered pre-schools;
7. Implement the
National Sports Policy;
8. Institutionalize
a joint Management Development Programme for all Principals and Ministry
Officials;
9. Strengthen the
Ministry of Education; and
10. Provide more training opportunities at
universities and
colleges overseas.
Mr. Speaker, my
government has taken a special interest in and responsibility for the elderly,
the neglected and the homeless. In
keeping with its long-held philosophy of every man being his brother’s keeper,
my government, through the Public Assistance Programme and other schemes, has
tried to lessen the burdens of the disadvantaged. Moreover, my government’s all embracing poverty eradication
strategy is focused on the empowerment of the poor in very practical ways for
their self-sustaining development.
Mr. Speaker, it
is my government’s intention to build a long overdue Crisis Centre for the
victims of domestic violence. This
centre will provide temporary refuge for the victims of spousal and child
abuse. My government has already sought
assistance from the social partners to work towards this end.
Mr. Speaker,
after the presentation of its report in Geneva on the Rights of the Child
earlier this year, my government has embarked on several of the recommendations
which were made. Chief among these is
the reform and harmonization of legislation relating to children and
families. In the coming year, the
reform will commence and will be done in conjunction with the OECS and UNICEF.
Mr. Speaker, my
government will continue its reform in the Offshore Sector with the formal
separation of the marketing and supervisory roles of the Authority in keeping
with international practices.
Mr. Speaker, my
government will be more aggressive in its marketing strategy and in the new
thrust, the Authority will focus on mutual funds and insurances, in addition to
International Business Companies (IBCs).
Further, Mr.
Speaker, one of our principal objectives for the coming year will be to remove
St. Vincent and Grenadines from the Financial Action Task Force Black
List. In the past, this has seriously
affected our credibility in the international arena.
Mr. Speaker,
given the number of adversities experienced by the Agricultural Sector, including
the passage of Tropical Storm Lilli a few short months ago, my government will
intensify its Agricultural Diversification Programme through the following
among other things:
1. The
revitalization of the Arrowroot Industry;
2. Poultry and other
livestock development;
3. Building a
cassava processing plant; and
4. Completion of a
coconut water bottling facility.
Mr. Speaker, my
government also hopes to complete the restructuring of the banana industry to
make it more competitive and modern.
Mr. Speaker, my
government also intends, in the new year, to make St. Vincent and the
Grenadines compliant with WTO requirements on Sanitary and phytosanitary
standards. We are cognizant of the fact
that proper practices and procedures must be followed if we are to compete
internationally.
Mr. Speaker, in
the Fisheries Sector, my government will move swiftly to train fisherfolk and
complete the construction of facilities to make it possible for St. Vincent and
the Grenadines to resume the exportation of fish to the European Union. My government will also concentrate heavily
on Forestry and the Environment so that harmful practices which damage the
environment can be arrested.
Mr. Speaker, in
its quest to meet challenges arising from advances in information technology,
my government has established a National Institute of Technology. In the coming year, my government will
introduce, in practical terms, e-government.
We will establish the infrastructure for a new government website,
intranet and a new PBX system.
Mr. Speaker, my
government has also liberalized the telecommunications market and in the new
year Vincentians will be given a choice of telecommunication providers. Licenses for the new entities have already
been issued.
Mr. Speaker,
tourism remains a priority sector for my government. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a unique product in that we
offer several destinations in one package.
It is for this reason that my government has declared this country a
regional and international conference venue.
Since my government took office, it has successfully hosted several
regional and international conferences.
Nevertheless, greater emphasis needs to be put on product
development. To this end, my government
intends to pass the Tourism Standards Act and accompanying regulations which
will not only focus on hotels, but also make provision for a system of
licensing all persons involved in the industry. Further, in order for us to capture the attention of regional and
international tourism investors, my government is actively developing a tourism
industry incentive legislation which will cover the wide spectrum of
hospitality services.
Mr. Speaker, to
address the persistent problem of harassment of and petty crimes against
visitors, my government has established a Tourist Police Unit.
Mr. Speaker, my
government has already developed a National Tourism Strategic Plan for the
period of 2002 - 2006. This plan, which
will be used to guide tourism development in the coming period, has identified
five market areas for concentration.
They are:
1. Sailing and
Yachting;
2. Diving;
3. Weddings and
Honeymoons;
4. Nature Tourism;
and
5. Festivals.
In the coming
year an action plan will be prepared for each sub-sector.
Mr. Speaker, in
2003, my government intends to hire a new public relations firm to promote St.
Vincent and the Grenadines in the USA, Canada and Europe.
Mr. Speaker, my
government has embarked on the process of Constitutional Reform. The Constitutional Reform Commission, which
was recently established by Parliament, will begin its work in earnest in
January 2003. The Commission which is
headed by former law professor, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool as Chairman and Mr.
Parnell Campbell, Q.C., as Deputy Chairman, is made up of twenty-five persons
representing a wide cross section of Vincentian society. The process will be ongoing and will also
include consultations with the Vincentian diaspora. Vincentains will soon have the opportunity to fashion their own
constitution.
Mr. Speaker,
measures are being taken to address this country’s number one security problem,
the prison, for which a new site has been identified. The building of a new correctional facility will not only relieve
the existing overcrowding but also provide facilities for the delivery of
programmes to aid in the rehabilitation of inmates. Mr. Speaker, my government will continue to be tough on crime and
the causes of crime. We have thus far
established the Rapid Response Unit, the White Collar Crime Unit and now the
Police Oversight Body headed by Mr. Carlyle Dougan, Q.C.
Mr. Speaker, my
government continues to place heavy emphasis on infrastructural
development. Funds to be realized from
the European Union, the Caribbean Development Bank, The Republic of China on
Taiwan and the Kuwaiti Fund, as well as locally generated funds will in 2003 be
spent on the following major projects:
i.
The Windward Highway;
ii.
The Feeder Roads Programme;
iii.
The Labour Intensive Road Maintenance Programme;
iv.
The Cross Country Road;
v.
The Customs and Excise Building Rehabilitation Project;
vi.
Rehabilitation of the Ministerial Building;
vii.
Rehabilitation of Clinics and Police Stations;
viii.
The construction of four multi-purpose centres;
ix.
Rehabilitation of the E.T. Joshua Airport;
x.
The National Public Library.
Mr. Speaker, my
government will continue to introduce measures to improve the quality and
accessibility of health care. We are
happy to report that a fully staffed HIV/AIDS Unit with the necessary support
network has been established.
Mr. Speaker, also
in the new year, my government will complete Phase Three of the Milton Cato
Memorial Hospital, which includes the Administrative Block and Records
Room. The five year Health Sector Plan
is also expected to be completed by the end of the year. Meanwhile implementation of its vital
elements is ongoing.
Mr. Speaker, my
government will enhance its immunization programme with the introduction of a
pentavalent vaccine - a single vaccine which will provide protection against
five different diseases.
Mr. Speaker,
given the current high demand for nurses, my government intends to train up to
one hundred nurses yearly.
Mr. Speaker, in
the area of culture, the new measures and policies of my government have led to
a cultural rebirth in the country. The
spirit of patriotism is also flourishing.
Vincentians now show greater respect for their national flag and
institutions. Mr. Speaker, in the new
year my government intends to launch its National Cultural Policy which will
provide many opportunities for the creative expressions of our cultural
artistes.
Mr. Speaker, my
government continues to be pragmatic, principled and visionary in its approach
to foreign policy which focuses first and foremost on the national interest of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines. But St.
Vincent and the Grenadines also takes its regional and international
obligations seriously. St. Vincent and
the Grenadines will support all measures, be they regional or international,
geared towards the attainment of international peace and security. More specifically, my government will
continue to endorse all United Nations Resolutions against the global menace of
terrorism. My government has commenced
the process of restructuring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so as to respond
effectively to the global architecture.
Mr. Speaker, my
government continues to carry out its heavy legislative agenda because it is a
government of laws, not of men.
Mr. Speaker, over
forty pieces of legislation were passed covering areas such as immigration,
copyright, customs, civil aviation, commissions of inquiry, financial
intelligence, energy, terrorism and intellectual property.
Mr. Speaker, the
Ministry of Justice is faced with the challenge of ensuring the efficient and
expedient administration of justice. To
this end, it is imperative that all related institutions be adequately staffed
and housed. My government is therefore
committed to finding a new home for the Registry and recruiting staff to fill
existing vacancies in the Magistracy, the Attorney General’s Office and the Office
of the Direction of Public Prosecutions.
Mr. Speaker, my
government’s scientific approach to business and its harnessing of all the
nation’s talents will certainly result in a better St. Vincent and the
Grenadines for us all.
Mr. Speaker,
Honourable Members of the House of Assembly, it is with confidence that I now
declare open the Third Session of the Seventh Parliament.