Grenadians should accept “every dollar’’ of a newly announced government relief package, although the measures do not erase the long-term economic pressure on families, according to the Democratic People’s Movement (DPM).
“The question is not whether this package helps. It does. The question is what we do when the relief ends and the bills keep coming,’’ said MP Peter David, Political Leader of DPM that has been advocating a series of its own “kitchen table’’ measures, which address difficulties on families such as purchasing food and paying their electricity and medical bills.
The government, in unveiling their measures on July 22, described it as a “Cost of Living Assistance Programme’’.
It said the EC$18 million programme is “expected to directly benefit more than 38,000 households nationwide’’.
The package, announced months before a general election and with unofficial campaigning already underway, includes the temporary removal of VAT on electricity; an expanded electricity subsidy; VAT-free shopping days; and continued fuel price caps.
It comes after months of the DPM calling on government to introduce meaningful relief measures amid rising costs.
“It reflects the sustained pressure the Movement has placed on government to act on behalf of struggling Grenadian households,’’ said DPM Deputy Leader Arley Gill.
The Movement is pleased that the government “has finally responded to the concerns of ordinary Grenadians’’, added DPM Leader David, who also is parliamentary representative for the Town of St. George.
“Nobody choosing between the light bill and the grocery bill is going to turn down help. Families should take every dollar of relief available. But these measures are temporary, and the pressure on that family is not,’’ said David.
“We are happy to see government, at long last, listening to the people. This is the kind of relief Grenadians have been asking for, and we support it fully,’’ he said.
“Our concern all along has never been about scoring political points — it has been about ensuring families can keep the lights on and put food on the table.’’
David argued, however, that the relief comes later than it should have.
“We believe this package should have come much earlier. Grenadians have been struggling for a long time, and government took too long to act,’’ he said. “Still, we embrace this development in the true interest of the people.’’
The DPM, David noted, has developed a range of proposals through extensive consultation with communities across the country, including its Solar Roofs Initiative, aimed at expanding renewable energy access to reduce household electricity costs long-term.
“We have been engaging widely with citizens and sectors across Grenada, and initiatives like our Solar Roofs Initiative show the kind of forward-thinking solutions we believe government should also be exploring. Our proposals are designed to deliver lasting relief,’’ David said.
The DPM leader, and former Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister, promised that the Democratic People’s Movement will continue monitoring the situation closely.
“We will remain vigilant,’’ David pledged. “Government must continue listening to good recommendations and must not hesitate to adjust these measures as needed, in the best interest of all the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.’’
