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HOME	DECEMBER 17th, 2005

P.M Mitchell accused of not listening

Civil society groups in Grenada have painted Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell as hard-headed and one who does not listen to advice in a meeting held last Friday with a high-powered team from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Deputy Managing Director of the Fund for the western hemisphere, Agustin Carstens, and his seven-member team including Ratna Sahay, Assistant Director of the Western Hemisphere Department held 75 minutes of talks with the civil society grouping in St. George’s.

Carstens made a stop over in the Spice Isle as part of a visit to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) region. He held talks with officials representing the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCIC), Grenada Trade Union Council (GTUC), Grenada Employers Federation (GEF) and the Interagency Group of Development Organisations (IAGDO).

According to a well-placed source, the onslaught on Prime Minister Mitchell was led by Chamber President, Nigel John who spoke of difficulties by GCIC to get the Grenadian leader to sit down and hold discussions on the economy with the island’s leading private sector body.

John complained that Prime Minister Mitchell has not even acknowledged much less agreed to meet with the Chamber despite letters to this effect that were sent to him in the aftermath of the devastation to the island by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

He told the IMF team that Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain always seem ready to entertain the GCIC but that their attempt to hold discussions with Mitchell have proven to be futile.

He said the chamber was taking note of meetings that Prime Minister Mitchell was holding with small private sector organisations on the parish level but flatly refusing to meet with GCIC which is recognised as the main private sector body on the island.

Executive Director of GCIC, Christopher De Riggs chipped in by urging the IMF delegation to impress upon Prime Minister Mitchell the need to meet with the private sector grouping in the national interest.

De Riggs described the IMF as emerging as “the most trusted advisors” these days of the Mitchell government and urged the delegation to try and arrange a meeting with the Grenadian leader.

The source said that the trade union officials involved in the meeting with the IMF team warned that the country runs the risk of seeing “social unrest” early in the new year over the decision of the Mitchell government to refuse to hold discussions with them on the imposition of a 5% tax on the income of workers to help with the reconstruction of the island.

He spoke of the TUC delegation informing the IMF delegation about its problems in getting the Prime Minister to sit down and discuss with them a package of alternative measures instead of instituting the 5% tax.

Veteran trade unionist Stanley Roberts informed the team from the fund that everybody in government seem to be listening to the concerns of members of civil society except for the Prime Minister himself.

“If the Prime Minister is listening, he is listening only to himself”, Roberts told the IMF mission.

During the meeting, Carstens briefed the civil society representatives on the IMF's work in Grenada and their commitment to continue providing support to Grenada in its reconstruction process. He also spoke of Grenada's present economic situation and the need for sacrifice and burden sharing.

He stated that some very difficult economic reforms and policies have to be taken to achieve macroeconomic stability and that the Grenadian people must move quickly to implement them.

The IMF assured the group that their concerns and suggestions will be carefully examined and presented to the Mitchell Government.