BY

LLOYD NOEL.

Whatever may, or may not, positively result from the general concept of the (NRL) “Levy cum Income Tax” - one aspect was very much in the public arena during the days leading up to Budget day, and that was the concerted effort of both sides to get the general public in support of their respective positions.

It was very clear that no effort was being spared, and no cost too much to pay for advertisements on Radio and T.V, in the days leading up to that Red Jersey Day in the Grand Anse area. And before I attempt to analyse the situation and the outcome as I saw it - if we want to be sentimental, or in the mood to recognise history as possibly repeating itself - it can be said that the occasion was another “Grand Anse Declaration”, not dissimilar to the 1985 or 1989 CARICOM event that heralded the Caribbean Single Market (CSM), that took place in the same area Twenty-one or so years ago and actually came into operations this month.

I would venture to say, however, that I do not think the message coming out of this Red Jersey Declaration, would take all that long time to get home and be felt by those who have open eyes, and ears, and humane understanding.

I must also observe up front, that despite the rumblings surrounding the planned demonstration, and the statements coming from the Commissioner of Police (COP) about the need to obtain permission to assemble and march through the streets of Grenada - good sense and good judgment did prevail, and the workers were able to exercise their Constitutional right to protest publicly in peace, for which they do not need any permission from anyone, in our free and independent Tri-Island State.

Even at the seat of power itself, there was a fair measure of backing down or second thoughts - on the issue of the so-called disobedient Opposition M.Ps.

Arising from the Speaker of the House threat in his first letter to those M.P’s to answer his Questionnaire or else - and the follow-up letter with a deadline of January 18th (two days before the Budget day) - it was quite natural, in the circumstances, for those M.P.s to anticipate the Speaker’s sanction on Budget day; so they prepared themselves.

And again, good sense and good judgment prevailed - and the unusual action of a release from the Office of the Speaker, a day or two before D day, informed all and sundry that no such action was intended.
But those M.P.s are not yet out of the woods, because my understanding of the release I heard on the Radio - was that no action was intended on “Budget Day” - so it must follow that such action could be taken any other day on which Parliament is sitting. Breaking news to come!!!

The Budget was in fact presented by the Minister for Finance, in the sum of around Six Hundred and Eleven Millions ($611 M) for Expenditure and Revenue for 2006. But the most important item in those estimates was the one dealing with the National Reconstruction Levy (NRL), which is expected to raise about Ten Million dollars per year.

Despite the announcement from the Government some days before Budget day, and the actual entry of that item as 3% from January first to June 30th 2006, for those earning over $1000.00 to $5000.00 per month.
And from July 1, 2006, for the next four and a half years, those same workers shall be paying Five percent (5%). In other words, there was a reprieve of Two percent(2%) for six months, and then back to square one.

The announcement had said, that the reprieve came as a result of recommendations from the Chambers of Commerce and the other Social partners (Churches and Employers Federation) - and after consultation with the Unions - although at the time the actual figure was not disclosed, but was later made public by Leslie Pierre of the Grenadian Voice - the night before the Budget, on the T.V show with Lew Smith and Sandra Ferguson.

But the Chamber of Commerce, and of course the Unions, denied any such agreement with the Government. In fact I am reliably informed, and the Chamber confirmed, that the Chamber had put forward proposals to Government in a meeting with the Minister for Finance on the 11th January, and later on to the Unions at a separate meeting.

The proposals were for negotiating purposes, and the Union had put forward counter proposals to the Chamber. A meeting was scheduled for the 18th January with all the parties involved - but the Minister for Finance failed to show up, so there was no agreement as such.

Against that background, the show of strength and organisation by the Unions on “Red Jersey Day” last Friday at Grand Anse should surely update the powers-that-be to the fact that the struggle has only just began.

And if the details of events, as given by the Chamber and the Unions, are correct then the whole charade of meetings for dialogue and genuine compromise was in very poor taste. It would be a great pity if, having had those acceptedly serious and patriotic organisations ready and willing to give advice and mediate in the dispute, those in authority failed to grasp the opportunity and instead acted in bad faith. Time and unfolding events will surely tell.

In addition to the significance of the “Red Jersey Day” in the same setting as the Grand Anse Declaration, the date of 20th January was only one day less than the historic January 21st 1974 - when the people’s struggle in that period, was temporarily halted by Eric Gairy”s Mongoose Gang as they

stormed through a demonstration and rally, on the Carenage in front Otway House, where the late Rupert Bishop (father of Maurice Bishop) was killed upstairs the Union Building - in the chaos that followed on that fateful day, as thousands of Grenadians were making their voices and presence heard and felt.

There are as many, and very much more reasons today why people should struggle for their rights, when things are going wrong, and injustice, oppression, wrong-doing from the very top, and no sign of relief are visible on the horizon.

That is what democracy and the democratic process is all about; and those in opposition, as well as those in domination, must fully understand and accept - that each side or group have the right to promote and defend its position, and both must do so and be seen to be doing so, in the interest and welfare of the people and the country, long after those currently on centre stage on either side have passed on to wherever.

Before I move on to another topic, I feel obliged to pay some attention to the West Indies Cricket Selectors who have at long last seem to begin to see reality. In an article in this Column last November, in which I was commenting on “The Inquiry - Cricket and Crime”, I observed that those Selectors were making the same mistakes over and over again, by picking a battery of so called fast bowlers from the bigger territories, and the more they failed the more they were picking them.

I pointed out that our own Windwards Captain, Rawle Lewis, was performing better than most with bat, ball and in the field - as a leg spinner - all rounder - but they keep on ignoring him.

I am sure those cats did not even see that article, never mind read it; but their conscience must have gotten the better of them and for the upcoming New Zealand tour both Rawle and Devon Smith are on the Team. What is more, the Chairman of the Selectors (Atg.) was forced to say that they are prepared to give Rawle an extended run in the team to prove himself and not discard him again after a failure or two.

Who knows - maybe there is hope yet for West Indies recovery, if the Selectors could persist with that trend of common sense reasoning, and longer term planning wisdom.

In the meantime congrats to Rawle, he really deserves this second chance and I do hope he makes the most of it this time - because West Indies Cricket needs the likes of him now more than ever before. But to go back to the Budget for this year; I heard the Minister talking about introducing VAT in 2008, and the abolition of GCT at the same time.

I was not able to listen attentively to everything he was saying, so I might have missed some things. But in the context of the (CSM) Single Market that is now in operation among Six States - with the OECS late-comers due to join the scheme in the next few months - I cannot recall him saying much about how the Government plans to deal with the issue of Customs duties on goods from those Single Market States; nor what plans are in place or being considered to compete with those bigger states, when we do join as promised.

As for the other figures disclosed in the Estimates, they sound impressive on paper - but realising them in the next eleven months would be quite a different matter.

It always seem to be the way politicians behave, about serious issues that they know will affect the people. They keep everything close to their chests, or give very different reasons for what they are doing - just as the Government did about the rationale for the 5% Levy cum Income Tax, when it was first disclosed in April last year.

And then when those issues are due for implementation, they suddenly start to bombard the people with propaganda. There is a responsibility on a Government to share with the people immediately a problem arises, the truth about that problem; so that the support of men/women of goodwill may be brought to bear through the simple process of understanding.

Operating a Government is not a popularity contest from start to finish. Unpopular decisions and actions have to be taken as situations develop, as in every type of business and in life generally. But what is done in other areas, and repeated with no concern for those been represented - will come around to taint those actions and decisions that maybe necessary but unpopular.And therein lies the simple art of sharing with those who have a right to know - because it s their business always.

As things stand after the Budget reading, and the protestations on “Red Jersey Day” at Grand Anse last Friday, the lessons and the possible outcome are many and varied.

In my view a lot of repair work has to be done - and I am not here talking about damaged roof tops; but the time for so doing is very limited and very crucial. In addition thereto, the quantity of dirty statements, and bad faith accusations that passed under the bridge during negotiations, will definitely make the needed mending operations very difficult to achieve.

Time will surely tell.