Caption: Nazim Burke - expected to become Minister of Finance under a Congress government

The main Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has invited the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF)  to take part in its conference on the Grenadian economy to be held July 13 at the Grenada Trade Centre in Grand Anse, St. George's.

Shadow Minister of Finance and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Congress party, Nazim Burke said the purpose of the conference is to bring the widest cross section of Grenadian minds together to discuss the state of the national economy, some of the challenges that lie ahead, and try "to come up with some general prescriptions for the way forward."

According to Burke, the Parliamentary Representative for the St. George North-east constituency, the opening of the conference will feature presentations of a macro economic nature. Leading the presentations is a delegation from the IMF headed by the Mission Chief for Grenada, Nancy Wagner.

The fund is down to present a paper on the present macro economic profile on Grenada and the challenges that lie ahead. Former Prime Minister, and Political Leader of NDC, George Brizan has been invited to make a presentation at the conference on the developing agro industrial capacity of Grenada's economy.

Other presentations will include women and the economy, and youth and the economy. Burke said that apart from the IMF's contribution he himself would make a presentation on the political economy of Grenada.

"In addition to simply hearing from the IMF some of the economic issues and economic diagnosis of Grenada's economy, we will want, from a party political perspective, to analyse the political causes and consequences of some of the difficulties in which we have found ourselves," he added. The NDC PRO said it is the intention of Congress to focus on matters of rural development, poverty alleviation and the cost of living.

The group discussions will be structured around strategic developmental themes. It is expected that one of the workshops will focus on national priorities and the allocation of resources. Another of the workshops will focus on governance with the aim of looking at the issues of transparency, accountability, and freedom and exchange of information.

According to Burke, there will be discussion on the role on technology in the economic growth since this can play an important role in the economic transformation of Grenada. An invitation has been extended to everyone to attend the national conference on the economy.

Burke noted that the ideas and input of every Grenadian is important as it is the hope of NDC that through these inputs that a national consensus will be reached on the current state of the local economy and the way forward.

He indicated that with Grenada having to face General Elections soon, his party expects that if it does the political work it has to do, there is no doubt that Congress will form the next government."We must put in place all of the necessary systems including, building and formulating the necessary transition arrangements, identifying the necessary transition teams, putting in place the necessary personnel that will ensure that following an election when we hit the ground, we hit it running," he said.

 Burke said the response coming from the General Public about the conference has been very positive. He said the public is very keen on knowing what the NDC proposes to do "with the economic mess" in which the country has found itself following 12 years of rule by the Keith Mitchell-led administration.

The NDC executive member stated that his party is taking up that challenge with a view to coming up with collective solutions of which the Grenadian public will be prepared to take ownership."We are satisfied that our party has the capacity to lead this country. We are satisfied that our party has the commitment and competence to lead this country. So we are looking forward to this conference as the beginning of an important phase in the governance process," Burke said.