EDITORIAL


GRENADA TODAY is forced to ask this question in light of the manner in which some supermarkets on Saturday increased the price for flour on an unsuspecting public.

At least two of the weekly newspapers had indicated in their weekend publications that the local producer of flour would announce an increase in the prices for their products from Monday.

However, two days before this new price regime came into being, some supermarkets in St. George's brought the new prices into effect a clear two days earlier. It is quite obvious that these supermarkets increased the price on old stock and not on new products from Caribbean Agro Industries since the new pricing regime only came into effect on Monday, October 22, 2007.

And the government seemed to have been totally helpless in the situation. Where are the Price Control Inspectors in the Ministry of Finance? It appears that little has changed even with Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell reassuming the Finance portfolio and it is simple a case of business as usual in the Ministry of Finance.

The consuming public is already under tremendous pressure to make two ends meet in Grenada with rising prices of gas, electricity, bus fares and basic consumer items like rice, sugar, flour and just about everything sold in our shops and supermarkets.

It is true that the government-of-the-day is not to be totally blamed for the external forces and factors at work, which result in price increased on imported goods. Nonetheless, this does not absolve our present leaders from their obligations to deal with profiteering and dishonest practices and actions by merchants, retailers, wholesalers, and shopkeepers among others.

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the other opposition political parties that are looking to replace Mitchell's NNP also have a duty to protect citizens from any unnecessary price hikes.

All and sundry should speak up and let their voices be heard whenever wrongdoing is taking place in the Spice Isle. We should be every brother's keeper in these hard and difficult times that the country is going through.

GRENADA TODAY calls on the Mitchell government to make sure that all those persons hired in the Ministry of Finance as Price Control Inspectors engage in meaningful and productive work and work for their monthly pay cheque.

How many times, we hear our government and others send the message out to all and sundry - there are no more free lunches in this world anymore. It is a simple case of perform or get out of the way and allow someone else who is committed to the task get the job.

We are tired of hearing and see the faces of people from the Ministry of Finance appearing on our television sets and engaging in "ole talk" about the need for us to monitor prices in supermarkets and stores. It also makes no sense to continue making all these nice sounding speeches in Parliament in the form of the Throne Speech or during the annual budget presentation when it is action that is needed to keep the offenders at bay.

And the same applies to the other parties especially the Parliamentary Opposition, NDC, which put on a splendid performance on October 12 at Grenada Grand Beach Resort in which it outlined in some details its platform to win the next general elections. It is not only about talking the good ole talk but also walk the walk.

The NNP has been giving the impression of not governing the country in recent years as its two top leaders got bogged down in legal matters in the United States which must have drained their fighting spirit and energies.

The country is seemingly just going through the motion under the current NNP leaders who seem bent on holding onto government only for self preservation in order to delay their faith with destiny. But this state of affairs within the NNP should not result in the others and in particular the NDC believing that the "promised land" is near at hand and they can just sit down and wait for the hour to cometh to get into office.

Those who labour will hold the reign and if power comes easy it will also go easy and slip out of one's hand in the twinkle of an eye.
The Opposition must clearly give the country the impression that it is already in charge by deed and not words. Those lining up to replace the NNP must demonstrate to the people that they are on their side and that greedy merchants and profiteers will not be allowed to take advantage of their hopelessness.

Too often, our politicians end up in uncompromising positions of wanting the vote of "the masses" and still stretching out their hands for campaign funds from the same merchants.