HELLO GRENADA

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell appearance on a local talk show was heralded by a reference to him being the Chief Public Servant. Indeed, in the last 40 years of Independence, no other sitting Prime Minister has ventured to reconfigure in the minds of citizens the role and function of this office. For starters, public servants are appointed by the Public Service Commission (PSC). He is an officer of the crown and exercises his duties without partisan considerations. The rules that Public Service prohibits public officers from holding elected office in a political parties or organisations. His tenure is permanent in nature as his continuance in the service of the state is not encumbered by the results of general elections (or so it was envisaged) Section 81 (1) grants the PSC the power to appoint, discipline, transfer or remove public officers. The Prime Minister, on the other hand is appointed by the Governor General in Chapter IV Section 58(1) of the Constitution c

On March 14th 2014, Ms Aliona Cebotari, IMF  mission Chief for Grenada issued a statement to the effect that an agreement was concluded with the Fund subject to a final approval of the Agreement by its Executive Board. Since the electoral victory of the NNP In 2013, the new administration has been in engagement with the IMF so as to mobilise support for its Home Grown’ Structural Adjustment Program. The release describes as ‘ambitious’ the program to correct the country’s imbalance and lift sustainable growth and the public financial management reforms. My curiosity was aroused with the use of that description as the track record of the NNP administration with the IMF suggests that what she really meant is that the task cannot ‘be easily done or achieved’. Grenada has been in continuous IMF supported programs since 2006.However due to non compliance and weak implementation of  agreed reforms, the country’s economic reality have in fact worsened over the period. The statement also

Nicholas Steele, Grenada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Business piloted a Bill in the country’s Parliament to amend the Citizenship by Investment Act #15 of 2013. Under aegis of the Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Bill 2014, the ruling New National Party (NNP) administration seeks to amend Section 14, sub-section 3 by deleting paragraph (b). The said Section 14 dictates that the Minister shall supply to the Parliament ‘prescribed information’ on applications made granted and refused under the Act. The report shall be for a six month period in each year starting on January 1st and July 1st and may be prepared within one month of the expiry of each half year period. Minister Steele, whose wife has been granted the licence of a Local Agent, seemed nervous as he piloted what can be described as an assault on the threshold of transparency provided for in the original legislation. The section to be deleted (b) reads ‘The names, addresses and nationalities of t