Ollivierre calls for the Grenadines to get ‘a fair piece of the pie”

Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Terrence Olliverre made an appeal in Parliament last Tuesday, stating that it is time for the people in the Grenadines to feel as if they are a part of the nation.

He was speaking in the House of Assembly on December 13, where the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2023 were presented by Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves.

Olliverre said close attention should be placed in the Estimates to the roads, airports and seaports in the Grenadines.

He explained that residents of the Southern Grenadines would often approach him and give pointers as to what they want to see in order to make their lives better.

“Sometimes they feel as if they are the forgotten ones, because we seem to be small and away from the main administrative centre and for them, that’s the thing that put them at a disadvantage,” Ollivierre argued.

“But it shouldn’t be, because if we are talking about the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the word said- it’s St. Vincent and the Grenadines- and the Grenadines plays an integral part in the development of this country.”

He said one of the major issues in the Grenadines is the need for what he called “road reparation”.

“I have never heard so many comments, Parliament after Parliament, time after time, questions after questions. People are asking about roads…because this is of major concern for people in each constituency…”

Olliverre said that this matter has been before the Parliament on more than one occasion but the matter has still not been fully addressed.

“I remember…either two or three years ago, we were told to name the six worst roads in our constituencies… and [they] will make sure that they are fixed and that it will be taken care of, and from since that time to now, despite all the questions and all the agitation, nothing has been done with any of these roads that we highlighted inside this Parliament,” the representative reminded.

“Sometimes when you talk, people believe that you’re making a mountain out of a molehill,but the people are there, they are experiencing it every day, and I sincerely hope that the roads in the Grenadines would be given some attention come 2023.

“ It’s time for us in the Grenadines to feel that we are a part of the nation in St Vincent and the Grenadines and we must be given a fair share of the pie.”

Olliverre also shared his concerns about the deplorable state of the wharf in Canouan and claimed that it is the reason why yachties prefer to get their supplies from Grenada or Saint Lucia instead of Canouan.

“…If we are talking about developing the Grenadines, we must recognize that there are people there who are business oriented, who depend on the yacht business and other forms of business to ensure that they maintain a good lifestyle and…the development of infrastructural facilities such as the wharf is paramount to their survival,” Ollivierre pointed out.

He added that the wharf in Mayreau is also in desperate need of attention as it has caused numerous injuries to residents.

“I know people who got [broken] hands, who got lash in the head, who suffered all kinds of difficulties because of the condition of the wharf. “

Ollivierre further spoke about how in Union Island, locals and visitors have to carry buckets of water in order to use the bathroom at the airport. He said that Union Island is “a shadow of itself” and what was once used to be known to have the busiest airport in the Southern Caribbean is currently rundown and is in disarray.

He said he believes that the development of the tourism industry will falter once these matters are not addressed.