• DR. RALPH GONSALVES: DON’T GAMBLE WITH COUNTRY’S FUTURE

“Do not gamble with this country’s future.” This warning was given to members of the local private sector by Prime Minister and political leader of the Unity Labour Party, ULP, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

Dr. Gonsalves was at the time addressing a gathering of local business people at the Peace Memorial Hall in Kingstown on Wednesday. The leading businessmen and women were in attendance for a presentation of the Unity Labour Party, ULP’s manifesto. {{more}} The Prime Minister made the point that during the New Democratic Party, NDP, administration, there was a “complete breakdown in the system and structure of government,” and he contended, “The NDP left this country in a mess.” He gave as an example of the former administration’s “mismanagement”, the poor performance of the National Commercial Bank, NCB, whose outlook he said had been turned around by the ULP administration.

The Prime Minister outlined his government’s management of the economy over the past four and a half years, and promised that his administration will continue to be “business friendly” if elected to a second term. He promised that personal income tax will be further reduced and company tax will be reduced to less than 30% at the top rate.

Dr. Gonsalves challenged, “Never once you come to the Prime Minister and he ask you to give him something under the table.” Reiterating, this point,he said, “There is no corruption.” Leaning forward to make his point, he assured the gathering that if any Minister or Public Officer is found guilty of corruption, “he would be fired! No question about it.” He added, “We are as clean as a whistle.”

Wrapping up his presentation, the Prime Minister made a final appeal to the gathering of about 200 business leaders to return his administration to office. “The old ideas you had about the Comrade, view them through the prism of reality, what is here and now.”