Executive Directors from the World Bank Group visited Grenada and held meetings with the Prime Minister, the Honorable Dr. Keith Mitchell, the Finance Minister, Mr. Anthony Boatswain, and other senior government officials from Grenada and the wider OECS. During the visit, the Directors from the Bank had an opportunity to look at some of the challenges facing small states, to discuss the recently approved OECS Country Assistance Strategy, and more broadly to listen to the region’s governments and private sector representatives articulate the region’s priorities. “This important visit comes two months after the World Bank’s Board endorsed the new Country Assistance Strategy for the OECS and builds on the dialogue between senior World Bank management and OECS Governments,” said Caroline Anstey, the World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean. Among the challenges, Dr. Anstey emphasized reducing vulnerabilities to natural disasters and external economic shocks and keeping the focus on the agenda for growth and competitiveness in the region. The Executive Directors visited several sites that were damaged by Hurricane Ivan, including a secondary school and the Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Plant. They also held meeting with representatives from the private sector and visited St. George’s University. Prime Minister Mitchell thanked the World Bank members for their visit, and said that the Bank had responded quickly to Grenada’s needs after Hurricane Ivan. He indicated that Grenada’s reconstruction had gone well because of the help and support the Government has been able to get both internationally and regionally and also because of the hard work of the Grenadian people. However, Prime Minister Mitchell told the team that Grenada still required further assistance. The Prime Minister stressed that Grenada suffered damage equal to 200 percent of its Gross Domestic Product and that international community needed to continue to help Grenada in its recovery efforts Source: World Bank news release