Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr. The Right Honorable Keith Mitchell, has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on sustainable development with the Dutch Government.
The MOUs encompass the "Blue Economy" and "Climate-Smart Agriculture" as two integrated programs to improve sustainable productivity at land and at sea so as to benefit farmers, fishermen, agri-businesses and tourism businesses.
Delivering the Keynote Address at the Global Ocean Action Summit, in which the Netherlands partnered with Grenada; Indonesia; Norway; and the United States, Prime Minister Mitchell welcomed the leadership of Minister Sharon Dijksma and Vice Minister Hans Hoogeveen, from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, for bringing greater global attention to sustainable development and food security through initiatives related to climate-smart agriculture and blue growth.
The Global Ocean Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth attracted over 700 international delegates and is promoting action on Governance, Investment and Partnerships.
Under the MOU arrangements the Netherlands is providing EC$5 million to Grenada and the Netherlands will also work with Grenada to attract a further EC$ 5 million from the Dutch private sector banks and businesses.
The Dutch government covered all travel and accommodation costs related to Grenada's partnering role. Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized the need for "tangible deliverables" directly to farmers, fishermen, agri-businesses and tourism operators.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need for growth as Grenada implements its Home Grown fiscal adjustment Program with the support of Churches, Unions, Political parties and other stakeholders.
In support of the growth agenda, the cooperation agreement with the Netherlands envisages the establishment of an International Spice Institute, to be co-located in Grenada and the Netherlands, and the establishment in Grenada of a Blue Economy and Oceans Governance Institute. These will enable Grenada to institutionalize knowledge and human capacity and also to "crowd-in" other partners and funders.
The Institutes will help Grenada to grow its economy through more value-added agri-business products and through the development of an ocean-based economy that builds on fisheries and tourism. Ultimately this could include, for example, aquaculture, algae-based cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, ocean energy and other sectors.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Mitchell, the Dutch Government will send a delegation to Grenada that will include private sector companies.
The details of the agreement are to be finalized among the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Grenada's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Business and its Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries – which will be the main conduit for the public investment aspects of the program.
Grenada, the Spice Isle, is the world's second largest producer of Nutmegs after Indonesia, a former Dutch colony. However, with a land area of 348 square kilometers and an exclusive sea area of over 26,000 square kilometers, Grenada has considerably more resources at sea than on land, lending further weight for focus on the ocean-based economy.
With the support of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Grenada already hosts the Secretariat of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) which seeks to help the Caribbean conserve its marine environment while promoting sustainable fisheries and sustainable tourism. Prime Minister Mitchell co-hosted a regional meeting of the CCI with Sir Richard Branson last year and Grenada is a charter member of the Global Partnership for Oceans, facilitated by the World Bank.
At the Global Ocean Action Summit, the Grenada Prime Minister called upon the International Community to utilize Information and Communications Technology to better coordinate international investments in oceans and "blue" growth. Grenada is positioning itself also as a knowledge hub for industries such as medical services and ICT with Grenada's Prime Minister taking the lead on ICT amongst Caribbean Heads of State.
Source: gov.gd
Today our lovely beautiful country Grenada and her Tri Island states stands at a cross road where our people is down beat,depress,being trampled upon by a Government who came into power promising our unsuspecting voters a FIVE POINT ECONOMIC Recovery plan which today turns out to be Pie in the sky ,and one can see the end result of a major financial and social issues be falling our unsuspecting people here in grenada simply because this Government Lied before and during that illfated last election on promises that they knew they were far from delivering against the promises made ,for it now plain to see that there are those in Government who sad to say is dis-united in their idea of what is needed to get our country from the position to which we are now,a country on the brink of Bankruptcy ,yes this is the same body of people who had accused the then NDC Government of Tillman Thomas of talking to these Arabs countries and in doing so putting Grenada at risk from Terrorism ,which was a lie yet today these same hypocrites is out on their knees begging these same countries to come and invest in our countries,yes these are the same people through their Leader who said on record of wanting to unite all our people with a common aim of working together yet today experience Grenadians within the Tourist Authority is being fired without no proper explanation or reasons,yes this is the same deceiving bunch who has removed experience diplomats from their foreign posts and replace them with their old Political Loyal Cronies,known as (PLC)in other words Public Liability Company,yes this is the same bunch who has turn our country upside down by removing our long standing SPICE ISLES brand name for that name -Pure Grenada- with our Tourism now being run by foreign companies around the globe compared to the other Caribbean countries where their business of Tourism is run by and within their own caribbean Embassies compared to Grenada which is run by private companies,yes thats the grenada we have today under this Government,a Government that talks big but is low on deliveringagainst their election promises ,and hence once again our country is at the mercy of the IMF & WORLD BANKS because of this government begging mentality.
