“Bank Cards are not only for certain professionals but for our farmers, farm workers and fishermen too!” Minister Saboto Caesar tells Jomo Thomas.”
In an interview with SVGTV news, Jomo Thomas had the following to say according to Minister of Agriculture:
“The Government is busy squandering a lot of money with the debit cards they have issued to people. I think the debit cards are going to be the new avenue towards which the Government will get to splurge scarce resources as we approach the elections. Many of the persons getting their cards should not be getting any sort of assistance at all, people for example, many have gotten a farmer’s I.D, so you get it today and you get assistance. It is designed that way so that people will get some form of assistance under the guise that they are assisting people who are affected”.
Minister Caesar stated that Jomo Thomas and many other skeptics around the world play very scant regard to the impact of climate change on humanity. “Jomo is forgiven because on the topic of climate change and its impact on small island states he is not an authority. He is my friend but I have to call a spade a spade”.
The reality is that a government must respond to climate challenges. The establishment of the Contingencies Fund which was opposed by many initially is now a saving grace. This was visionary work by the ULP Government. That fact cannot be sliced.
The Supplementary Estimates allocated in 2024 the sum of $12 Million for income support to farmers, farm workers, boat owners and their crew. Some are opposed to farm workers getting any form of assistance. “They aint own land, they does just work with somebody so they should be left out” is the view of some. This is a labour governrment. We have included farm workers to receive assistance since in the aftermath of the hurricane many farm workers did not obtain an income because of extensive damage to crops. Workers on boats to date many are still at home. They deserve income support. Thousands of livestock farmers received water tanks and crop farmers obtained vouchers through the Input Warehouse. 2500 cards are expected to be distributed between Monday 6th Friday 10th January 2025.
The total of $12 million for income support and $5.5 million for direct production support cannot cover the total damage and loss experienced, it will however bring significant support to restart production. For example, a fisherman whose tuna vessel was found in the Cayman Islands is slated to recover approximately 50% of the value of the boat. Barbados and Grenada are also providing support for their fishers.
The question to Jomo is, “What should we do, suspend the recovery efforts from January 1, 2025 to whenever the elections are called? To say that the people may say that the assistance provided effective support towards the recovery is a fair conclusion that may be drawn. That is the right of the people to say. Persons were very thankful for the support provided after Hurricane Tomas, Volcanic eruptions, the COVID 19 Pandemic and now after Hurricane Beryl.
We have 7000 households to assist with backyard gardens in our bid to address the issue of the rising price of food and the issue of imported inflation. The Government of Taiwan is assisting. Should we place this initiative on hold too until after elections? As the Minister of Agriculture for almost a decade and a half, I must continue to show the world that St. Vincent and the Grenadines agriculture sector is resilient. Let us join in the rebuilding effort.
