Business Grenada

We are committed to resuming those as well in the New Year. But before I delve into the other areas of governance, I want to take this opportunity to pay public tribute to our brother and friend -- Senator Jester Emmons who passed away last week. We mourn with his wife and daughter, and his parents, as well as the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, his passing. These last few days have been particularly difficult for all of us who have come to know him well. But it has been even tougher for his immediate family, especially his wife and daughter. Brother Emmons was a bright spark, whose light shone among us. As people of faith, we have no doubt that this good and faithful servant of both the Lord and the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique will be justly rewarded. We are in the process of consulting with his family about funeral arrangements; and in the coming days we will be in a position to share with you those details. We are committed to giving him a fitting farewell. We assure his wife and daughter that they will not be alone, and we will do everything in our power to ensure their growth and stability as a family. We have no doubt that brother Jester will want us to push on in the service of the people. And even with a heavy heart, we are doing so. As we get ready to wrap up a year that has been filled with challenges and successes, we look forward with anticipation and expectation as we enter the midterm next year. The budget, which I will present on Wednesday November 26th will outline in detail, our plans and programmes for the coming period, as we continue our quest to lift more people out of poverty and to deepen the people's empowerment. Sisters and brothers, let me be very clear: We have faced the economic challenges that we inherited head-on. Having taken the tough decision to lay a proper economic foundation for long term growth and sustainability, we are satisfied with the early results. So too are our development partners. We have so far met all the major targets under the Homegrown Structural Adjustment Programme. We have sown the seeds for success. In the coming months we are determined to build on these successes. And just as 2014 was a marginally better year for most Grenadians than the previous year; we expect even further growth next year. We are eager for the people to begin to benefit from the fruits of their sacrifices. But, we are under no illusion that this will be an easy ride. There will be bumps along the way and we will have to navigate potholes that the world economic system may conjure from time to time.