Grenada’s Ministry of Health is pushing the theme of Urbanism and Healthy Living for this year’s Health Week, an annual attempt to get islanders to take more responsibility for their well-being. Overcrowding and inadequate sanitation are problems that are likely to escalate as people continue migrate from rural areas into the towns and cities seeking more opportunity. Health Week lasts from April 4th to April 10th, and is launched with an address by Senator Ann Peters, Minister of Health. There’ll be an emphasis on workplace exercises, and the Grenada Food and Nutrition Council will be staging their own exhibitions.
On a related issue, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas speaking on 30th March welcomed the initiative of a national sports policy to incorporate sport more meaningfully into the fabric of Grenadian society and help promote its tourist industry. Grenadian athletes have been doing well in international events, and Thomas wants to harness this success to create more economic opportunities for the island and promote role models as Health Week with its focus on the importance of exercise gets underway. He believes that a nation’s health and wealth are closely linked, and he wants to see a reduction in the health bill through a concerted tackling of national health issues.
On the international stage, Grenada and England have jointly signed the sixth in a series of TIEAs (Tax Information Exchange Agreements), promising to maintain transparency in financial services. The new signing reflects Grenada and the UK’s continuing commitment to combat the financing of terrorism, and comply with international standards on tax matters and money laundering. Grenada is still on the OECD’s so-called ‘grey list’ because of issues around compliance and tax transparency.
On an upbeat note, this week in Grenada Prime Minister Tillman Thomas launched the opening of the GCNA Commercial Complex in St George’s with a speech promoting his Government’s vision of the significant role the nutmeg industry still has to play in Grenada’s economy. He was primarily addressing nutmeg farmers, stressing his Government’s commitment to taking the industry forward following a 2007 decline in nutmeg production.
