Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, has announced several relief measures aimed at aiding victims of Hurricane Beryl. These initiatives include enhanced transportation services to the Southern Grenadines and easier access to essential supplies.
Fast Ferry service to Southern Grenadines
In a national address on Thursday, Dr. Gonsalves announced that a fast ferry will be chartered to operate five days a week, from Monday to Friday, starting immediately. This service will include Union Island, with the ferry traveling to Mayreau twice a week and to Canouan three times a week. The government will cover all costs.
The ferry will depart Kingstown at 9 a.m. and leave Union Island at 4 p.m. every weekday. Specific days for Canouan and Mayreau services will be announced soon. This fast ferry initiative will initially run for two weeks, after which its continuation will be assessed.
Prime Minister Gonsalves emphasized that the ferry service is strictly for connecting families and should not be used for “disaster tourism,” whether internal or external.
Duty-free waivers for St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Dr. Gonsalves also announced that duty-free barrels will be available from July 1 to December 31, 2024. He acknowledged that many overseas individuals would want to help those in need of supplies.
Additionally, there will be a 100 percent duty waiver on chainsaws, jackhammers, generators, and water tanks, along with a duty-free waiver on all relief supplies.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister assessed the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in the Southern Grenadines, describing the damage as terrible. The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) reported that 98 percent of Union Island was affected, leaving almost the entire population of 2,500 people homeless.
In Mayreau, 95 percent of buildings are destroyed, and a similar situation is reported in Canouan, where approximately 700 houses need attention across these three islands alone.
No assessment has been made for Bequia, where estimates suggest that 20 to 50 percent of homes are damaged or destroyed. On mainland St. Vincent, the number of damaged homes is expected to be in the hundreds.
The government plans to present supplementary estimates and a Supplementary Appropriation Bill to Parliament on July 18 to begin the cleanup and rebuilding process.
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