Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC

ST. Vincent and The Grenadines' Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he will be asking Trinidad and Tobago to provide financial assistance to Caribbean islands affected by Hurricane Dean that left a trail of death and destruction during its passage through the Lesser Antilles last week.

Gonsalves told reporters that he would speak with his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Patrick Manning urging him to "assist particularly Dominica and to a lesser extent St Lucia and certainly Jamaica."

Impact

Gonsalves said he had also been in communication with Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who reported to him on the impact of 'Dean' on the island.

He said discussions had also been held with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in Jamaica but he has been unable to reach the acting Prime Minister of St Lucia Stephenson King.

"We are all in this business together of seeking to help one another in disaster preparedness, not just within a country but also between countries," Gonsalves said. "We are trying to see in what way we could help one another," he added.

Banana industry

Gonsalves, who has lead responsibility for the banana industry within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said he was also concerned about the damage done to the industry in St. Lucia, Jamaica and Dominica.

He told reporters that 10 per cent of the banana industry in St. Vincent had also been affected and that the information from Dominica and St. Lucia was not encouraging.

He said the Windward Islands Banana Development Company (WIBDECO) may have to purchase fruit from extra-regional sources, including the Dominican Republic so as to maintain the Windward Islands quota in Europe.