The Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance for St Vincent & the Grenadines, told the nation’s parliament that the losses due to the eruption of Soufriere volcano could equal half the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and called for a supplementary budget of almost $118 million to assist in recovery.
The Supplementary Appropriations Bill was the only legislation proposed and was passed by the body.
Bishop Leopold Friday, Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of the Windward Islands told the EC, “There is still need for assistance to help people rebuild their lives. The supplementary budget will give an idea of the magnitude of the needs. The all clear has been given for people to return to some areas in the Orange Zone. People in the Red Zone are now returning for clean-up operations but not to live as yet”.
Relief to the battered island nation has been provided through various church bodies, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and many private non-governmental organisations.
The 2021 Hurricane Season started 1 June and runs through November.
