ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, Friday, January 17, 2014 – GIS:  Member of Parliament for St Andrew’s South East, Emmalin Pierre, says the government is confident there will be a number of fresh investments in the economy this year.

Speaking at the launch of a roofing manufacturing plant at M&N Hardware in her constituency Thursday, Pierre said that the Keith Mitchell administration has begun to implement policies that will grow the economy.

“We are satisfied, that following a year in office, we have begun to lay the foundation where people will find it useful to invest again in their communities,” Pierre said at the event.

“We are fully aware that the economic revival of this country will be a long hard walk, but we are confident that we are headed in the right direction,” she said.

“As a government we are determined that we must graduate from the recent past period of negative growth and declining investments,” Pierre added.

She noted that there are many challenges in the economy and it will take years to have them fixed. In her view, the best thing the government could do is lay the framework to attract more investments. “Grenada's biggest economic problem over the last few years has been the relative low levels of investment in the economy,” Pierre noted.

“With a more business-friendly government in office, we are confident that we will begin to see more investment in the economy starting this year,” she announced.

Pierre, who is also Minister of Youth and responsible for the youth training Imani Programme, said the government is putting more emphasis on boosting the capabilities of the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation.

“In the coming months you will see a more aggressive approach from the GIDC, because the government has always been clear that investments are what will drive the economy to growth,” she declared.