ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, December 4- Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre delivered a scathing critique of the 2026 budget in Parliament on Thursday, denouncing what she called “the largest deficit in the history of Grenada” and accusing the government of financial mismanagement that has left citizens struggling.

“We moved from an overall surplus of $30.4 million to a deficit of $279.1 million,” Pierre told the House, highlighting the dramatic fiscal reversal since the government took office in 2022. The 2026 projection is even grimmer at $309.8 million, or negative 7.3% of GDP.

“This means that for two consecutive years, this government has run an overall deficit averaging approximately $300 million per year, after inheriting reserves of over $500 million in 2022,” she declared. “This is not misfortune. This is not bad luck. This is a clear case of mismanagement of the economy.”

Pierre characterized the budget as a “moral document” that fails to reflect the needs of struggling Grenadians. “The 2026 budget, despite its glossy summaries, tells a deeply troubling story of financial mismanagement, underperformance, misplaced priorities, selfishness, collapsing grant inflows, weakened fiscal discipline, and a serious disconnection of government from the daily realities,” she said.

She questioned the government’s spending priorities, particularly in healthcare, where “only 32% of the budget was utilized for upgrade of health facilities” and “less than 1% of the equipment budget was utilized.” Meanwhile, she noted, “$22 million was spent in 2025 on the so-called teaching hospital even before the sod-turning ceremony.”

Pierre, a former Youth Minister, reserved particular criticism for collapsed youth programs. “The IMANI program has been butchered beyond recognition, while our youth who dressed up in the yellow expecting permanency, many of them still sit at home,” she said, noting youth unemployment stands at 26.3%.

In contrast, the youth budget was slashed by $15 million. Programs including Youth Biz, FLY, Elevate, and Empower have either disappeared or underperformed.

Pierre also exposed wasteful spending in the school bus pilot program, where drivers received “$6,500 per month” to transport sometimes “only two children, two students on the bus” due to contract restrictions.

On the controversial Citizenship by Investment program, Pierre alleged a conflict of interest, claiming “the minister for finance and the Prime Minister are beneficial owners of CBI agencies.”

She stated the government sold 11,583 passports in two years, generating over $1 billion, yet produced “not one new investment project to show.”

“Where did all this money go?” Pierre demanded.