By Admin. Updated 8:25 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Dr. Kishore Shallow, New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for North Leeward, has publicly criticized Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the Unity Labour Party (ULP) for allegedly downplaying the findings of a national poverty assessment that highlights deep socioeconomic distress in key rural communities.
Speaking on radio, Dr. Shallow referenced the Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment (eCPA) and World Bank reports that define poverty as “The inability to attain a minimal standard of living”. He argued that the ULP administration has failed to elevate the country’s economic status and is strategically avoiding public discussion of the report’s findings, particularly in areas critical to electoral success.
“The Prime Minister doesn’t want the country to understand exactly where we are,” Shallow said. “He needs to win the North leeward and North Central Windward seats, but those are the very areas where poverty is most concentrated.”
Shallow said according to the eCPA and supporting data from the Statistical Office and World Bank, poverty in St. Vincent and the Grenadines remains a significant challenge, with vulnerability concentrated in rural communities such as Spring Village, Rose Hall, Sandy Bay, Overland, Fancy, and Owia. These areas, many of which fall within the Windward electoral districts, have long faced limited access to economic opportunities, infrastructure, and social services.
Dr. Shallow’s remarks suggest that the ULP’s reluctance to foreground the poverty data is politically motivated. He accused the administration of “bleeding the nation dry” while failing to address the structural issues that keep thousands of Vincentians below the poverty line.
“We are not elevating our status by any means,” he said. “The facts are in the report, but they don’t want you to hear them.”Remarks were based in findings from a document titled Understanding Monetary Poverty Metrics and Policy Relevance.
The NDP candidate’s critique aligns with broader opposition messaging focused on economic stagnation, debt transparency, and rural development. His comments add to call for the government to release updated poverty statistics.
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