27 Carriacou families to receive new houses following wrath of Beryl 

Grenada: Twenty-seven families in Carriacou are all set to receive new houses with the help of volunteers from a non-profit organization in Trinidad and Tobago.

As per the details, Hands that Serve, an organization will be constructing prefabricated houses, offering fully furnished three-bedroom units. These houses will also include bathroom facilities and supplies, as well as beds and stoves.

The members of the organization paid a preliminary visit to Carriacou, where they looked at various sites as possible locations for the houses. This building of the house is a significant support to the citizens of Carriacou in order to provide them much-needed shelter which was lost due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl.

During the tour of the organization by Hands that Serve, they were accompanied by several delegates from Carriacou.

The delegates that joined them in their tour to different part of sites include, Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and Local Government, Tevin Andrews; Minister for Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation, Andy Williams; and Minister responsible for Housing, Senator the Gloria Thomas.

Moreover almost 95% of the housing stock on Carriacou and Petite Martinique was destroyed during the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Therefore, this building of homes for 27 families would be a huge benefit and will play a huge role in providing them comfortable living.

Also, Minister Thomas extended gratitude to the non-profit organization for their assistance. He noted that their government is committed to continue to work with local, regional and international organizations with a vision to rebuild the Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

He added that this help from certain organizations would play a huge role in their rebuilding efforts, helping to restore the island nation and offer aid to the affected communities.

Along with the support from the non-profit organization, the Government of Carriacou themselves is also making constant measures in order to provide relief to the citizens. For the same, they have also announced tax incentives and financial support for those who were affected due to Beryl, ensuring that assistance is available as they work together to rebuild stronger and smarter.

The Government have announced to waive the property taxes for 2025 for all those properties that have been damaged or destroyed due to Hurricane Beryl. Along with that, all VAT-registered businesses will also be categorized as “inactive” from 1^st June to 31^st December 2024.

It means that they don’t have to collect, remit or file VAT during this period. They added that these on-site assessments in November and December will determine if the waiver should be extended or not.

The authorities of Grenada stated that they remain steadfast in its commitment to the rebuilding and economic recovery of our nation following Hurricane Beryl.