Supporting The Public Sector of St Vincent and the Grenadines

public-sector

Education

Public spending on education was 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2010. There are 12 years of school education starting at the age of five. Primary school comprises seven years and secondary five. Tertiary education is provided at the regional University of the West Indies, which has its main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

One of the most prominent independent schools in SVG is the Sugar Mill International Academy, which is a non-denominational, co-educational private primary school. There are also five Seventh-day Adventist Church schools.

 

Health

Public spending on health was three per cent of GDP in 2010. As well as Kingstown General Hospital, there are district hospitals and health centres. Infant mortality was 20 per 1,000 live births in 2011. There are some private health facilities, including the Maryfield Hospital in Kingstown.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment sometimes works informally with the private sector to subcontract out services.

The World Pediatrics Partnership, an international NGO active in St Vincent, has established a public–private partnership with the Government of SVG and the Mustique Charitable Trust. This has seen a new wing built at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to act as a centre for paediatric surgery for SVG and other nearby Caribbean nations. A non-profit corporation run by the project partners operates the new surgical wing.

 

Transport

There are 829 km of roads, 70 km of which are paved. Cruise ships call at St Vincent. A mail boat runs several times a week through the Grenadines and ferries operate between the islands. A bus service is provided by privately owned minibuses.

Airports: ET Joshua International Airport is at Arnos Vale, 3 km south-east of Kingstown. There are small airports/airstrips on Bequia, Union Island, Canouan and Mustique. There are plans for a new airport in Argyle, St Vincent (see box). The main air cargo carrier servicing St Vincent and the Grenadines is Amerijet. Services on a smaller scale are provided by the passenger Airlines LIAT and Caribbean Star.

Ports: St Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority operates the Port of Kingstown, the nearby Campden Park Container Port and the Cruise and Ferry Terminal. Ferry services run between the main islands.