Former Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee has asserted that tourism jobs are in jeopardy due to the current crime problem.
Fedee described the crime as a cancer eating away at the fabric of Saint Lucian society.
In this regard, the former Anse La Raye-Canaries MP declared that tourism is continually anxious about criminal activity.
He told a news conference on Wednesday that the industry has dealt with the matter by sweeping crime incidents against tourists under the carpet over the years.
“Believe you me when I tell you that many jobs in the tourism sector are at risk because of this crime situation – that many farmers are at risk of losing their supply contracts to the hotels because of this crime situation,” Fedee stated.
In addition, he mentioned the threat posed by crime to the jobs of taxi drivers and to government taxes.
He also referred to Prime Minister Philip J Pierre’s address on Sunday to the nation on crime.
“The Prime Minister cannot come and give us a glossy speech and to sugarcoat this issue and to tell us his administration is doing this and doing that,” Fedee told reporters.
He said the cruise and hotel sectors are already not dealing with some small tourist attractions.
“Now, if you ask a lot of the small businesses that the SLP administration is trying to promote in their new mantra of community tourism, that unless they have public liability insurance of minimum $US 1M coverage in a lot of instances they require $US 2M in public liability insurance coverage before the industry will deal with them,” the former Tourism Minister told the news conference.
Fedee explained that the requirement was due to increased liability on community tourism because of a prevailing crime situation on which the government is putting a band aid.
“Blaming the police is not enough. Saying that you bought vehicles for the police is not enough,” the former Minister noted.
“It is a fundamental mistake on the part of this administration to have cancelled the contract for the canine unit,” he observed.
According to Fedee, the unit had been successful with sniffer dogs intercepting drugs and illegal guns entering Saint Lucia.
Feedee , if I were you I would surely shut up. Crime escalated in st. Lucia under your corrupt government. That is the origin of crime.
Putting pressure on govt for the drug gun sniffer 40 grand a month dogs won’t do anything Fedee, bc St. Lucia is. gangsters paradise!. Just like Cabot not giving access to secret and donkey beach and intimidating neighbors for walking with there dogs or grazing their horses nearby….that CaBOT security has admitted too that they are deliberately intimidating people from the surrounding lands and neighborhoods around Cabot. SMPH so what are you goin to do about this?……………..?. SmPH there is still NO Access from Casenbas to secret beach donkey beach for the PUBLIC ACCESS 24 hours not just early or late hours that was PRoMised by Cabot . But they are very quick to boast about there 1 soccer camp and giving back 1-2 things on Facebook yes!,,…..Again SMPh
They stop all fresh start projects leaving many of us without a job what you expect the youths to do fuxk slp
Shameless!…. No moral authority to discuss this matter when you were only recently ousted. Yes the dogs had to go because of the exorbitant contract when it was most prudent to have a K9 Unit with state owned dogs. Clearly you are only an expert in opposition where you should spend the rest of your political career.
Crime is an existential threat to lives and livelihood. They don’t seem to get the message on possession of illegal guns.
In the late 80’s 90’s.and 2000 there was a K9 Unit in St.Lucia 2022 There’s none that’s Really Shit .All other Countries have K9 Units .What’s Really happening in St.Lucia
feedee no normal thinking person is happy with crime. but during your time you never for once open your mouth to denounce crime but now you looking to gain some political milage. just shut up please we tired of you
GOD BLESS YOU
The lack of common sense from party hacks is astonishing.
If you mention the devastating impact of crime and the lack of responce by the authorities they, like Pavlov’s dogs cry: ‘Yu politizing crime! ‘
No – crime ( and corruption) is not being noted just because of politics.
It is being mentioned because 66 human beings have been savagely gunned down in less than one year.
It is being mentioned because that murder rate indicates a fundamental flaw in our culture and society today.
It is being mentioned because out GDP growth is significantly less because of the crime and corruption in the country today – starting from the top. We could have a booming economy except for crime. Even our people from the diaspora do not invest or buy property or visit due to the dangerous atmosphere.
It is being mentioned because if this spills over to our tourism industry with the death of tourists we might as well close the hotels and ports fot the next 10 years.
The opposite should be happening. Tourism honchos should be shouting from the rooftops, holding strategic meetings, outlining options to combat crime, offering to assist in any way they can. Instead they have their heads in the sand, afraid to upset the clueless self absorbed politicians that they themselves helped to put in power.
Yes the UWP are playing a political game but that does not mean that what is being raised is not urgent and real.
Wake up my people!
@ Ant — it’s a bullseye – you are on point
“It is being mentioned because if this spills over to our tourism industry with the death of tourists we might as well close the hotels and ports for the next 10 years”
“Even our people from the diaspora do not invest or buy property or visit due to the dangerous atmosphere.”
Where is the Don Dada? Mr. Richard Frederick? Is he in the states again?