The United Workers Party is very surprised by a statement issued by the government of Saint Lucia titled “statement on incident of ministers subsistence cheque posted on social media”, dated June 15, 2023, in which a number of matters were raised, many of them are untruths or need greater clarification.
In the release, it was quoted that the cheque was issued to the Minister for his attendance at a meeting of the OAS from June 21-23…. 7 nights and 8 days for subsistence”.
However, June 21-23 is a total of 3 days. It means, therefore, that the Minister has received funds for an extra 4 nights and 5 days, and we seek clarification.
If this is the case, we request an immediate refund to the public purse of the additional funds received by the Minister in question.
The second issue raised was that of confidentiality. This is bewildering as a current government minister, when in opposition, made it his frequent business to post on his weekly talk show and his social media pages, cheques, contracts, and other confidential government documents, supposedly in his quest to keep the then government accountable and transparent.
We now demand that this minister keep his own government to the same level of transparency and accountability.
The third matter is the release states that the allowances are in keeping with rates in existence for the last 25 years. This is clearly untrue and we ask the government to retract this statement.
As a matter of correction, the current rates used for public travel were last reviewed on May 08, 2013, as stated in a memo sent by the then Director of Finance Mr. Francis Fontenelle who, incidentally, is now the Director of Finance.
It means that the rates have been in existence for 10 years and not 25 years as erroneously stated by the government release.
It is very disrespectful to the general public and hard-working taxpayers of this country for the government to ask in their release” what is so lavish about that”.
This clearly shows a government that is insensitive to the hardships being faced by Saint Lucians, who cannot make ends meet because of the high cost of groceries, transportation, fuel and, soon to be, an extra 2.5% tax on the backs of us all.
Does the government not know there is still a high percentage of public servants and private sector workers who only earn an average of one thousand two hundred ($1,200)
dollars monthly or less and that thirteen thousand ($13, 000) dollars spent in 3 days by a
government minister would cover approximately 10 -12 months of salary for the average Saint Lucian?
We call on the government to immediately retract this statement and apologize to Saint Lucian taxpayers who have a right to ask for transparency as to how public funds are being spent on their behalf.
We also demand that the same level of financial prudence and restraint, requested of the
people, be also requested of government Ministers.
We note that an unprecedented 6 million ($6,000,000) dollars has been allocated to travel in this financial year whilst Saint Lucians are suffering due to lack of medication at the primary Health Care Centres, the high cost of fuel although fuel has been reduced on the world market, increases in the cost of bread and bus fares and other basic needs of the population.
SOURCE: United Workers Party
The comments by the UWP simply prove that my previous assessments were accurate.
For a government supposed objective entity to ask ‘ what is lavish about that’ shows that this assumed objective government civil service entity has clearly taken political sides.
As noted $6 million is the lavish taxpayer funded nourishing of Alvaa Baaptiste and his colleagues.
At every level , as this issue gets the exposure of the sunlight of accountability we Lucians become more and aware of both the collusion of the Civil service in the political life of the SLP and the utter incompetence and paracitical nature of The Minister of Foreign affairs.
What crap is this? UWP, the people whom you represent deserve better representation. This missive is just nonsensical!
Phrase of the year. WHAT IS SO LAVISH ABOUT THAT. Can Invader or Pep amke a calypso with this catch phrase??
The sad thing is if you vote them out, the other color comes in to do the same thing Corruption has been allowed to fester in this country for too long. We Lucians deserve better.
$9000/night chastanet spent for a hotel in England. In all he spent 4 nights – $36,000. Could that amount not have been used to cover these same civil servants salaries for 3 years? Stop the hypocrisy uwp – PLEASE!!!!!
So is only know that you see that people are earning 3 to 5 EC dollars an hour why chastanet did not enact a minimum wage
UWP you’ll can huff and puff that won’t change people’s minds that we don’t want chastanet. Compare the 2 years SLP has run this country to the 2 years UWP did run. It’s so blatant as to the things SLP has done compared to UWP. So you’ll can go on top of gros pitons that won’t change the fact we don’t want chastanet. We st lucians are going to see chastanet political career days are numbered or finish.
St. Lucia under the UWP-led administration from 2016 to 2021 was ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the Caribbean. Thanks to Prime Minister Pierre, St. Lucia as of 2022 was ranked as the fifth least corrupt country in the Caribbean. Chastanet and his minions are trying to project on the SLP-led government what they really are, corrupt. The records can speak for themselves. No matter how you try to whitewash history, St. Lucia under Chastanet will remain the last bastion of corruption.
Is it possible that the government is using Fuzzy Maths and Voodoo Economics to do the calculation
You’ll SLPs so corrupt You’ll can’t even recognize it when it’s in You’ll faces and then accuse people based on hearsay with absolutely zero faces because it suits your narrative but the truth is the truth. “I am the truth” said who? Lies are of who? Clearly you should know who’s side you’re on. St.Lucia is not a Christian country.
if there is any defence from the UWP, rest assured they doing the same corrupt practices when they come in. the motto is to take and take some more from tax payers. That particular minister has been known for accumulating airmiles from the time he stepped into that position. The guy has done nothing worthwhile in the office he suppose to run and as minister.
Russia… please shut your mouth… Do you remember Covid…during the UWP reign
When will Allan Michael Chastanet refund the Saint Lucian People the USD$ 7 million Covid money he can’t recall to where it went to date June 18th 2023 (wink wink) ??? We are waiting !!!
Salty, on behalf of the government you should take him to court for the vaccine money. But then again that would be another burden on the taxpayers.
Re Article and comments, I enjoy reading all the comments to realize how silly the colonial slave laws have drag Us in the mud..
Why aren’t we demanding a fair living wage of $10+ per hour based on hourly worked, we are currently receiving slave wages and create the working poor, let’s focus on getting a fair living wage system implemented..
Politician’s are here to confuse the weak minds and treating us as fool’s to keep them in power..
To all the St Lucians currently living in St Lucia, give Facebook a break for two days are go and demonstrate for better wages,