Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has highlighted the government’s achievements since the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) won the July 2021 general elections despite the ‘ financial mess’ the party inherited.
He was addressing the SLP’s annual delegates conference in Babonneau on Sunday.
The SLP leader said his administration inherited a ‘poison chalice’ from the outgoing United Workers Party (UWP) government.
He declared that Saint Lucia had transitioned from a self-serving, corrupt government to one that serves the people.
The Saint Lucia Prime Minister disclosed that the SLP found a financial mess when it came into office.
“Our economy had contracted by 24.5 percent – the largest decline in the OECS and the fifth worst decline in the world. And I want to tell you that COVID also affected the entire world and COVID affected Saint Lucia also,” the Castries East MP noted.
He said Saint Lucia had a debt of over four billion dollars and payables of 174 million owed to local business people.
In addition, the PM cited a list of other financial issues the incoming SLP administration discovered.
Nevertheless, Pierre asserted that investor confidence was rising.
He said his administration started the economic recovery, and within two years, the economy grew by eighteen percent in 2021 and fifteen percent in 2022.
“Tourism, agriculture and manufacturing – all our sectors grew,” Pierre told his audience.
He said the government had reduced unemployment to the lowest since 2010, including a ‘serious dent’ in youth unemployment.
Pierre observed that the government had positively impacted people’s lives across all economic sectors, assisting the vulnerable over the past two years.
He listed several assistance programmes implemented under the ‘Putting the People First’ theme.
He also defended the 2.5 Health and Security Levy and vowed that his administration would finish construction of St. Jude Hospital in the ‘shortest possible time’.
“This is our solemn promise to you,” Pierre stated.
PJP, yes you won, yes you are in power, yes you have the support of your cabinet 15-2 to fix all the ills that you said you are going to do when you were in opposition. thus far you still have to make the move to start re-employing the 100’s workmen and women who were employed in the construction industry on the various road projects, PJP those laborer, and other technical trades men/women are not on a pause you know, many have to eat and carry on. Not because you didn’t like fresh start making you have to push those workers into poverty. Above all that you have to pay fresh start some 300M if my memory served right with regards to compensations. These things will come back to haunt you regretfully. All you cared about is your victory and nothing more just fulling you all pockets. The swing voters like myself is facing the blunt of you all neglectful behavior. Crime is just escalating completely out of control, the health and road networks will just give the island more bad names because when the recording breaking visitors you all will cook up and say in media, those tourists will go back and stay the bedrooms were nice but the moving about is horrendous. OMG the island is beautiful but the leaders are clueless not even the roads they can fix, look how much money we paying for a hotel room + air fare and transportation. Its better you try to kick those disrespectful ministers you have in office and stop being a safe haven for Criminals. You had a situation with some big wing senator, a corrupted individual by all means. We are watching, I’m not going to give my votes for someone to abuse it.
……and there will be those penning their commentary as we speak to throw cold water on these achievements it will NEVER be enough. Some will not understand the necessary evil levy’s that were imposed to help keep our heads afloat. Four Billion in debt, when we took office (more than that) 174 million owed to local businesses the economy grew by 34 percent since been in office, but you will have those paid detractors (they know themselves) that are GOING to insists we did better under the yellow regime of terror. Most Honorble, there are so many unstable forces and challenges that’s affecting us but you have done well with all the odds. For those who buy into the yellow illusion that their White God would “cushion” our economic troubles better to them I stay I would prefer the optics of an trained economist over that of a shady business man any day.
You inherited 4 billion in debt, that is a plus for Chastenet because he inherited 5.5 billion from Kenny. The economy grew in 2021, which cannot be attributed to your administration because you did less than half of the year in office and during that time you did basically nothing to grow the economy. You took over from a corrupt government and you have appointed a Special Proscutor to have the past government pay for the corruption. Why hasn’t anything been done about this yet? Are you afraid that if you investigate them, you too and your two macocorts, Frederick and King will have to face the same punishment. Mr PM speak now or forever hold your peace.
Pierre stop talking about corruption give us an explanation about our banan land..Pierre our port why all of sudden why a group of slaspa agents is working with gph..Pierre I have more questions please sir you are not doing a good job you divide the country we are suffering with hunger
Saint Lucia – Public Debt Figures (US$ Millions)
2012 (SLP) – 971
2013 (SLP) – 1,030 (+59)
2014 (SLP) – 1,091 (+61)
2015 (SLP) – 1,103 (+12)
2016 (SLP) – 1,144 (+41)
2017 (UWP) – 1,207 (+63)
2018 (UWP) – 1,247 (+40)
2019 (UWP) – 1,301 (+54)
2020 (UWP) – 1,512 (+211) COVID-19
2021 (UWP) – 1,624 (+112) COVID-19
2022 (SLP) – 1,777 (+153) POST COVID-19
Saint Lucia – Public Debt Figures (US$ Millions)
1996 (UWP) – 190
1997 (SLP) – 219 (+29)
1998 (SLP) – 258 (+39)
1999 (SLP) – 266 (+8)
2000 (SLP) – 303 (+37)
2001 (SLP) – 340 (+37)
TOTAL- 150
2002 (SLP) – 439 (+11)
2003 (SLP) – 450 (+79)
2004 (SLP) – 529 (+37)
2005 (SLP) – 589 (+60)
2006 (SLP) – 615 (+26)
TOTAL – 213
2007 (UWP) – 653 (+38)
2008 (UWP) – 666 (+13)
2009 (UWP) – 713 (+47)
2010 (UWP) – 785 (+72)
2011 (UWP) – 866 (+81)
TOTAL – 251
2012 (SLP) – 971 (+59)
2013 (SLP) – 1,030 (+59)
2014 (SLP) – 1,091 (+61)
2015 (SLP) – 1,103 (+12)
2016 (SLP) – 1,144 (+41)
TOTAL – 232
2017 (UWP) – 1,207 (+63)
2018 (UWP) – 1,247 (+40)
2019 (UWP) – 1,301 (+54)
2020 (UWP) – 1,512 (+211) COVID-19
2021 (UWP) – 1,624 (+112) COVID-19
TOTAL – 480
2022 (SLP) – 1,777 (+153) POST COVID-19
For sure PJP, we will definitely not go back to the polls and vote you in.
I rest my case.
Where is the facts to the bullcrap he’s shooting?….”unemployment reduce to the lowest since 2010″…that’s an eff in blatant lie to the stupid gullible supporters!…..the only difference is tourism got a startup since COVID.
I am not sure which country Pierre is talking about. In his speech he showed how disconnected he is with reality.
I just hope Lucians never go back to the Polls to vote Pierre back into office. If that ever happens then I will have no sympathy for those people.
Pierre is definitely not aware of the crisis he has created in SLU and as it stands, things are getting worse with no end in sight.
Point taken that there are a trend of increasing inherited debt. But equally you must accept that when you only have a serviceble economy where and how will you put a stopping to borrowing I would like any top class economist to explain that one. Imagine you have 180 people in a house to feed you’re the head, your food bills alone surpassed your income, you have no gardens or animals to sell, you have a massive yard space and refuse to plant it to help subsidized your over head, then you go asking this neighbor that one and the next to leand you money to feed your family, don’t you think those lender will want you to work for them for free or to do other stuff, because you are failing to pay attention to how you’re struggling to maintain your house? This is how the st. Lucia economy is at present. Make up your story if you wanted
😂😂😂….I had to laugh….The Pee on Em sounds really desperate…. although being in power with a landslide of 15-2…he sounds like he is in opposition….and I want to tell you that COVID affected the entire world and COVID affected Saint Lucia also….J Pip, you sound unintelligent stating the obvious… everyone knows what COVID did, no point beating that dead horse….jeez…you sound like you are still campaigning for the job you already won by 15-2….. yet too daft to recognise you are already in power with a mandate from the people to lead, but here you are still campaigning just two years into your incumbency….abandon hope, all ye who sail on this ship…
All the town hall meetings come at a cost to whom may I ask? Lots of SLP meetings every week as if they are in campaign mode. Is this why you borrowed all this money to start your campaign to protect your victory? Did you win the elections fair and square? You act like you won 15-2 by default. Mwen meme
You need sound system and all these other electrical attachments to have meetings. Not to mention all the red decorations. Where is the money coming from for all the above mentioned? I really want to know
This man is delusional, someone please remind him that he won the election two years ago so stop campaigning its really a shame to hear the garbage that comes out of his rear,
All of you who have this hatred for your fellow black man. If he removed from prime Minister who will replace him? Don’t tell me is Chastanet. Allen has not come with one new policy to replace Pierre.
I want to know whether he will continue with the YEA program, will he stop the incentive given to teachers to get class materials, will he stop the $600 given to pensioners? Please comment on these, then and only then I will take part in the March.
Now little master of making blunders , I see you talking about tourism up there , record numbers everywhere. Master of disaster why are 3-4 days gaps of cruise ships in November 🤔🤔 . We keep hearing surrounding island ports are overloaded. Wha happen the scared of GPH. You better get in front of this quickly buddy , taxi man waiting from April of this year . Go back to market the country in traditional markets. Stop _ucking around and play you genius when are a geni_ss.
Comrades we have a 15-2 majority. We can change the constitution to never allow the UWP in. The constitution was left by the British to keep us passive. They left us with with the Privy Council that was detached, isolated and only interested in the law as written. We needed to have a final court that understood our culture of punishment, listened to the directives of our political intellectuals and understood treason against our governments. We must again change our constitution to benefit our party of true intellectuals who will educate the masses, many of whom are not mentally able to understand the superiority of the SLP.