The National Workers Union is asking the Government of Saint Lucia to rethink a long-standing driver’s licence rule requiring returning nationals to pay fees for the time they lived abroad.
In a letter to the Ministry of Transportation, the union explained the policy does not reflect the realities of many Saint Lucians who travel abroad for valid reasons.
Secretary General Johann M. Harewood said the union’s action is based on “observations and complaints based on interactions with members”.
The NWU says that people who leave Saint Lucia for school, work, medical care, or other important reasons still have to pay driver’s licence fees for the whole time they were away. The union believes many see this as unfair.
In its letter, the union points out that many people go abroad not just for themselves but also to help the country’s economy. The union says that making them pay back fees ignores their contributions and adds to their difficulties.
The union says the current system “places an unnecessary financial burden on hardworking people” and that many affected people are unhappy with it. The union also says that making people pay for times when they were not in the country or using the roads is “viewed by many as punitive in nature”.
The NWU wants the government to adopt a fairer, more understanding approach. It suggests creating a system that accounts for long absences and lets people avoid paying fees for the time they were away.
The union says people should not be penalised for situations beyond their control or for doing what is needed for their well-being and growth. It believes changing the policy would better support the country’s goals of economic resilience and fairness.
The NWU says it will keep working for fair, people-focused policies and will continue to stand up for workers and the public.
It is encouraging to see the NWU pushing for an overhaul of these license fees. The current system is, frankly, unreasonable expecting returning nationals to pay exorbitant fees for the years they spent abroad acts as a punitive measure rather than a fair administrative process.
The practical reality of the current experience makes this even harder to justify. Beyond the financial burden, the inefficiency of the process which involves, broken equipment, endless queues, and unprofessional service is also unacceptable. Some staff members acting like they did not get sex the night before and it is your fault.
Many citizens find it infuriating that they are required to pay such high fees only to face a system that is failing to provide basic, functional service.
Relying on an international driving permit or a local permit should be a viable, common-sense alternative. It is high time for a policy shift that recognizes the value of returning nationals rather than placing unnecessary financial and bureaucratic hurdles in their path.
With all that said, this is Saint Lucia after all. Nothing is going to come out of it!!!
I was a broke recent grad returning to Saint Lucia after about 6 years study abroad…..going to Transport with my last little change, the officer informed me that I have to pay for all 6 years that I was away for…I almost cried! This was in 2010….still breaks my heart even today
They also asking stupid questions at the tax office for nationals who have been away, like who is supporting you ect.. like its their forking business. The NWU has to look into this too. The government of st lucia does not give its citizens benefits, they dont pay for anything. why the fork they asking returning citizens about their income? how is that their business??? i had to get a tax nos. the stupid guy, didnt even want to give it, asking endlesas unnecessary questions like taht. Where was the govt when I had to pay my rent both in st lucia and abroad? some things are not necessary. They are even asking cruise ship workers for money. how, under what basis? A lot is going on in those government offices that NWU has too look at
I think the author should do a little more research on this matter. My Son, who has been away for 14 years posed this question to the Transport Dept. on a recent visit to St. Lucia. He was told, in my presence, that all he had to, if he decided to return to St. Lucia for good or for an extended period, is present his passport to show that he has been away, then the elapsed period away, would not be taken into consideration and he could commence license as of the current date.
Very sensible proposal by the NWU. There is an opportunity here for the government (of the people) to allow a period where Saint Lucians living abroad, who have expired Saint Lucia driving licenses to get a fresh start by paying for a new one. This would allow thousands of people to make payments to the treasury boosting budget which can go directly into repairing the roads. Parliament can update the public on the money raised and what roads have been repaired as a result of this initiative. win win for all. I hope someone from NWU or the author of this article reads the comments and can push this forward.
Is it just me or does anyone else remember this issue being discussed sometime around the budget season. I have some memory of a minister saying that this rule of having returning St Lucians pay retroactive fees for licenses would be removed. I thought the union had taken it up because it had not been implemented, but according to the comment by “Anonymous” above, it is already in effect.
I’d hate to have to pay for years if I was overseas.
My family members get tourist licenses when on vacation here.
@John Snow I am in agreement with most of your post —-reposting.
“Many citizens find it infuriating that they are required to pay such high fees only to face a system that is failing to provide basic, functional service.”
There is a failure with both government and NGOs in St. Lucia and that is the honest truth. For example it took me more than one year to obtain a birth certificate. I followed all requirements and provided all documents as stated/required in their own St. Lucian process to no avail. On the government website it states if you have an issue with an agency contact the agency – now make this make sense seriously????
Eventually I had to obtain an attorney in order to get a birth certificate. What a crying shame.
Honestly, I don’t think I will ever return or conduct any more business with any government or NGOs in St. Lucia. Clearly they are all stuck in their ways and in my opinion it’s a lost cause. No one should incur undue stress for their foolishness.
The government is lazy to focus on the issue there. My cousin who is both St. Lucian and British national went back home recently after 10 days. Their licence expired 7 years ago. They were told that they would need to prove that they have been away for that time by showing the stamp on their St. Lucian passport from when they entered the UK and the reason for this is ” how do they know you havent been driving with an expired licence in St. Lucia. This is studpid and lazy for 2 reasons. First, She couldn’t prove this cause she had renewed her passport through the St.lucian embassy without having to visit St.lucia therefore how do you provide how long youve been away for that long on a renewed passport. Second, the transport department is a government company and just like every company its not the customer job to prove that they havent but the company to prove that they have. Therefore Its not the licence holder ( whether abroad or home) responsibility to prove that their havent been driving without a licence but the government job to prove that they have by going out there and penalised those who drive without a valid license.