Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has declared that despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, over the last 5 years Saint Lucia has made significant progress in all key sectors.
“We first delivered on our 5 to Stay Alive Promise which has saved Saint Lucians thousands of dollars in VAT, Property Tax and Vehicle license fees over the last 5 Years,” he asserted on his official Facebook page.
The Prime Minister, who Monday night announced that Saint Lucia will go to the polls on July 26, observed that students and parents also benefited from the doubling of the school transport and feeding programmes, whilst his administration wiped away $12 Million in debt which was owed to local hospitals by Saint Lucians who couldn’t afford to pay their bills.
“As we navigate our country through the new challenges which have been brought on by the pandemic, we need to remain focused on continuing our mission of building a Saint Lucia which benefits all,” he asserted.
And he explained that the government’s ‘5 for 5 Initiative’ is only one key component of its comprehensive strategy to bring needed and unbiased support to all Saint Lucians, especially the vulnerable.
He proposed several other measures.
They included a further reduction in VAT to 10%, reducing the costs of thousands of goods and services and the further introduction of Electronic tablets loaded with electronic textbooks, saving parents an average of $1000 per child per year.
In addition, the PM listed among the proposals, the introduction of an Unemployment benefits programme to provide support to those who have lost their jobs, a monthly Assistance Programme for the vulnerable which includes financial support to pay electricity and water bills as well as to purchase food and the introduction of a National Health Insurance Programme for all Saint Lucians which will commence in the first 100 days of a ruling party administration.
“We pledged and delivered to you on every aspect of 5 To Stay Alive. With your support, we will also deliver these much needed interventions,” Chastanet concluded.
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