Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has asserted that the transformation of this country is not an overnight exercise.
“This is a journey that will take time,” he declared in a post on his official Facebook page Tuesday.
“Along this journey we have met communities of “naysayers”, “doubting Thomases” and “prophets of doom and gloom”. We have met communities of pessimism. We have passed groups voicing messages of negativity and “do nothing,” Chastanet noted.
On the other hand, he observed that on “this journey, we have also encountered many communities of believers, and even more voices of positivity and hope, and they are boarding the bus of optimism, as they know where it is headed.”
According to the PM, they want to be part of this journey.
“We will not betray their confidence. We are not afraid. We are not alone. We are All In as we Build a Stronger Saint Lucia Together,” Chastanet declared.
Just recently, the PM announced that general elections will be held soon and the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party has declared the official start of election campaigning.
Saint Lucia last went to the polls on June 6, 2016 when the current ruling United Workers Party (UWP) swept to power by a margin of 11 to 6.
Sorry Mr PM but ‘we are not all in’. You have left some down on your bus
Both SLP and UWP have failed to transform St.Lucia. All they do is blame each other for not transforming St.Lucia. What a waste.
Nobody is against “transformation” as time evolves their is need for transformation but with that been said it has to be done at a cost of which the St Lucian People can bare. We are a tiny nation with no resources we import everything and export nothing so we have to have transformation moderately and cost effectively with investments with profitable dividend , but you sir have brought this country to the braking point with irresponsible fiscal mismanagement and investments without dividend. You have squander the resources of The St Lucian People time and time again on failed hair brain quick rich initiatives, Jazz, Rum Festival, Boxing, summer solace Horse Race (and all that comes with it) our healthcare is of 4th world standard. It’s the end of another month for NIC Contributors and many are left to wonder how will they get past another month or have to be hiding from their landlords this is due to your reckless spending of their deducted funds, and failed planning for a rainy day for The St Lucian People, and now the rainy days are here. We are debt to the sum of billions, you have now turned to the IMF for a bail out to restart the economy at their stipulation while plunging us more into a dark hole fiscal depression with no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon. You have failed us on crime of which you rarely address or speak about, the poor of the poorest amongst us you have never address or express concern you have failed, with this been said it’s only fitting that you penned and tender your resignation with apology to the St Lucian People.
You blab alot of nothing and really uninformed. Health care was an issue since 2012 when your leader Kenny did nothing but break our backs with 15% VAT. The debt ratio is best its been since 2012, alot of loans Ive read paid off that your boss took out thats why they getting good credit. This government has done the most infrastructure Ive seen in a decade. When St Jude is finish you will ball cause Kenny gone take his money and run to Trinidad when he realizes can never get back power. Oh btw NIC has a board that approves use of its funds…not Chastnet, so go get a new speech from Hilaire
What is the volume of debt? Say your house is worth $100,000. You have debt of $60,000 but your salary is $600 a month and loan payment $400.00. Your debt ratio is 60% but can your pay the debt. Also note that you borrowed the money for renovations but instead you went on a vacation and spent the money partying. So you have nothing to show for the $60000.
…….the best debt ratio you have seen ??? ha ha hah hah ha ha hah bway yu’ll really like to give jokes ha hah ha…so let me understand you now you would rather and IMF LOAN verses a 15% VAT which it might have to go back up again to just now anyway ?? So you will be screaming like a slaughtered pig when you have a 15% VAT and a IMF LOAN to pay. A lot of loans for 2012 have been paid off wow wow wow wow is this the main reason why your boy when over board and bury us again to the sum of EC$ 7 billion dollars inquiring minds would like to know ? So in earnest, we should give him a second term so he could pay off the US $100 million he took from Taiwan, plus the US $78 Million he took from The IMF, plus the US $40 million he took from the Caribbean Development Bank. Man you are crazy hell dam no Allen Michael Chastanet must go.
Yes he has , because minimum wage is too low ,$7.40 US/ or $20EC a day, government needs to do something for is citizens living way below poverty line, rich getting richer, poor poorer. St Lucia is too expensive compare to the salaries person receive.
Not just any minimum wage Alliecat, because the way things are looking right now it looks like minimum wage is $500.00. I say so because NIC is willing to pay a minimum of $500.00 to contributors under the ERP. We need a living minimum wage because the cost of living in St Lucia is extremely high.
The longest journey starts with a small step, not missteps like you crooks have been making.
I’m not usually one to comment or to be political, I grew up under the UWP regime and I have for many years saw a divide St.Lucia due to politics.
What I know for a fact is our education system our health care and infrastructure for a long time suffered ,our people have not been given or afforded proper education for a long time if you came from a family that had no name or affiliated with the elite few because we had very few schools you were not able to get a secondary school education and by standard six(6) were supposed to join the work force that was and still is minimum wage that starts at 5.00 an hour.
The fact is our island has for a long been in a state where politicians have come and filled their pockets and left us in debt.
I old enough to remember the 30 yrs under UWP with most kids not having an fair break or opportunity and the majority of our parents and older siblings went to work at a boxing plant or in a factory for very little cause if your family had no money or education that’s all you could reach and btw we had 4 Secondary schools with some parts of St.lucia having no electricity, running water so the stand pipe is where you went and the pit toilet is all you knew and some cases still use bo proper roads and can’t even afford wifi so our children can access online learning or research .
It’s time we open our eyes and ears and start putting country first vote cause it’s our right however think how does it impact my next generation future and what are the issues facing us now cause if not our beloved Lucia will be at the same state it’s been for generations
well said I agree with you
Wait for St Lucia to be ready? It’s been a long time I am wai6for this day in throughly 30yrs…all along the way
Why to open St Lucia for USA which is the worse country ever at the moment for COVID19 instead Europe or Canada which is more stable with COVID19?
Why to close down the small businesses like villas, homes, where eventually tourist travellers will feel more comfortable with instead big hotels?
Lol…of course sometime and at time small owners have better solution than huge business..so better to close them down small ideal accommodations and let them die hungry…isn’t?
So so so so so disappointed! In how much care for the population there is!!! And safety or concern of small owners contributions for Gov developing of St Lucia for the best choice basically if big hotels don’t make it? Everyone has to die hungry…nice!
Oh for got about express des iles..why do not give a chance for St Lucian to get business from.island around? Of course by closing down small accommodations…no chance to see the light of a life back. Not even an approximate date of reopening while people are awaiting to travel back to france for example!
Everything is there to fall down the economy of the Caribbean! How great!