The Kenny Anthony Administration
continues its vicious economic assault against
the people of this country as the Government introduces another measure that
will bring further hardships to St Lucians. This time it is the poor people/malewe
who are being targeted as the SLP Government has put into effect a deliberate
and heartless policy decision to withdraw subsidies on kerosene effective
September 1st, 2012.
Kerosene has long been
associated with the lower income sectors of the society otherwise referred to
as Malewe a sector which the SLP Government purports to represent. These
persons who use kerosene in many cases as their main source of fuel (for their
lighting, cooking, etc;) are now left to contend with the dramatic increase in
price from EC $6.00 – EC $11.27 or
lessen on their cooking activities and other uses of the fuel.
This latest onslaught by a
Government which promised St Lucians “Better Days” can only lead to further hardship
for the poor and indigent of Anse La Vedere, Barons Drive, Bruce Ville and Park
Estate. The Government's action can best be described as unconsionable and
anti-poor given that many of these persons
have had to contend with expenses related the reopening of school, recent
general trend of increases and projected further increases in food prices and
further the impending increase in prices associated with the imposition of VAT.
The previous UWP Government
kept subsidies on kerosene in place mindful of the fact that it was used as
fuel by the poor and indigent. The Kenny Anthony Government must explain to
these people its justification for removal of a subsidy which has been in place
for the past nine (9) years.
We are now left to wonder if
the next Government subsidy to be withdrawn will be that of the School
Transportation as we note that bus owners/drivers who held contracts with the
Ministry of Education were only offered a short-term three (3) months contract
by the Ministry. Will our children be once again abandoned and exposed to the risk
of finding their way to and from school as obtained during the tenor of the
last SLP Administration.
We are clearly witnessing the
rapid marginalization of the poor under the current SLP Government. Whilst the
Government continues its approach of political patronage by the handing out of
menial jobs through the Step program, the pockets of these persons are ravaged
by increases in basic commodities and now the decision to put into effect a dramatic
increase in the price of kerosene. The SLP Government through this latest
action appears determined to diminish the oil that lights the lamp of hope for
the poor of this country.
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