5 YEARS AGO LUCIANS REMOVED A FAILED SLP AND REPLACED IT WITH A WORKING UWP!!!

 By Minerva Ward 

 Happy 5th anniversary MAMAI FLAMBEAU!!!

5 years ago we removed a government that caused St Lucia’s unemployment rate to skyrocket to record levels. 5 years ago we replaced it with a government that lowered the unemployment rate by over 10%.

5 years ago we removed a government that presided over the highest rate of business closures especially in Vieux Fort. 5 years ago we replaced it with a government that has seen record new businesses registered, especially in the south.

5 years ago we removed a government that had done little for Vieux Fort, expect to build a square after 17 years. We replaced it with a government that has completed the first phase of DSH, built a private jet facility, the Anse de Sable redevelopment- 100 acres of land, sub dividing and selling fully serviced beach front lands to St Lucians, complete with concrete roads, boardwalk, life guard station, food outlets, recreation facilities, washrooms on the beach. Delivered water to fond Campeche, Vieux Fort, new WASCO headquarters for Vieux Fort- almost completely designed and constructed by St Lucians, Vieux Fort water supply project. $85 million project increasing the water production from 1 million gallons a day to 4.5 million gallons per day. New pipes to Laborie, Vieux Fort Nort and South. In the midst of Covid, this project is not only increasing water reliability, it’s creating jobs in construction, transportation, and pumping money into the constituency. The redevelopment of Hewanorra International Airport, and the near completion of St Jude’s Hospital.

5 years ago we removed a government that seemed bankrupt of ideas on how to move St Lucia forward, and after the rest of the Caribbean had moved on from the 2009 global financial crisis, still used it as an excuse for why they couldn’t get the economy going again, 4 out of its 5 years they saw NEGATIVE GDP growth. 5 years ago we saw a government that got the economy going again, positive GDP growth in every year except for 2020, obviously due to COVID.

5 years ago we removed a government that no international agency would lend to as they did not have their financial house in order. 5 years ago we replaced it with a government that has the full confidence of all international lending agencies.

5 years ago we removed a government that promised to immediately inject $100 million for job creation, but caused the youth unemployment rate to reach unprecedented levels of 44%. 5 years ago we replaced it with a government that has created thousands of jobs for young people especially in the south, and has developed the creative industries, built a sports academy and has focused on developing youth entrepreneurship.

5 years ago we removed a government who had no clue how to raise revenue except to tax, tax, tax St Lucians. 5 years ago we replaced it with a government that has reduced VAT, granted a waiver on property taxes and has introduced absolutely no new taxes in its 5 years.

5 years ago we removed a government that had corrupted our diplomacy, dragged St Lucia’s name through the mud internationally, had media outlets like Aljazeera referring to us as a banana republic whose diplomacy is for sale by the highest bidder. We replaced it with a government that has had ZERO scandals and not embarrassed our sweet St Lucia to the world.

Happy 5th anniversary of the liberation of St Lucia. Let’s keep working