PM Committed and Determined

IT is indeed most encouraging to observe that the DSH Project has actually started and is back on track after all the disturbances and man-made obstacles inclusive of the strategized legal maneuvers created under the guise of concerned citizens.

On the other hand, the person/s responsible for the violent acts of arson on the earth-moving equipment at the race course site should be thoroughly investigated as such actions are unacceptable. The arson situations at the Soufriere Hospital are worrisome as these actions have a direct negative impact on the social side and on the public purse.

We take this opportunity to thank this administration for their determination in focussing on the south and addressing the development in a holistic fashion and not in a piecemeal way. The horse racing, together with its accompanying facilities and the construction of a major cruise line facility adjacent to the Il Pirata area, will generate substantial revenue to the south as a result of the home porting which has been earmarked.

We wonder how many St. Lucians are aware of the number of exotic tourism sites in the south ranging from the Moule-a-Chique area to Belle Vue, Morne Le Blanc and Banse areas, to name but a few. The proximity of Soufriere from Vieux Fort is a peaceful 25-minute drive without the chaotic traffic ramifications of the Castries area and its environs.

The Prime Minister has remained sufficiently tolerant for too long from individuals hell-bent on keeping St. Lucia from joining the ranks of success and must continue on his path of leadership. His interview with Timothy Poleon on Wednesday made me extremely proud based on his forthright manner — both in his delivery and his responses to the public.

St. Lucia has been able to extricate itself from the slumber chamber it has occupied for the last several years and taken a new look at the outside world with places like Taiwan which have been moving forward at a steady pace in areas of technology, agriculture and infrastructure.

Talking to several bankers, I was amazed to learn how their lending portfolios have dramatically increased in the last 16 months within the hospitality industry and home renovations. One banker advised that his institution alone had disbursed US$50million during that 16-month period. Now I can fully appreciate the findings of Dr. St. Catherine when he advised the nation of the decrease in unemployment from 26% to 16%.

This year has many more pleasant surprises as the private sector is now on board with this administration. One particular organization supplying a particular merchandise to Massy Stores in Trinidad and St. Lucia revealed that in the last 18 months Massy Stores St. Lucia has surpassed the sales in Trinidad and Tobago by 90% for that particular commodity. This is incredible but the apparent reason being the St. Lucian tourism product has become so strong that their buying power has increased by leaps and bounds.