The to-and-fro between the Government and Opposition over the proposed Dolphin Park continues unabated.
Economic Development Minister Guy Joseph says a Labour Party administration in 2015 granted concessions to a company that operates a business at Pigeon Island to build a dolphin park.
Joseph says he was responding to claims that there was approval in principle for a park in Canaries, but it had never been really approved.
“Today, I have in my hand a cabinet conclusion number 744 of 2015 granting concessions to a business in Saint Lucia.
“Now, I have always been mindful of naming businesses… but the concession was granted and on point number 2, it says 100 percent waver on import tax and VAT on building materials,” the minister stated.
Without naming the business entity involved, Joseph disclosed that he went further to find out who was present at the Cabinet meeting on the day in question, to determine whether the SLP officials who have been speaking about the dolphin park issue were absent.
Joseph told reporters that cabinet minutes of the meeting held on 16th November 2015, indicated that then Acting Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, Alva Baptiste, Stanley Felix, Harold Dalsan, Shawn Edward, Doctor James Fletcher, Moses Jn Baptiste, Victor La Corbiniere, Alvina Reynolds, Lorne Theophilus and then Attorney General, Kim St Rose, were present.
“All were present when the decision was taken to grant concessions to set up the dolphin park,” the minister explained.
According to Joseph, the decision was ratified on November 23, 2015 when then Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony and others who were missing from the previous cabinet session were present.
Joseph asked: “Who did they consult? Who did they have discussion with?”
He then continued, “So, when the SLP comes and tries to paint a picture that is different to the reality, it is time Saint Lucians understand that all the SLP wants to do is frustrate developers and sop the development of this country so they can get a possible chance of coming back into office,” Joseph told Monday’s news conference.
“They don’t care if they sink Saint Lucia or how much they scare away investors or damage the country,” he declared.
Joseph made it clear that as he spoke to reporters, the matter of the dolphin park had not come before the current cabinet of ministers for a decision.