THE plan to build a New Saint Lucia and how it is taking shape was the main discussion as Saint Lucians living in New York and surrounding areas got a chance to meet with Prime Minister Allen Chastanet on Sunday at a Town Hall Meeting held at The Marriot Hotel conference room.
In a frank discussion with scores of Saint Lucians who showed up for the meeting Prime Minister Chastanet spoke about Government’s plans to empower people to take advantage of the opportunities being created. The Prime Minister reiterated the power of the Diaspora and assured Saint Lucians living all over the world that they have a part to play in supporting the development of the country.
“We have put the structures in place to facilitate the Diaspora in coming back home, and investment opportunities as well,” said PM Chastanet. “We want Saint Lucians to be proud of their country and feel empowered to drive further development. We all have our part to play. When Saint Lucians themselves are in charge of their own destiny and businesses they then naturally become ambassadors of their country. Because we are no longer doing it for other people we are doing it for ourselves.”
The Prime Minister spoke about various sectors that have shown growth and development including agriculture, tourism and education. The questions from the audience were on diverse topics including the status of agricultural lands, the cultivating of cannabis, the state of healthcare, village tourism and education opportunities. The audience was very excited about the developments at home especially as it related to infrastructural development such as roads, the Hewannorra International Airport, the Castries Market and several hotel developments earmarked for the north and south of the island.
The Prime Minister was joined at the conference by Minister responsible for External Affairs Sarah Flood Beaubrun, Ambassador to the Diaspora H.E. Jocelyn Fletcher, Ambassador to the United Nations H.E. Cosmos Richardson and Ambassador to CARICOM H.E. Elma Gene Isaac.
Following the presentation and Q&A segment, attendees got an opportunity to meet one on one with the Prime Minister and his wife Mrs Chastanet as well as other Government officials.