Minister for Home Affairs Honourable Dr. Virginia-Albert Poyotte recently paid courtesy calls to police and fire stations on the west coast of the island. The districts stations visited included the Soufriere, Laborie and Choiseul.
The minister also paid a special visit to the new recruits who were undertaking their “hot drills” at the Old Runway in Vieux Fort on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Minister Poyotte says the visits and having a presence on the ground are all part of her policy approach.
“So in Home Affairs I have made it my policy to visit as many of the units that are under my watch as possible and I am very much concerned about conditions of service for employees in government. This is why I have taken time out from my office together with the team in administration in Home Affairs for us to visit your place of work. Sometimes you get reports, but sometimes you have to see it yourself,” Albert-Poyotte said.
The Home Affairs Minister disclosed that she was not alone in her endeavor to improve conditions of work for servicemen and women. She gave the assurance that the support of her fellow colleagues ministers and the prime minister have been steadfast.
“The prime minister has given a commitment to improve the lot of government’s employees. He may not have all the money he requires because you know the economic situation is very tough. We are coming out of Covid and then you have the Ukraine war and you hear the price of goods going up and cost of living just sky- rocketing. So we are trying to cope with the situation,” she said.
The minister underscored that notwithstanding these difficult times, the prime minister and her government will provide urgent attention where needed most.
Meantime, most recently holding the post of Chief Fire Officer, retired Mr. Joseph Joseph officially demitted office on Friday, June 03, 2022 after over thirty years of dedicated service to the Saint Lucia Fire Service. A special retirement ceremony will be held in his honour along with over a dozen other retired fire personnel, from the period 2020 to 2022.
One of the final activities that wrapped up Mr. Joseph’s tenure, was his goodbye tour of all fire stations on island accompanied by Minister for Home Affairs the Honourable Virginia Albert Poyotte and an entourage of senior officials.