During the 2016/2020 UWP administration, several projects were implemented, some were completed, some are being completed and some have been stopped by this administration posing as a group of saints.
The UWP administration carried out extensive negotiations with the Devaux family for the purchase of sixteen acres of land within the Castries basin (Mount Pleasant lands) for a giveaway price of EC $3 million. The decision was to construct several three and four storey buildings to accommodate the residents of the CDC blocks that were no longer safe.
Today, the current Castries MP is faced with an untenable situation regarding residents of the CDC buildings and has nowhere to turn and no one to turn to. The current PM is in no position to undertake any kind of borrowing based on an economy which is currently under performing in the absence of zero growth.
One must look around and see for themselves that the only ongoing construction on island is Cabot, the hotel at Pointe Seraphine, the Cul-de-Sac bridge, the Millennium Highway, and the restarting of the HIA terminal, all of which were started under the UWP.
The one project commenced by the SLP which has been recently completed is the 25-room project at Halcyon Beach and the mainstay of the economy today is tourism, an industry decried by our current Prime Minister when in opposition.
Any individual tuning into the various talk shows will hear the pleas from a cross section of the nation literally begging government to commence some projects as there is no work presently taking place. It is shameful that while all these concerns are brought to the forefront so many productive projects have been cast aside, yet our current Prime Minister had the audacity in parliament this week to describe the UWP administration as one of vindictiveness.
We sincerely trust that the predicament now facing the government regarding the CDC residents will be dealt with in a humane manner versus the two thousand five hundred dollars which the minister has offered them.
From an investor’s standpoint, we are growing more and more concerned regarding the breakdown of law and order in St Lucia. The areas confronting us are crime, road rage, poor road conditions and rising inflation. From the criminal aspect, our security charges are on the increase as the criminals find new and innovative ways of implementing their skills. Road rage is worrisome, resulting in law breakers impeding normal traffic behaviour. The excessive speed on our narrow roadways accompanied by the vast increase of motorcycles which frequently practice dangerous methods of cycling. The number of riders ending up at hospital is a clear indication of our observance. One bit of advice we can offer as a start would be to put a speed limit of 40 MPH on the stretch of road from the Vigie roundabout to Mega J’s as what is taking place today is madness at the highest order.
The poor state of the roads are a major contributor to slowing down the traffic which in turn contributes to higher costs of doing business. This problem simply accentuates the problem as the Rodney Bay roads remain unattended and unfinished. These deficiencies all add up and inflate the cost of business which is passed on to the ordinary man who is already under severe economic pressure. It is all well and good for our politicians to ignore these concerns, but at the end of the day the bubble will certainly burst and the problems which were overlooked will become even greater.