There is no doubt that the staggering surge in criminal warfare is indeed scary for many reasons. Firstly, from a security standpoint and secondly the negative signals to both local and foreign investors. The big question is why is St Lucia in this predicament? Allowing problems to fester is the primary reason, but what accentuates the cause is the kind of naivety, like expunging, booted out by politicians for whatever reason.
The current situation is not an easy one to address as the criminals view their ongoings as a form of employment which past administrations failed to recognize. What makes the task ever more difficult is the fact that earnings from drug related activities do not need a college education, do not need going to an office, do not require paying income tax, nor NIC but above all, these persons can remain at home chilling out 24/7. We simply have to revisit the number of expensive vehicles and motorcycles on the road to understand the complexity of the underground world. The children of those guys witness what is going on and a large percentage are adopting the said lifestyle.
The downside is simple, our working class is shrinking and artisans have already disappeared. Try and find a plumber, a carpenter or electrician and the answer is like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is the seriousness of the situation and unless our administration understands that running a country requires vision, skills, sincerity and honesty as these are the primary factors.
A perfect example of an immature administration is exactly what has currently surfaced. Two housing projects shut down, highly important road improvements shut down, an international airport shut down, a brand-new hospital shut down. Just imagine if St Lucia was a private organization, would any board of directors ever embark on this level of madness? All these projects were income producers for the everyday St Lucian. The artisans that we are already short of are now at home scratching their heads. Are we not saying to those folks, go join the drug trade since their families must be fed like some of us. Does the Prime Minister understand what he has done or is he on cloud nine thinking that all is well?
Where is the Chamber of Commerce, the SLHTA, civil society and the Bar Association? All these organizations have remained non-committal and they are like our board of directors. How much more evidence do we need to understand that St Lucia has lost its way?