Surveyors are calling on the government and local legislators to take steps in parliament to upgrade the Surveyors Registration Bill to offer wider legislative cover for all surveyors operating in Saint Lucia.
That’s the message from the new President and Executive of the Institute of Surveyors Inc, the local body representing all surveyors, elected at its 2024 Annual General Meeting.
One month into the Presidency since their election at the AGM on July 17 at the Financial Administration Complex in Castries, new President Clive Hippolyte says the “principal aim” of the institute’s new leadership is “to upgrade our legislative cover to one that affords us umbrella status and strengthen us to better serve the public professionally.”
The institute, established 21 years ago in 2003 represents Land Surveyors, as well as Quantity, Valuation and Building surveyors, but according to Mr Hipployte, “The legislation only covers Land Surveyors and our principal aim is to seek to secure full legislative support for all surveyors.”
The bill is currently in drafting review with the Department of Planning and the Attorney General’s Chambers and the institute is hoping the process will end with the widening of its representational scope.
Mr Hippolyte, a Quantity surveyor with 44 years’ experience, says such a move “will also advance the interests of members and the general public and also provide more space for equal and better professional representation and service to clients based on a common legislative environment.”
According to the new President, the institute feels such a legislative umbrella will allow the organization “to strengthen ties with international bodies and get professional accreditation.”
The Institute also tends to “increase its advocacy profile on matters of (what Hippolyte described as) “the built environment.”
Other members of the institute’s new Executive are: Vice President Andre Mathurin; Immediate Past President, Mrs Tryce Loctar-Polius; Treasurer, Ms Margaret Ann Charles; Secretary, Mr. Conrad Emmanuel; Director (Land Surveying), Mr Lynn Holstien; Director (Valuation Surveying), Mr Keegan Preville; Director (Quantity Surveying), Mr. Andy Alfred-Actie; Director (Public Relations and General Members Relations), Mr Tedbert Theoblads.