The Saint Lucia National Trust (The Trust) wishes to address concerns recently raised in the Parliament during discussions about VAT exemption for our organization.
The Trust, established on September 26, 1975, by an Act of Parliament, is a statutory body dedicated to preserving Saint Lucia’s heritage – from our natural landscapes and marine environments to our historic buildings and cultural sites. Our founding legislation includes important oversight measures: the Prime Minister, as the Minister responsible for the Trust, appoints two representatives to our Council every two years. These representatives participate fully in decision-making and maintain direct communication with the Minister. During the previous administration, Mrs. Nancy Charles and Mr. Henry Amedee served in these roles.
Our commitment to transparency is reinforced by our statutory obligations. The Trust maintains detailed financial records, which are audited annually by qualified professionals. These audited statements are presented to both our Council and membership at the Annual General Meeting and subsequently submitted to the Prime Minister and the Parastatal Monitoring Department.
To fulfil our conservation mandate and obligations under both the Trust Act and the Pigeon Island National Landmark lease, we generate revenue through various channels: grants, donations, membership and entrance fees, facility rentals, and government subvention. The government subvention represents 35% of our revenue, with 70% of these funds specifically allocated to subsidising entrance fees for Saint Lucian residents at Pigeon Island National Landmark.
Our work is guided by comprehensive ten-year strategic plans that balance conservation goals with sustainable income generation. We submitted our current 2020-2030 strategic plan to the Office of the Prime Minister in 2019. Following the suspension of our subvention and funding for the employment-generating Phase II of the Walcott Place project, we submitted multiple funding proposals between 2018 and 2020, including plans for the permanent stage development at Pigeon Island National Landmark.
It’s worth noting that even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, when our revenue was significantly impacted by reduced international visitors, we maintained subsidised access for residents to Pigeon Island National Landmark, despite receiving no subvention.
The Trust maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Government of Saint Lucia, national agencies, and various organisations to identify optimal approaches for heritage conservation and sustainable resource management. We are grateful for our recent inclusion in the list of VAT-exempt organizations and assure the public that this fiscal relief will directly support our nation’s heritage conservation efforts.
We warmly invite all Saint Lucians to attend our 2024 Annual General Meeting and consider becoming members of this vital national organization.