Borrowing, Not So Much

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Dr. Ernest Hilaire Monday attempted to clear the air on a number of issues when he addressed the press at the weekly government briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Key among the issues was the much talked about government proposed borrowing tabled in parliament last week. According to a United Workers Party (UWP) press release last week, the figure was placed at approximately EC$600 million, which they say is the most in the country’s history at one sitting of parliament. However, the Deputy Prime Minister suggested, that the UWP was misleading the country, in his attempt to lay the facts on the table. Part of the borrowing is to fund WASCO projects, which the UWP seem to agree with. “The other part of the borrowing which I really want you to reflect on is that last Tuesday in parliament was the first time in two years that the government went to parliament to borrow monies.” He juxtaposed Tuesday’s proposed borrowing against what he referred to as “Mardi Pwaytay,” a term The St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) coined in reference to the previous UWP government’s suggested constant Tuesday borrowing. He also explained that one of the motions for borrowing had to do with monies made available by Taiwan four years ago. St. Lucia, he touted, “has never had a government with more fiscal prudence “as he clarified the loan guarantee for Port Authority which was lumped into the $600 million-dollar figure.

The Deputy PM also announced an initiative to aid the ease of doing business locally.

The Government of Saint Lucia is reportedly continuing to place high priority on improving the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) as part of its broader strategy to bolster the country’s investment climate and stimulate sustainable economic growth. , Dr. Hilaire, who is also the Minister for Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage, emphasized the government’s critical role in supporting business growth and attracting impactful local and foreign investment opportunities. To advance this aim, the 2026 Ease of Doing Business Forum has been scheduled for April 9th and is expected to provide an important platform for dialogue between the public and private sectors. The Forum will allow stakeholders to discuss challenges, share perspectives, and identify practical solutions to better inform policy decisions and reforms intended to enhance the country’s business environment.

The most contentious issue that Dr. Hilaire addressed Monday was the Reduit Beach debacle involving the A’ila Resort beach fence and Independent Candidate for Castries North Marcellus Stiede. On social media, Stiede took issue with an erected fence on the beach which apparently closed off the section of the beach in front of the hotel project. In a subsequent Facebook post, the next day, the Castries North candidate reportedly cut off a section of the barrier which he deemed illegally erected and infringed on the rights of beachgoers. Addressing the issue, the tourism minister agreed with Stiede that the relevant agencies had failed in erecting adequate signage to notify the public of the beach closure and the reason for the closure, however he was firm that this failure did not represent an excuse to engage in what appears to be illegality. Dr. Hilaire went on to reveal that after the first Facebook post, He had a personal conversation with Stiede explaining the reason behind the beach closure. He also revealed that an agency with responsibility for the matter also spoke with Stiede on the issue, reinforcing the point that that section of the beach had to be closed off for two weeks to allow for safe heavy equipment work being undertaken as part beach rehabilitation work.

Asked about possibility action that could be taken against Stiede, the minister suggested that it was a matter for the police.