ASSERTING that he is excited about the prospects for 2019, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has urged Saint Lucians to put away “petty and silly squabbles.”
“As our country continues its upward trend, I want to appeal to all Saint Lucians that it is time that we put away the petty and silly squabbles that constantly seem to surface and which only serve to foment division,” Chastanet said in an address to the nation Sunday night.
“It is time that we come out of the mindset that everything that government does must be subject to a political interpretation, or be seen as opportunity to create mischief, confusion and division,” the Prime Minister declared.
He asserted that nation building is a serious matter.
We cannot solve the problems of our country in isolation. It’s a holistic adjustment that we must make…
“We cannot solve the problems of our country in isolation. It’s a holistic adjustment that we must make in how we approach the business of our country. If we make these needed adjustments, it will amount to a significant change in the overall result,” the PM explained.
He noted that the government recognizes that there are constraints to growth and is doing its part to tackle those issues and be accountable.
“We have engaged the private and public sectors in an in-depth exercise of developing a medium term strategy, which encourages accountability,” he stated.
“If we are to think of the economy doubling and tripling in size, we have to look at the stark reality of what would prevent that from happening and address it,” he told the nation.
Chastanet said that as the country begins the New Year and on the eve of what he is confident will be a defining moment in the economic and social development of Saint Lucia, Saint Lucians should all come together and begin to build “the new Saint Lucia that has become the battle cry for our government and the way forward into the future.”