By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia – On the occasion of 100 days in office, the government of Saint Lucia published a 100-day brochure outlining its achievements – ‘We have delivered to the country‘.
Prime minister Philip Pierre message made specific mention to, “working as a team with my Cabinet of ministers, we are happy to report to you on what we have delivered to the country for the first 100 days in office,” explained, “We promised to Put You, the People First in our approach to governance. Our deliverables so far, as outlined in this booklet will attest to the sacredness of that commitment to you.”
Prime minister Pierre noted that the morning of July 27, 2021, was “indeed the dawn of a new day” and that “you, the electors, had rescued our country from a steep downward economic and social trajectory for five long years. The landslide victory ushered in a new administration under my leadership as prime minister,” stating, “You gave us the mandate to advance the socio-economic development of our country for the next five-year term. In this period, all our interventions have been people centered, to directly touch the lives of the people who need it most,” he stated.
COVID-19 finance
Prime minister Pierre stated that his government took up office in very difficult financial circumstances, and “from day one we had to manage the many challenges of the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last incompetent administration left behind a government structure with very tight fiscal space to fund any programme – to ease the pain that you had been experiencing since March 2020. The concessionary loans and grants obtained by the last government had been squandered on pet capital projects instead of income support for the people who needed it.”
‘We have delivered to the country’
Accounting for 100 days in office, and looking forward, the prime minister said: “inspite of the difficult financial situation we were able deliver to you in the first 100 days,” promising, “ This is just the beginning and we are determined to keep the pledges that we made to you. There are signs of a silver lining in the menacing clouds,” said prime minister Pierre, “we are forecasting a good tourism season starting in early December and going well into 2022. The other sectors are expected to pick up as we get control of the pandemic with increase vaccination in the weeks and months ahead.”
Budget: First quarter of 2022
The prime minister further suggested that “ this scorecard is just the beginning. Our journey together continues,” seeking to present its first budget to parliament in the first quarter of 2022.
“We will roll out new and innovative policies to spur economic growth in all sectors including the exciting youth economy,” he said.
