Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Sen. Hon. Dr. Ubaldus Raymond has called on the public to become active participants in the process of discourse on the island’s economic standing and fiscal status. He said the government encourages constructive debate.

Dr. Raymond, accompanied by Dr. Justin Ram, Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), spoke yesterday at a press conference.

The conference centred on a CDB-authored financial report—titled “Fiscal and Structural Reforms in Saint Lucia: towards a Comprehensive Agenda”—that detailed the country's economic standing and provided advice.

“The CDB made a presentation to the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday providing a diagnosis on the fiscal standing of Saint Lucia and providing various recommendations based on what they found. The CDB also made a presentation to the media as to the recommendations they have made on behalf of the government," Dr. Raymond said.

While the CDB report does not represent the policy of the government, he added, it is the government's responsibility to gather information that will help inform policy decisions.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Government of Saint Lucia believes that before it implements any policy for Saint Lucia and particularly economic policy, [it should] gather sufficient information to use as building blocks, to ensure that it devises the correct policy,” he said.

The press conference was held on Sep. 22, and will be broadcast tonight at 8:30 p.m. on the National Television Network (NTN). The public is encouraged to tune in and be informed.