PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY CYRIL CHARLES ON THE OPENING OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT OF SAINT LUCIA.

Madame President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate and House of Assembly, fellow Saint Lucians, permit me to wish all of you perhaps belated a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2024.

Madame President, Mr. Speaker, we have good reason to celebrate and to be proud. We have been able to call to the world’s attention, and not for the first time, that we are good enough to be the best. The recent athletic achievement of Julien Alfred is a vindication of all those who believe in the ability and talent of our youth. This young lady of humble background has given us reasons to be proud Saint Lucians. Her tenacity and self-belief must be an inspiration to all of us. Her achievement is a reminder that talent and ability are not the preserve of those enabled by privilege and huge resources. And so, on behalf of the government and people of Saint Lucia, I congratulate Miss Julien Alfred upon winning the gold medal for the 60-metre sprint race at the recent indoor World Athletic Championship.

Madame President, Mr. Speaker, the Saint Lucian economy continues to perform well despite the challenges posed by an uncertain global economic environment. Supply chain issues continue with their attendant negative impact on the prices of goods, while energy prices and interest rates remain high.

Madame President, Mr. Speaker, my government’s management of its public finances has allowed it to partly service its debt obligations after meeting all its recurrent expenditure. 3 Madame President, Mr. Speaker, more importantly, the number of citizens able to work and seek work has increased, with the current unemployment rate now at its lowest since 2007. 

For the full speech see PDF att., or visit: https://www.govt.lc/news/enhancing-our-infrastructure