Our Saint Lucia - Let's Get to Work!

Issue 06 | 23 June, 2018

Building Resilience

OUR SAINT LUCIA www.govt.lc

CIP: Continues

Bi-monthly Progress Report from the Government of Saint Lucia

SYNERGY:

MAKING LetĘźs Get to Work!

MOVES

New project aimed at training and self-development

02

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

At a glance...

CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

Dennery gets Free Wi-Fi available

Community Carnivals on the Rise

Get Ready for Better Parking

4 5 6

PM OECS Chairmanship: A Look Back

Synergy: Helping You Find Your Pathway

7

The Government Island Wide Network (GINET) Wi-Fi Zone for Dennery has officially been launched. The Government Island Wide Network (GINET) Wi-Fi Project was officially launched at the Grande Riviere Human Resource Development Center in Dennery, on Tuesday June 6. The joint initiative between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Lucia will allow constituents to enjoy free Wi-Fi.

ENVIRONMENT

E-governance taking shape

DVRP to prepare action plan for coral reef management

Considering the importance of coral reefs and the threats they face, the Government of Saint Lucia, through the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), commenced a consultancy with the overall objective of preparing a plan of action for enhancing coral reef systems within the Point Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA). It is anticipated that information gathered will result in appropriate action to build the PSEPA’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Market Redevelopment Plans to be Made Public

INFRASTRUCTURE

The new design of the Castries Market Project which is now at an advanced stage. The redesign, done by the architectural section within the Department of Physical Planning comprises several components including a food court, high-end air conditioned restaurants, a craft market, box park, viewing tower, entertainment area, meat and fish depots and duty-free shopping boutiques.

The redevelopment of the Castries Market will create a nexus between Saint Lucia’s goods and services exports and the vending opportunities that are available.

HEALTH

10

TOURISM

Give Blood, Share Life

The Ministry of Health and Wellness on behalf of the Saint Lucia Blood Bank, is making a special appeal to citizens to donate blood. The blood bank is currently experiencing a low supply of blood and blood products.

Medical Technologist Karen Louis, said individuals don’t need a special reason to donate blood, as the need is constant and the contributions important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his or her body. Roughly one pint is given during a donation.

Building Resilience

www.govt.lc

03

Prime Minister Wishes Civil Servants Happy Public Service Day

T Prime Minister meets with Civil Servants at Ecumenical Service on Wednesday June 20th.

Following is the Prime Minister’s Message for Public Service Day:

I

t is fitting that we come before God, to recognize and celebrate the many persons who serve the public every single day. You are the women and men who keep this democracy going and you touch Saint Lucians in almost all the areas of their lives.

The passion to serve is what binds all of us in the Public Service. You must recognize always, no matter the area that you work, that you all contribute to something larger. You are the backbone of the society.

Unfortunately what has happened in our society is the public service is so often seen as burden, instead of the driving force. We must always hit back at this stereotype. The concept of working for the good of the community must always remain a high ideal.

It is with this in mind I believe the theme for this year’s activities is appropriate. “Transforming Our Public Service: Building Excellence and Promoting Good Governance Through Recognition of Outstanding Service” forces us to consider whether we are fulfilling our full potential.

This year the aim is to build excellence and recognize those who go above and beyond. The aspiration is that we all will reach the goal of excellence by looking inward and also by the examples that are set. But first we have to take pride in what we do, however big or small.

We need to constantly harness imagination, be dynamic and respond with constant improvement. It means we have to build resilience.

Our administration’s objective is to help you do that and to enhance your ability to be able to bounce back and respond to the needs of the community. Our aim is to give you the environment and the tools to be more productive and modernize.

I believe the importance of efficiency goes beyond saving money. It is about making Saint Lucia a “smarter state.” Meaning, we must deliver more with less by modernizing and boosting productivity.

There are key drivers to public sector efficiency improvement: • service re-design and alternative delivery mechanisms • organisation and workforce drivers • technology, data and targeting Hence my Government is in strong support of e-government as we seek to transform the way the public accesses government services.

We intend to put the necessary infrastructure in place to support a fully functional e-governance system which will enable the government to match the online presence of the regular citizen.

We look forward to your support as we make Saint Lucia a regional leader in e-governance.

Indeed, what we are doing this month and here today, in terms of recognizing the work of our public service, is also part of the strategy to boost productivity.

We want to celebrate you and let you all know that we believe in you and know that you are fully capable of being the best civil service in the Caribbean.

Before I end, I want you engage in a little exercise. Smile at the person to your right.

The point of this exercise is to remind you all that you are Saint Lucia!

And what you show and produce, whether it be back of the office or front of the office, has an impact on how we are perceived in Saint Lucia and the rest of the world. So the quality of your work is the smile that you show to your colleagues and your customers the general public. Let us put our best smile forward.

On behalf of the Government and People of Saint Lucia, I say thank you for the hard work you put in every day as we tackle together the genuine challenges that we face as a country. I value and deeply appreciate your dedication.

I am very hopeful, with God’s guidance, we can achieve so much for our country and build a new Saint Lucia.

It gives me great pleasure to wish you Happy Public Service Day!

We are committed and open to initiatives aimed at ensuring high standards of professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness in the civil service.

In my Budget Presentation earlier this year, I spoke about Reforming Government; making the public service more responsive so you can make a better contribution to our economic and national development.

Often as a country, we focus on the size of the public service and not on the fundamental point of putting systems in place to make the service more efficient.

Some members of the organizing committee for Public Service Day activities.

04

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

Community Carnivals Bloom in 2018!

DON’T MISS A BEAT AROUND THE ISLAND First off the block with their Carnival launch this year was the Soufriere Events Committee with a sold out event, at the Soufriere mini stadium on April 28, 2018.

L

ast year, officials of the Events Company of Saint Lucia were of the view that the community carnivals provided the island with the greatest opportunity for the costume design the island would like to see showcased at our carnivals.

“The community carnivals are just as important as the national carnival and they help spread not just the carnival fever but the economic benefits as well,” Thomas Leonce CEO of the Events Company of Saint Lucia (ECSL) says.

And so, for Saint Lucia carnival 2018, not only is the ECSL placing more emphasis on the community carnivals with technical and financial support, but they were also part of the consultative process moving forward. Meetings were held with all of the players of the various community carnivals, in order for the ECSL to gauge the level of support each would be given. The ECSL also has an officer dedicated to liaising with the various communities and ultimately the Ministry responsible for carnival which is the Ministry of Culture.

Since then the Sulphur city has kept the momentum with a number of events, including their carnival pageant on June 16. Soufriere’s two day carnival parade takes place June 24 and 25, while the nearby community of Fond St Jacques will stage a carnival pageant July 21 and J’ouvert and junior carnival July 22.

Dennery carnival, another major community carnival, was launched on April 29. The community has since held its Soca Monarch competition and junior carnival. The Dennery carnival queen pageant is scheduled for June 23, J’ouvert June 30 and the parade of the bands June 30 and July 1.

The community of Babonneau is back with carnival this year and masqueraders will see a shift from just T-shirt bands to full costumes on July 29.

Canaries will host J’ouvert and parade of bands on July 22, following their launch on June 2. In fact June 2 saw several community carnival activities, with Mabouya Valley hosting its Carnival Pageant and Vieux Fort staging a carnival launch. The southern community parade of the bands will be held on July 8 -9, with Roseau Valley Parade of bands also taking place on July 8.

On Wednesday May 30, 2018 Events Company of Saint Lucia held the official opening of Carnival dubbed “Epic Wednesday” at the Sab Playing field, Vigie.

The Roseau Valley Carnival Queen Show is Saturday June 23.

Right up there in the mix was representation by the community carnivals, showcasing their costumes as well as contestants for their various carnival pageants.

The community of Anse La Raye comes alive Sunday, June 24 with a Soca showcase and revelers are expected to take to the streets on July 28 and 29, while carnival bands in Micoud will also be on show on July 29.

Ahead of the official National carnival launch, several of the communities had in fact already held their own launches, with large turn-outs, an indication of the growth of these carnivals in recent years.

An unprecedented twelve communities will be having carnival activities this year.

For the third year running the community of Belle Vue will be hosting Mas in Da Vue. The program will include a pageant on July 28 and will conclude with a Line Jam on August 5. Also winding down their carnival activities in August are the communities of Gros Islet and Mabouya Valley.

Building Resilience

www.govt.lc

05

Castries Readies for Parking Terminals “This would make Castries a more viable option as a business and shopping center for commuters, pedestrians and the public at large.”

C

ome the month of July 2018 Saint Lucia will see the first stage of a project involving parking terminals, which will be erected in the city of Castries.

According to Jason Hullingseed, Press and Communications Manager at the Castries Constituency Council (CCC), just last week the CCC met with the Attorney General to finalize the draft legislation that would govern the operations of the terminals.

“So the next step now is for this to go before Parliament by the end of June, 2018 so that we can start a roll out plan for the parking terminals,” Hullingseed says.

According to the Press and Communications Manager, the CCC already has in its possession ten parking terminals.

“We will be setting these up at strategic locations across the city center, starting

with just one which we will use as a test for a short period. Thereafter we will be erecting the others,” Hullingseed says.

Plans for the parking terminals were announced back in January 2017. In an earlier statement, the Mayor of Castries Peterson Francis had said that the implementation of the terminals, was to ease the congestion in the city, allowing for the free flow of traffic among other things. “This would make Castries a more viable option as a business and shopping center for commuters, pedestrians and the public at large,” the Mayor said.

“People are leaving here, going all the way to Gros Islet in the north, spending an hour in traffic sometimes just to do a transaction at the bank or to get one or two items, for the simple reason that they are more assured of getting a parking spot when they get up north,” Mayor Francis went on to explain.

The traffic congestion in the city has also been of concern to emergency personnel, something the Mayor has also been cognizant of. Mayor Francis says that not only is safety and security of paramount concern to the CCC but that the continued beautification of the city is also part of the strategy.

Ahead of the implementation of the parking terminals, the CCC has been embarking on various public sensitization strategies, including Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Before the terminals are introduced, the public will also be informed of the penalties for parking illegally in the city.

The CCC is expected to introduce clamping for illegal parking as well as fines. Additional parking areas besides the car park at the Castries Waterfront are also part of the overall plan.

06

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

Prime Minister’s Chairmanship brought “vigorous and frenetic energy” to OECS Caucus with OECS heads

A

Prime Minister Chastanet and delegation in Dominica following Hurricane Maria

s he passed on the baton of OECS Chairman to Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet reflected on his year at the helm.

“One of my starkest memories as Chairman of the OECS is the shock I experienced upon landing in Dominica and seeing the trees of the Nature Isle stripped bare and the landscape transformed into an unending mass of brown,” Prime Minister Chastanet said as he spoke at the 65TH Meeting of the OECS Authority this week.

“Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017 left a significant trail of death, destruction and dislocation in a number of our Member States. While the storm’s fury showed nature at its worst, it also brought out the best in us as individuals, communities, nations and institutions.”

The Prime Minister commended member states for the relief supplies provided and thanked friendly countries and international agencies who helped by way of technical expertise, security, water, food and critical supplies such as tarpaulins and medical care.

“In addition, the OECS was instrumental in supporting efforts towards food and water security, medical relief and supplies, logistics and transportation and psychological support,” noted the PM, adding that the road to recovery will be long for many but goodwill and the demonstrated support of Member States and the wider regional and international community are a source of optimism.

Prime Minister Chastanet spoke of the real value for regional institutions which he says “lies in their ability to enhance the quality and or reduce the cost of governance in Member States.”

“It is imperative, therefore, that we examine our institutional architecture and find avenues to improve the synergies between regional and national outlook and operations.”

Prime Minister Chastanet and Morocco's Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani

Barbados PM Mia Mottley at the OECS meeting with PM Chastanet

Prime Minister Chastanet thanked the Director General of the OECS and the hard-working staff of the Commission for their service to date and their support.

“I look forward to consolidation of the work the Organisation has done to date and greater progress on the integration agenda as we move into the future.”

For his part, Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules explained that Prime Minister Chastanet’s tenure as Chairman was “characterized by a vigorous and frenetic energy and an aggressive advocacy on the interconnection between climate diplomacy, economic resilience and our never ending battles against unilateral discriminatory regimes imposed by the developed economies.”

Dr Jules went on: “As a new Prime Minister, his baptism of fire was the devastation of Irma and Maria and his crown of accomplishment was the responsiveness and the unparalleled solidarity among Member States.”

“As a new Prime Minister, his baptism of fire was the devastation of Irma and Maria and his crown of accomplishment was the responsiveness and the unparalleled solidarity among Member States.”

---Dr. Didacus Jules

Building Resilience

www.govt.lc

07

Helping You Find Your Pathway

Minister Flood-Beaubrun with SYNERGY Team at launch

F

riday, June 15 marked the launch of an unconventional 18-month pilot program targeting residents of Castries Central. At the program’s launch, Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet noted that Synergy, the program which hoped to create opportunities for people around the community to empower their lives, was part of efforts to reduce the dependency of citizens on the largess of governments, or politicians in general.

The Synergy program focuses on personal development, training, and recruiting through the Synergy Pathway – a personal development component targeting constituents that emphasizes the importance of ‘knowing, accepting and improving oneself.’

Participants of Synergy Pathway are eligible for enrolment in other programs and services including UrbanGrow (agriculture), the Great Gardeners project, Joy HomeMakers (hospitality for the home sector), Trade Tech, Wash N Browse and Become! (performing arts, craft, and music). The programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of constituents, starting with Castries Central, building on their skills and talents, as well as aspirations and career goals.

“It’s about instilling in people a sense of independence and a level of empowerment,” PM Chastanet noted. “It’s about changing people’s lives, and one thing I know for sure, when people have something to lose, they get more involved. People have to have skin in the game, something at risk in order for them to change their overall attitude.”

Hon. Sarah Flood Beaubrun, Minister with responsibility for External Affairs, and Parliamentary Representative for Castries Central received the prime minister’s praises for conceptualizing the initiative which would target the often side-lined community. Chastanet empathized especially with young men from the area who were commonly disregarded for jobs and other opportunities due to sweeping generalizations based upon where they resided. He said it was necessary for people in Saint Lucia to ‘create the ability of critical thinking, to judge every single individual as themselves, and not fall into the trap of branding people generally.’

Synergy would paint a fresh picture and develop the constituency’s human resource. The program also sought to take manual labour, which was often frowned upon, to a new level with revamped branding, and training opportunities.

08

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

SYNERGY: Empowering People to be their Best Selves

MP Flood-Beaubrun meets with team and persons signing up for Synergy project Continued from page 7

I

rving John-Syner’s welcome address hit home as he shed light on recurring problems in society which were left blatantly to fester because too few Saint Lucians cared enough to share a fraction of their skills to contribute to any situation. That was the relevance of the Synergy program, which John-Syner noted was simply about collaboration; ‘working together to achieve an end which may be more elusive, or unachievable if we work alone.’

He honed in on the importance of training, and being trained. If one was not trained he said, they were finished before they even began.

“If you are untrained, you are unfit to do anything, even apply for, or far less hold a job . . . You might as well go live in the jungle and take your chances,” he said. “In our environment, the jungle is the street, just sitting on the roadside, or under a tree. Believe me, you will not last long, however dominant, or tough, or Bad John you think you are. The law of the jungle is very simple, and always has been. It is survival of the fittest, and no matter how fit you are today, how strong, capable and independent you think you are . . . sometime in the future, someone else fitter, tougher, younger, stronger, and more dominant than you will emerge, and push you aside.

In conclusion, he said Synergy was about giving forgotten residents of Castries Central a chance. It was a program that brought together a variety of opportunities to train people in whatever their particular dispositions or strengths, so they could get out of the jungle, and become more productive citizens in society.

When she spoke, Synergy’s Project Manager Nadine Khodra-JnBaptiste said she was honoured to work with Minister Flood-Beaubrun, not for the first time, on the project which

would serve the people of Central Castries. She highlighted the importance of serving people, no matter their designation, and said the program was designed with the people of the constituency in mind. Synergy was in her words a brand that elicited excitement, liveliness, and sought to address not only current happenings, but the journey to come.

With that in mind, the all-embracing program aimed to empower constituents to become the best versions of themselves.

“We’re still working to tweak it and make it into what it needs to be for everyone . . . meeting the people where they’re at,” the project manager shared, noting it was by no means a ‘one size fits all’ venture.

Considering that as long as a person was alive, they were a work in progress, Synergy hoped to empower people by approaching personal defects not as an end-all, but as a foundation on which to modify and build.

“We’re operating based on the fact that we all have stuff that we can work on in our lives, and we will work on them together,” she said. “How we approach these idiosyncrasies and manage them is the difference between a person being mediocre, or great . . . and if a person can empower as many people to catch the vision they have caught in their own life, then true synergy can take place, so that is what Synergy is all about... people empowering people to be their best selves.”

Khodra-JnBaptiste detailed how the program operated, from the process of signing up, to receiving rewards based on progress.

Participation was free, and participants could earn points for participating in training, and in the Synergy Pathway component which was the only mandatory aspect of the program. Considering

Building Resilience

the uniqueness of the various programs comprising the Synergy initiative, rewards are distributed individually by way of self evaluation, based on a participant’s progress in their own journey.

Points reflected the development of a participant, and could be redeemed for tools and supplies related to one’s craft. Items which could be redeemed with points included art supplies, tools and equipment (including rentals), clothing accessories (for job interviews, etc), personal care and grooming products, studio recording time, and more.

Mexican Ambassador Oscar Arturo Esparaza Vargas also spoke at the program’s launch expressing the continued commitment of Mexico in accompanying Saint Lucia in its development efforts. The Ambassador said Mexico was glad to be one of the main international partners of Saint Lucia with the Synergy Project. Mexico’s sponsorship would be in the form of professional international collaborations, and assistance with the development of components related to professionalization, technical education, creative arts and craft, agriculture, amongst other fields.

www.govt.lc

08 09

She noted Synergy aimed to respond to the needs of constituents, and deal with unemployment.

“We can’t deal with that unless we look at the person, because you bring to the job who you are,” she said. “That is why at the heart of the program we have Synergy Pathway... which will encourage all of us to grow inwardly, and to know ourselves with sincerity.”

The minister revealed she’d found inspiration for the initiative based on the book Vices and Virtues written by Alejandro Ortega Trillo. As such, the program was one that every constituent was invited to journey on – even children, with permission from parents or guardians.

A full website for the Synergy Program continues to be developed.

In the meantime persons can visit: facebook.com/Synergy-for-Castries-Central

When she spoke, Sarah Flood Beaubrun, beaming with pride expressed, “This is a journey walking on water . . . a leap of faith, responding to the needs . . . the great need of Castries Central and certainly Saint Lucia, and doing something out of the ordinary, because the need is so great.”

OUR PROGRAMS

Trade Tech

Trade Tech supports tradesmen by helping them refine their technical skills. We identify and access training, and match them with..

Great Gardeners

Become!

Wash N Browse

UrbanGrow

Synergy Pathway

Joy Homemakers

We provide gardening and landscaping services with skill and pride. Gardeners who know what they are about, and confident of..

We want residents of Castries Central to become excited about growing food, eating healthy, and building strong and happy communities...

A caterpillar must become a butterfly.

Otherwise, it will die. This is the inspiration behind this programme. To encourage, inspire,..

SYNERGY Pathway is our personal development program on which each and every constituent is invited to journey. We reflect in..

Facilitates self-employment by providing young men in the car wash trade with ideal set up locations including amenities and wifi...

We are creating a hospitality model geared towards the home sector. Are you interested in joining our team? Need a..

10

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

Saint Lucia on track to e-Governance

PM Allen Chastanet on panel of e-Governance Conference

A

t the turn on the 21st century, the popularity of the internet began to gain much traction in Saint Lucia. At the time, its main purpose was generally centered on personal use, and within businesses. As the years progressed, the internet became the main source for information across numerous subsections of society, and within business and education. The internet has progressed in such a way that it has created opportunities for higher education without leaving your home, and has sparked the prosperous careers of several people. Yet, many governments across the globe have not yet harnessed the full potential of the internet when it comes to effective governance.

The concept of e-governance is fairly new to St. Lucia, as well as nearly every Small Island Developing State (SIDS). Electronic governance (e-governance), refers to the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to deliver government services, exchange information, communication transactions and services between government to customer, government to businesses and government to employees. It includes benefits like increased speed and efficiency, cost reduction (reduction of paper based communication), transparency and accountability.

As St. Lucia looks toward developing an e-governance based system, it is important to note the distinction between e-governance and e-government. E-government more closely reflects what presently exists in St. Lucia: a one way communication protocol, whereas e-governance is two way. It is the use of computers, communication devices and the internet to provide services and information to citizens.

The benefits of e-governance allows for added efficiency across the board. Government employees can receive online training, businesses can receive direct information on policy changes and can renew licenses online, and citizens can file income taxes from their electronic devices. As such, it is only fitting that the government of the day is seeking to transition into an e-governance stronghold.

In May 2018, PM Allen Chastanet held discussions with the President of the Republic of Estonia, Her Excellency Kersti Kaljulaid, which included talks on the creation and development of e-governance. Estonia is recognized as a model for countries who look to develop such a system, given its track record to make use of digital processes. The Prime Minister also attended the Tallinn e-Governance Conference in Estonia, where he held the role as a panelist.

Speaking on the panel, the Prime Minister agreed that St. Lucians are very active online, and some are even managing their careers online. However, given the fact that the country lacks much of the necessary infrastructure to support a fully functional e-governance system, the government has not yet been able to match the online presence of the regular citizen. Furthermore, the necessary legislation as regards information technologies is not yet existent or up to date in a way that would facilitate it to its fullest capacity.

Given the island’s small population as compared to countries like Bangladesh and the Catalonia region of Spain, one option is to look toward inter-regional e-governance, as proposed by the Prime Minister at the Tallinn Conference. If a regional outlook were to be developed and implemented, it could open doors for not just governance, but also education – as teachers could take up the role of ‘facilitator’ and education would be generally based online. As an added upside to our small population, PM Chastanet noted that it is quite impossible to develop a booming e-governance network. Even with those hurdles, the eventual outcomes of e-governance exponentially outweigh any challenges that the country will face.

PM Chastanet highlighted the added efficiency and transparency that such a network will afford, as well as cutting back on some of the unpleasant aspects that hinder the ease of doing business in St. Lucia.

Building Resilience

www.govt.lc

08 11

Support #SneakerDay Support Better Health

S

ince 2007, Saint Lucia has been recognized as the world leader in diabetic patients per capita. Every year, more St. Lucians are subject to amputations as a consequence of diabetic complications. Whereas some patients may never require amputations, the risk of heart attacks, strokes, renal failure and blindness are far more likely in the island’s diabetic population. In addition to diabetes, increased rates in several other non-communicable diseases continue to be recorded. Hypertension and coronary diseases (relating to the heart) now not only affect the aging population, but also plague younger St. Lucians.

Since the cause of many of these illnesses are linked to dietary habits, numerous organizations have worked toward cutting back on unhealthy food options, or promoting healthy lifestyles. For example, the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School has banned the sale of carbonated drinks. Fun walks

like the Pinehill Fun Walk and DASH Independence Colour Run encourage physical fitness in a less rigid environment.

provides the perfect opportunity to encourage movement. Sneaker Day paired regular work attire with comfortable sneakers.

The National Insurance Corporation has recognized that health is wealth, and has joined the movement toward a healthier St. Lucia. In 2016, the NIC launched Sneaker Day in an effort to promote increased physical activity in the corporate world. Speaking at its initial launch, NIC’s Communication Officer indicated that the corporation felt obligated to help contribute to the reduction of non-communicable diseases.

In its first year, Sneaker Day was well received by St. Lucia’s work force.

The NIC had worked toward sensitization of the local work force prior to the observance of Sneaker Day with advertisements on TV and radio stations. The popularity of Sneaker Day was apparent on social media platforms, as St. Lucians in various offices posted pictures of their sneaker clad feet with the hashtag ‘758sneakerday’.

At its inception, Sneaker Day was marketed to workers in both the public and private sectors. The NIC believed that wearing more comfortable shoes, as compared to hard soled corporate footwear, would encourage walking within their offices or other workplaces. As many workers are confined to desks for hours on end, the initiative

“

Sneaker Day was also observed in 2017, with an even larger following including teachers and workers in many private sector owned businesses. Now in its third year, the NIC and Sneaker Day continue to push toward a healthier St. Lucia.

All participating workers are encouraged to post pictures on various social media platforms, captioned ‘#758sneakerday’.

12

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

CIP Making Moves N

estor Alfred has served as Director of the Citizen by Investment Unit (CIU) of Saint Lucia since August 8, 2017. While the Unit has noted significant improvements since inception, Alfred still anticipates more tweaks and changes in the policy direction of the programme in the weeks and months to come.

How does one measure the successes and improvements of the CIP programme?

A: We are a unit that is involved in the processing of applications, and one can always relate the improvements of the program in regard to the numbers of applications it has received over a period of time.

Since the program has been initiated up until now, the numbers have increased significantly. When compared to other islands the number is a far cry from where it should be, but the numbers have increased from the inception of the programme, up until now. For example, for 2017-2018, we had about 279 applications, and we granted about 78 citizenships – that was a far cry from where it was in the previous year, 2016-2017.

In regards to the marketing of the program, the legislation provides for the licensing of authorized agents, and that’s the channel by which all applications go through, before being submitted to us. There’s another arm to the marketing side of it, which are the licensed promoters, and they are the ones out there around the world, who interact with various individuals who may be interested in seeking a second citizenship. In most cases, those licensed promoters are actually immigration companies who have been involved in immigration, vis a vis, the issuance of second citizenship or residencies for

CIP Executive Director Mr. Nestor Alfred countries around the world. Those persons are active players in our marketing efforts to bring business to Saint Lucia.

There are now discussions from a policy perspective on how we can harness the efforts of all of the agencies involved in attracting foreign direct investments.

There is the creation of a brand, and that has been started off with the tourism authority. Individual agencies which are involved in attracting foreign direct investment are now trying to see how that branding which has been created for the tourism authority can fit in with their own vision.

Building Resilience

What are some of the misconceptions about the programme in the public domain?

A: Some of the greatest misconceptions of the programme exist because persons do not understand what CIP is all about. They simply see it as the sale of passports, and therefore, what we have done over a period of time is to have townhall meetings. We meet with various agencies – more so the chambers of commerce. We had discussions last year, and we’re doing it again this year, both with the Castries Chambers of Commerce, and the Southern Chambers of Commerce. Our goal is to provide accurate information on what the programme is, and what the benefits are.

www.govt.lc

A: There is a general consensus that Saint Lucia is the ideal space or jurisdiction for one to be offered citizenship. There is also a general consensus that post citizenship Saint Lucia presents a better landscape by which new citizens can participate in a more active way within the financial services sector. There is, however, a concern by the wider international sector or market that our turnaround time in granting citizenship is a bit lengthy, compared to that of some of the other islands in the OECS. Saint Lucia will never, under any circumstance, grant citizenship unless it has obtained the vetting conclusion of the Intelligence Community. There is the due diligence process, which includes the hiring of third party due diligence firms who go out there and get to know who those people are, where they work, who they associate with, etc. Another component is that those names are sent to a regional body who undertakes the intelligence gathering of those individuals.

There is also the misconception and concern that with the Citizenship by Investment programme, and the end result of issuing citizenship to individuals ‘Saint Lucia will never, under from far and wide, that all of these persons will any circumstance, grant citieventually end up in Saint zenship unless it has obtained Lucia. The truth is, this is far from reality. If you look the vetting conclusion of the at countries in the OECS Intelligence Community.’ who have been involved in this programme for a number of years, Saint Kitts for example. Saint Kitts has been involved with citizenship by investment for 30 years, and is one of the oldest jurisdictions in the world that has been involved in CIP. We have yet to see any significant increase in St Kitts’ population, notwithstanding that Saint Kitts has provided citizenship to thousand of persons. One of the primary reasons that persons choose to obtain second citizenship is simply because they want that freedom of mobility that Saint Lucia and the rest of the islands in the OECS have given the number of islands and jurisdictions in which they have visa free status. In Saint Lucia’s case we have visa free entry in somewhere around 124-135 countries.

What sort of feedback have you been getting about the CIP programme on the international scene in recent times?

08 13

What can you share about the most recent regional CIP conference? What were some of the areas of focus?

A: The most recent CIP conference was one that was held in

Saint Kitts. It was hosted in Saint Kitts, but is really owned by the CIP Association, which is essentially the various heads of CIP in the OECS region. Out of this programme, the focus was to find out whether there is any scope to create some sort of unity, some sort of collaboration between the various programmes or units within the region. There were various proposals put on the table in relation to creating that kind of unity. The prime minister of Antigua, and the prime minister of Saint Kitts, both agreed publicly there was a need for some kind of collaboration, whether in regard to the due diligence process that we undertake, whether in regard to the application process... and there have been even greater voices in terms of whether there should be one unified CIP Unit to coordinate the processing and granting of citizenship for all five islands.

14

23 June 2018

www.govt.lc

MINISTERS ON THE MOVE Minister Rigobert visits school in Cuba

Choiseul MP Bradly Felix (second from left) supports Craftmasters at Cricket

Minister Herod Stanislaus takes part in Walk Against Bullying organized by Soufriere Secondary

A visit to the Taiwanese farm by Minister Lenard Spider Montoute

Building Resilience

Connect With Us Office of the Prime Minister -www.facebook.com/opmsaintlucia -www.instagram.com/opmsaintlucia Allen Chastanet -www.facebook.com/allenmchastanet -www.twitter.com/allenmchastanet Lenard "Spider" Montoute -www.facebook.com/lenardspidermontoute Ezechiel Joseph -www.facebook.com/ezechieljoseph758 Sarah Flood Beaubrun -www.facebook.com/sarahfloodbeaubrun758 Guy Joseph -www.facebook.com/guyejoseph Stephenson King www.facebook.com/stephensonking Mary Isaac -www.facebook.com/maryisaacslu Fortuna Belrose -www.facebook.com/fortunabelrose758

www.govt.lc

08 15

SAINT LUCIA WE LOVE Did you know…

• Cerulean blue – somewhere between blue and azure makes up the majority of the Saint Lucian flag’s composition, and represents the sky and sea. Yellow symbolizes the sunshine, which Saint Lucia sees plenty of throughout the year, as well as prosperity. The two major triangles represent Saint Lucia’s famous twin peaks, Gros Piton and Petit Piton, which also happen to be World Heritage sites. The black and white tones represent the mixture of races on the island, and the harmonious relationship between the island’s people.

• Vernetta Lesforis, a well known Saint Lucian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres, won gold at the 1999 Central American and Caribbean Championships. She also competed at the 2000 Olympic Games but didn’t make it to the final round.

• It is not uncommon to see couples waiting until middle age to get married in Saint Lucia. Often, the symbol and spiritual process of tying the knot occurs years after the couple begins cohabiting, with children already being part of the family dynamic.

• Saint Lucia’s Coat of Arms consists of a variety of symbols.

The Tudor Rose represents the English influence on the island, while the Fleur de lis symbolizes the French influence on the island. The island’s still existing African heritage is depicted in the small brown stool to the center of the shield, while the torch quite rightly is a beacon of light, to a prosperous future.

The island’s motto, "The Land, The People, The Light" is highlighted on a ribbon below the shield, with the shield being held up by two indigenous Saint Lucia parrots.

Dominic Fedee -www.facebook.com/dominic.fedee Herod Stanislas -www.facebook.com/herodstanislas Bradly Felix -www.facebook.com/bradlyfelix758 Dr Gale T C Rigobert -www.facebook.com/drgalerigobert758 Edmund Estephane -www.facebook.com/edmundestephane758

Our Saint Lucia!