HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE:
As Saint Lucians continue to suffer immense discomfort and dislocation from the ravages of Hurricane Tomas, the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) is calling upon Prime Minister Stephenson King to address the nation and provide his Government’s plans to guide the country’s recovery in the aftermath of the hurricane. The Party is concerned about the conspicuous silence of the Government on its plans to restore Saint Lucia to normalcy. Interviews by the Prime Minister and other Ministers to date, have given no clear indication of how the Government plans to guide our country’s recovery.
Citizens in the worst hit areas, like Soufriere, Fond St. Jacques, Bexon, Marc, Guesneau and others must be provided with the comfort that there is a plan which will relieve them of their extreme anxieties, which are made worst at the first sign of rain. Whereas the efforts of Disaster Preparedness Committees must be applauded, it is the Government which must articulate a clear direction which will help reduce the fear which has gripped people in so many areas of the country.
The SLP notes that almost three (3) weeks after the hurricane, the Government has not explained precisely how it intends to assist Saint Lucians to recover from the damages inflicted upon them. The battered farmers whose fields were totally destroyed have no clear indication of how Government plans to assist them. Allegedly, five million dollars ($5 million) has been provided to the sector by the Taiwanese, but that sum is woefully inadequate to address the needs of farmers.
When Hurricane Tomas struck, the Saint Lucian economy was in recession with no clear prospects for a return to growth. With the damage caused by the hurricane, the economy is likely to experience even greater difficulty, demanding progressive and carefully considered interventions. Furthermore, in the face of the need to mobilse resources to repair the island’s severely damaged infrastructure including roads, bridges and drains, the Government must clarify whether it still proposes to spend another EC $60 million on the Daher Building and over EC $400 million on the Hewanorra Airport Redevelopment Project.
Confusion continues to abound over the cost of the damage inflicted on Saint Lucia by Hurricane Tomas. Initially, the Prime Minister indicated that repairs would cost EC $100 million, but soon after that figure was changed to US $500 million or over 13 times the original estimate. Incredibly, we are now being told that the World Bank is the best authority to determine that figure because we do not have the “scientific expertise” to do so
The people of Saint Lucia need to be told very soon, precisely how the Government intends to resolve their woes and predicament.
A couple of questions here: Doesn't St. Lucia have the scientific and engineering expertise to conduct it's own damage assessment? Is the Government going to re-prioritise its development agenda to facilitate the recovery process? The District representative for Choiseul saltibus announced that the Village Council has $850,000 in the Bank for the construction of a mini stadium. Shouldn't that money be re-deployed to help the unfortunate from Choiseul/Saltibus who have suffered from Tomas?
ReplyDeleteI agree Cyberboss! that money should be used to help the poor people of Choiseul/Saltibus who are in need. We should not be playing politics with recovery. The last thing we now need is a mini-stadium when our people are suffering from the effects of Tomas. In any case, I don't think that money will be enough to build a mini-stadium on that massive playing field. The design of that Stadium alone will cost over a $100,000
ReplyDeleteI'm in support of the stadium. I believe Choiseul needs a mini-stadium like the one in Soufriere. How much did the stadium in Soufriere costs? By the way, where did that money come from? Who gave it to the Village Council? I understand that the District rep is a signatory to the Village council account. Is that permissible? One more question: What is the design criteria for the stadium? We have to be careful that it is a strong stadium and it will not collapse and kill our people. We also want to have an input into the design. We have very good architects and engineers in Choiseul/Saltibus. I hope they have an input.
ReplyDeleteI too support a stadium for Choiseul, but not at this time. I believe it is a cheap political trick being used by Rufus Bousquet to score some badly needed points against his opponent, particularly with the young people.It however has shown that once again Mr. Bousquet is prepared to put himself before this country which is reeling from the effects of the hurricane. This money would be better spent of relieving the suffering of those affected by the hurricane.It shows that Rufus will go all out once it benefits him, to carelessly spend the scarce resources ot the people of St.Lucia. I hope the people who support him can see who or what he really is and unite in putting him out of office. Lorne deserves a chance to represent us, and my gut tells me that he will not disappoint us.
ReplyDeleteI hear there are people who lost their homes and belongings. What about them Rufus Bousquet? Where is your heart? Why you dont do like your opponent and dip your hand in your pocket to help people in need. He is doing just like his grandmother and father have done. These people helped people and if he is like them he will do the same.
ReplyDeleteAt this time, mini stadium my foot! What happened to all the fuss about the childrens' playground at La Fargue. Up to now this has not come to fruition. Right now we have to be resilient and help with the recovery from Tomas. Please do not get me wrong. I would welcome a mini stadium in Choiseul but i think that at this time emphasis should not be on a mini stadium. Well i guess the current representative is trying his utmost to brainwash choiseulians, however, this worked the last election, but not this time around. Your recent display of arrogance speaks volumes about you. Well what can i say i guess you realize the end is near, the choice is clear, we want Lorne.
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