A complete St. Jude Hospital is a burning desire for the people of Saint Lucia. PM Pierre disclosed that a number of the buildings that comprise the total St. Jude Hospital will be completed by mid-2024, while works will continue on the remaining structures.

“We will continue to work on the construction of St Jude Hospital to deliver a well-equipped hospital to the public. Work on four buildings is expected to be completed by June 2024. Work on the other buildings will commence shortly after,” Pierre said in his address.

The new SJH structure constructed by the former administration will be included as part of the wider facility. Pierre made that announcement in August 2023 upon receiving the Saudi Loan.

The new structure has since been referred to as the “Southern Wing” and is now sealed off to mitigate against “deterioration from natural occurrences and thus preserved for future expansion of the health facility.”

Pierre also indicated that consultation with the private sector will take place to facilitate the legislation of a minimum wage this year. Once that happens, Saint Lucia will join other OECS states that are implementing a minimum wage this year.

“The Minimum & Equal Wage Committee has submitted a draft report to the Cabinet of Ministers. We expect to have further consultations with the private sector on the report. We expect to be able to implement a livable wage for workers across sectors in Saint Lucia later this year,” Pierre said.

Pierre also announced his government’s macro investment plans for 2024. He says legislation will be enacted to encourage business enterprise investment by Saint Lucians who currently reside overseas.

Said Pierre, “During 2024 government intends to pass new legislation, that encourages large local and foreign businesses to invest across all sectors of the economy. That legislation will include enhanced incentives and improvement in the granting of approvals and other processes. We will introduce legislation to encourage our residents in the diaspora to return to open business ventures in our country.”

This New Year’s Address falls against the backdrop of the 2024/2025 budget preparations. Citizens expect a more detailed policy statement during the usual time in April.