Chastanet says the current crises facing Saint Lucia require an immediate resolution instead of phased approaches.

Chastanet renews his calls for lower gas prices, suspending the 2.5% Health and Citizen Security Levy and terminating the GPH deal.

“I’m very worried by how this government has managed the Millennium Highway. That’s British money being managed by the CDB. I don’t know where the deficiency is - whether it is my former Minister of Infrastructure (Hon. Stephenson King), whether the Prime Minister, who is a former Minister of Infrastructure, is not giving them the resources, or if it’s just the politics of putting people in the wrong [portfolios]. This government has not shown any capacity to maintain the existing roads, far less build new roads,” Chastanet criticised.

In the Prime Minister’s address, he promised progress on the Millennium Highway as well as reiterated 2024 as the Year of Infrastructure.

“We expect significant progress on both Lots of the Millennium Highway Project as progress on Lot One has so far been unsatisfactory,” Pierre said.

Chastanet also criticised the administration’s excessive use of “handouts”, saying that the focus should be on creating employment and growing the economy.

“It’s about creating jobs, directly and indirectly - taxi drivers, bus drivers, farmers, manufacturers, etc….your call centres. The government could have easily doubled the number of people working in call centres.”