Pierre promises the Budget to hold “big surprises” for the upcoming financial year 2024/25 which begins on April 1st as Saint Lucia prepares for increased tourism investment and the completion of crucial development projects.
The Year of Infrastructure looks promising as road works are being completed throughout the island. Notably, the East Coast Road rehabilitation is nearly completed as works commence on the West Coast Road. The Millennium Highway has an undisclosed completion date following a disappointing schedule of works by the contractor.
The Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) has undertaken an ambitious, but heavily scrutinised, improvement to its water transportation system. Frequent shutdowns in the water supply have left citizens spurned, but the move hopes to collect an increased 55% of water.
Plans have also been announced for a housing project at Cas-En-Bas, offering affordable condos for citizens. Works have yet to commence, but plans have been approved by the Developmental Control Authority. The Housing Minister, Richard Frederick, also disclosed the construction of other condos across the country.
The Education Minister also announced that the government has allocated considerable funds for the refurbishment of schools island-wide.
At a glance, arrivals for 2023 increased from 2022. Numbers-wise, Saint Lucia recorded an increase of 7% in stay-over arrivals in 2023 compared to the previous year. In 2023, 380,791 visitors stayed in-country - a 27,211 increase over 2022’s figures.
The arrivals by cruise ships increased by 7% in 2023 when compared to the previous year. Saint Lucia recorded a total of 614,980 cruise passenger arrivals for 2023 - a 265,058 increase over 2022’s figures.
The novel Tourism Development Bill hopes to make hoteliers more accountable. To qualify for better incentives and concessions, hotels must show that they have increased the salaries of their staff members. This initiative comes ahead of a highly-anticipated implementation of a minimum wage by the government.
The Ministry has announced foreign investment in excess of XCD 1 billion during this administration’s term. An investor has also expressed his interest in completing the Le Paradis in Micoud.