With the recent increases in the price of petroleum products, the Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has increased its subsidy on 20lbs cylinders of cooking gas from $16.13 to $22.10 per cylinder, an increase of 37%. This has allowed a 20lbs cylinder of cooking gas to be sold for a little under $40, at $39.81. Users of 100lbs cylinders are, however, unable to enjoy a similar subsidy because they are deemed to be in a...
On Monday 11th April, a 20 lbs cylinder of cooking gas was set to rise to $62 until the government stepped in with a subsidy of $22.22. This has been the extent of the impact of rising crude oil prices on the landed price of petroleum products entering Saint Lucia. Prices of all petroleum products are expected to go up on Monday under the three-week fuel revision period, with gas and diesel up by $1.00...
There’s been a general outpouring of public support for the decision by the Minister for Local Government and the Mayor and City Council to name a Castries street-corner after Alex Bousquet, the late host of the popular ‘Street Vibes’ vox pop program on local television station DBS. The Corner of Peynier and St. Louis Streets has been renamed the ‘Alex Bousquet Corner’ after the authorities bowed to popular demand immediately after his untimely October 10, 2021 death,...
Facing a challenge to his presidency after over two decades in the post, President of the Vendors Association Ras Peter ‘Ipa’ Isaac has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging vendors at the Castries Craft Markets to prepare for “a cashless society”. Explaining his rationale, Isaac said vendors in 2022 “need to start taking seriously what they have traditionally taken for granted or ignored.” According to the president, “Too many vendors are losing sales because they...
Unity among Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member-states has given way to a split over Ukraine and its candidate for the top post of Secretary-General of the British Commonwealth. At the April 7 vote at the United Nations General Assembly to expel Russia from the UN’s Human Rights Council, CARICOM’s 14 member-states were evenly split: half voted in support and the other half abstained. Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia supported...
(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia –Saturday, April 9, 2022) — On Friday, April 8, 2022, Taiwan made a contribution of EC$30,000.00 to the Caribbean Nationally Determined Contribution Finance Initiative (NDCFI). Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, H.E. Peter Chia-yen Chen, presented a firm contribution to Hon. Shawn Edward, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Science, Technology, Innovation and Vocational Training. In his remarks, Ambassador Chen said Taiwan was proud to support the second Forum, noting that just last...
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday, 7th April made history by becoming the first black woman to be appointed as a member of the US Supreme court. Judge Jackson will take her seat on the nine-justice panel, following the retirement of 83-year-old Supreme Court judge Stephen Breyer. Her life-time appointment will bring the number of females in the Supreme Court to four. The 51-year-old Jackson, a graduate of Harvard Law school, served as a supreme...
The rising cost of fuel because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted the local power company, Lucelec, to warn customers of rising electricity bills. The local pricing structure of electricity allows Lucelec to pass on the rising cost of fuel, used in the generation of electricity, to the customer. In other words, Lucelec’s customers are not shielded from the rising cost of fuel on the international market. The rising fuel prices have strengthened...
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre on Thursday delivered his first National Budget. His $1.8 Billion ‘People’s Budget’ is expected to right the many grave financial and economic wrongs committed by the last United Workers Party (UWP) Administration. In summing up at the end of the House Debate on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for March 31, Prime Minister Pierre, revealed, surprisingly though well-received, that his administration will pay, as early as April 2022, increased...
The Royal Visits to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean islands by representatives of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II have unexpectedly boosted the Caribbean region’s demands for Reparations from Europe for Slavery and Native Genocide. Demands for reparation were among items discussed by CARICOM Reparation Commission (CRC) when it met in Barbados on March 28-29. The now controversial “Charm Offensive” aimed at celebrating the queen’s 70th year on the throne was meant to encourage Caribbean citizens...
