CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia government says it expects to accrue major benefits for the island following the decision of Castries to join the Venezuelan oil initiative, PetroCaribe. “This will make it possible for the country to receive a regular supply of petroleum products from Venezuela under the PetroCaribe arrangements that are currently being utilized by several other nations in the Caribbean,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Energy.
Saint Lucia
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – A series of consultations aimed at identifying national and regional measures to better facilitate trade in keeping with the commitments being negotiated under trade facilitation within the World Trade Organization (WTO) began here on Monday.
The consultations to be held throughout the seven-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States are aimed at simplifying and harmonizing international trade procedures such as payment of fees, access to information and cooperation between customs and other authorities.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC –Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony says Eastern Caribbean countries are being punished because of their socio-economic development. He was making reference to the decision by lending institutions and other organisations to label St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries as middle income nations thereby denying them access to grants and concessionary financing. Speaking at the launch of the post- 2015 St Lucia Consultations organized in collaboration with the United Nations System in the Eastern Caribbean, Prime Minister Anthony said St.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Five months after St. Lucia introduced a 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), medical officials are warning the Kenny Anthony administration that patients could die because of their inability to meet the increased costs of medication. The St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) is expressing its "deep concern" over the decision to put VAT on medicine, warning of the "dire" social and economic consequences of the new measure.
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, CMC-The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat will launch a twelve-part television series on climate change on Wednesday as part of the awareness component of a USAID-funded climate change project.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Senior Customs and Immigration officials from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are calling for guidelines to improve the socio-economic potential of the sub-region through the further development of the tourism industry. Chief Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs officials met in Antigua recently to develop an action plan to facilitate ease of travel for both OECS nationals and tourists from the wider region and beyond. Programme Officer for Tourism at the St. Lucia-based OECS Secretariat, Dr.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Opposition Leader Stephenson King is (warning) the St. Lucia government against joining the Venezuelan oil initiative, PetroCaribe, saying it could bring the island into further debt.
"Let's not get involved in this matter, this is not one for the government, as it’s not a situation where fuel is being sold to the country at a cheaper rate. The fuel is being sold at the very rate that we are currently purchasing it from Trinidad or elsewhere," King said.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC - Vice President of the Trade Union Federation (TUF) Cyprian Montroupe says the grouping is disappointment with the progress of the negotiations for a salary increases for public servants given the February 15 deadline. Montroupe said the TUF has written to Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony urging that the government ensure that negotiations progresses smoothly.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony has called on Opposition Leader Stephenson King to apologise to Speaker Peter Foster as the controversy over the alleged conflict of interest in the ongoing public inquiry into the St. Lucia Fire Service took yet another turn.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-St.Lucia's Opposition Leader Stephenson King has taken a tough stance in ongoing controversy with House Speaker Peter Foster by insisting that no leader of the opposition should ever have to apologise for doing his duty. King made his position clear in a letter to Foster's Attorney Michael Gordon, who had written to him demanding an apology "within 48 hours" for remarks he made about an alleged conflict of interest on Foster's part in the ongoing public inquiry into the St.Lucia Fire Service.