UWP Senator Relates Cost Of Living Crisis In St Lucia

CASTRIES, St Lucia – Delivering remarks at the United Workers Party (UWP), September 16, opposition senator Herod Stanislas stated the reality is this:“The cost of living has climbed beyond what ordinary families, workers, and businesses can bear.”

Senator Stanislas argued,“I stand before you today not just as a political representative, but as a fellow Saint Lucian. I walk the same streets you do. I shop in the same stores. I see and feel the same struggle that has become our daily reality,” he continued.“Parents are struggling to put food on the table. Workers are giving more hours but getting less in return. Small businesses-the lifeblood of our economy-are being squeezed until they can barely breathe. This is not just an economic challenge. It is a national crisis.”

The burden of the 2.5 percent levy

The 2.5 percent levy imposed on every hardworking citizen of this nation, was supposed to“revolutionise health and security services in this country,” the senator noted.“We were not surprised to discover that this was a lie. In fact, this tax was actually a requirement for the government to secure a $200 million loan from the World Bank.

But what is the reality today?

“Our hospitals remain under-resourced, with patients lying on stretchers in corridors. Essential medications are often out of stock in hospital pharmacies, forcing families to choose between buying medicine and buying food. Shortages of nurses, doctors, critical staff and essential supplies.

“Even the St Lucia Medical and Dental Association has stated that this is the worst healthcare situation they have encountered in over 20 years,” he said.“Our communities still echo with safety concerns, with many afraid to walk their own neighbourhoods after dark. Our young men are now reduced to merely statistics.”

To date, reports Senator Stanislas,“Over $60 million has been collected from you, the people – extracted from your paychecks, your businesses, your savings. That's not just a number-that's school uniforms that couldn't be bought, house repairs that had to wait, small businesses that couldn't expand. And yet, where is the progress?”

Senator commented that improvements in healthcare that would justify a mother having less money for her children's lunch, are nonexistent.“Where is the enhanced security that would explain why a pensioner must cut back on their medication?” he added.“The truth is painful but must be spoken: this levy has become nothing more than another tax grab, another way to squeeze an already struggling population while delivering nothing in return.”

The fuel crisis crushing our economy

“The cost of fuel continues to drain the pockets of ordinary St Lucians. Today, we pay the highest prices for gasoline and diesel in the entire Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Think about what this means in real terms,” Senator Stanislas explained.“For a minibus operator-and we all know these hardworking men and women who wake before dawn to serve our communities-the high fuel prices mean hundreds of dollars lost every month, thousands every year.

“I spoke to a Soufriere Mini Bus Operator who shared with me that he now spends $430 more per month on fuel than he did four and a half years ago. That's $5,160 a year-money that could have paid for his daughter's CXC examinations, fixed the leaking roof on his house, or been saved for emergencies. This annual savings of $5,160 equates to a savings of over $25,000 in five years. That money could be used as a down payment on a new 14-seater bus.”

But it doesn't stop there!

“Every business that delivers goods, every farmer who transports produce, and every St Lucian who drives to work-they all feel this burden. The fuel burden trickles down like a toxic stream into every aspect of our economy, raising the price of food, goods, services and transportation. When the bakery's delivery costs go up, your bread costs more. When the farmer pays higher transport costs, vegetables become more expensive.”

The human cost of economic failure

According to Senator Stanislas,“this SLP economic policy brings nothing more than pain, pressure, and poverty for our people,” as described.

“I think of the mother in Soufriere, tears in her eyes as she explained how she can now only afford to buy chicken backs, how she waters down the milk to make it last longer, how she tells her children“maybe next week” when they ask for a simple treat. This is not the Saint Lucia we want for our families.

“I think of the father in Fond St Jacques, who shared with me that he works harder than ever, but is falling further behind. Despite working six days a week, sometimes taking extra jobs on Sundays, he can barely keep the lights on and food on the table. His pride is wounded, his spirit strained, as he observes how his hard work no longer secures a decent life for his family.”

And what of our elderly?

“Those who built this nation with their sweat and sacrifice now find their pensions worth less each month as prices soar. They worked their entire lives believing they would have dignity in their golden years, only to find themselves choosing between medication and meals.”

The failure of leadership

“Let me be clear” Senator Stanislas, said:

“A government that extracts more and more from its people without delivering results is a government that has lost its way . Leadership is not about making excuses or shifting blame. Leadership is about taking responsibility and taking action.

“We've heard the excuses-imported inflation, supply chain issues, external factors beyond control. Yes, these challenges exist, but other nations in our region have managed to shield their citizens better. Other governments have found ways to cushion the blow, to protect the most vulnerable, to ensure that economic hardship doesn't translate into human suffering.

“The question we must ask is simple: If other small island nations can do better, why can't we? The answer is equally simple: It's a matter of priorities and political will.”

A clear path forward

First, a UWP government, when elected, will remove the 2.5 percent levy , putting money back in your pockets and wallets. This isn't just a campaign promise-it's a moral imperative. No government should tax its people into poverty while failing to deliver the services those taxes supposedly fund. Second, a UWP government will reduce the price of fuel within 30 days of returning to office.

The choice before us – a call to action

The cost of living crisis must end. Families cannot wait. Workers cannot wait. Our elderly cannot wait.

“Saint Lucians deserve leadership that understands their struggles and acts decisively to bring relief. The time has come to choose a government that puts people before politics, solutions before slogans, and relief before rhetoric.”

“The cost of living crisis is a challenge we can overcome with the right leadership and the right policies. Together, we will restore affordability, rebuild an economy for all, ensure no Saint Lucian chooses between necessities, and our children inherit a nation of opportunities,” Senator Stanislas contends.

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