 The peer administration on October 11 introduced sweeping income tax reforms in the lower house. The new suite of income tax amendments is a direct response to meet the economic needs of St. Lucian tax payers who continue to endure escalating costs of consumer goods and services due to external factors. The peer administration's tax breaks will see annual personal income tax allowances increase from $18,000 to $25,000. People earning up to $25,000 annually will pay no income tax. The average effect income tax rate will decrease from 5.4% to 3.7%. And St. Lucian tax payers will collectively save up to $14 million every year. Because of these changes, the proposed scenario is the government is going to lose in the first quarter $3.5 million in revenue between January and March because of these changes. And for the year, the government is going to lose about $14 million direct income tax. But we are putting that money back in the hands of the consumer for the consumer to spend and use for his disposable income. The new tax policies take effect on January 1st, 2023 and will keep up to $14 million in the pockets of St. Lucian tax payers every year. The tax breaks will benefit private sector workers and public servants in grades 1 to 5 who earn up to $25,000 annually. I met a lady at church on Sunday, Mr. Speaker, and the lady came to me and she said to me, thank you for the concession to pensioners. So I wondered what was she talking about, Mr. Speaker? I said to her, I wish it could have been more. You know what she told me? And this is profound, Mr. Speaker. This is profound. She said to me, the increase helped me to pay my water bill. But you, Mr. Speaker, this is the feeling that you have when you deal with regular people and you are not born with a golden spoon. Because that old lady, that old lady, Mr. Speaker, the 4% increase, she said. And she said to me, Prime Minister, I am praying for you. You know why? Because she said she got relief in her water bill, Mr. Speaker. And that is what keeps me going in this politics. And put me, Mr. Speaker, we hope. Of course we hope. We wished that we could have done more. Of course we could have done more. And we want to do more, Mr. Speaker. But the fact is incremental. Incremental, Mr. Speaker. We do it incrementally and we benefit you, Mr. Speaker. The peer administration's new tax breaks will benefit more than 14,000 St. Lucian workers. From the office of the Prime Minister, Rihani Ezudo.