 Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker at this point I think it is appropriate that I provide some responses to some of the issues that were raised during the earlier debate by various members. I want to start off with Mr. Speaker by expressing thanks to all my colleagues who stood up and spoke in support of the bill and expressed their support for it. I think the member from Trosell sold to us on the other side. I'm not sure I heard him right but I think he did support the bill and I think despite gracious of you and the contribution you made in terms of suggesting that maybe not in the legislation but in our action plan moving forward that we encourage properties to ensure the upkeep of beaches. Another sites on attraction elsewhere is quite worthy. It's something that has been done to some measure and certainly we can encourage it to be done a lot more than that then it's been done. I heard some members and certainly the case of the members from Soufre Fossajak and Grozile spoke about where the real heartbeat of tourism is. As a friend of mine said to me the heart has two sides the left and the right so Soufre can take the left and Grozile can take the right and both of them can have an equal claim to being the heartbeat of you know the tourism industry in St. Lucia and Mr. Speaker I think the Prime Minister in speaking you know pointed us to some fundamental issues and his own experiences and recollection of the tourism industry and his own vision and desire to see a tourism industry that can best connect to the people of St. Lucia can best you know reflect the aspirations of the people of St. Lucia and he made a very powerful statement which I will repeat shortly. The member from Kasi South East of course I recall him making the emphatic statement in relation to certification. He really described the approach that we want to use to certification and that is the ministry saying to all tourism service providers that we will hold your hand and we will lift you up and ensure that you reach the necessary standards of being world-class which is the dream that we all have for our destination. Mr. Speaker the member from Miku South is a rather interesting representative in this house. He served in the Parliament of St. Lucia for five years as a minister of tourism. He was a senator for five years. During those five years for each year the honorable member from Kasi North was then Prime Minister and Minister of Finance went to extraordinary lengths to ensure he had all the resources necessary to transform the tourism industry. The member from Kasi North will tell you he got 50 million dollars a year allocated to the tourism the tourist board alone not the Ministry of Tourism 50 million dollars to restructure reorganize redesign tourism in this country. During those five years not one hotel room was built in this country. Nothing. Not one heritage site was built in this country. Nothing. Instead he spent millions providing guarantees to certain airlines. And I can tell you when a former Ministry of Tourism gone few fillers came in millions of dollars will owed to certain airlines. Millions. It took them about three years to pay out that debt. The 50 million dollars he got a year for five years a quarter of a billion dollars are located. But he stands in this house and he has every answer for every problem in the tourism industry. He even speaks of how he wanted the hotel occupancy tax to be paid in a special account so they could fix up sidewalks and whatnot. He did not fix up one sidewalk when he was a Minister of Tourism not even in Rodney B. But he started Rodney B Village. Explain that to me. It's an enigma. It really is. How can someone who knows everything especially about tourism does nothing? Is it a psychological derangement? What is it? Is it an intellectual dishonesty? How can you have the answers for every single thing and you did nothing? I'm still trying to come to terms with that kind of thinking and I want to go through some of them. How Mr. Speaker? You're probably your former police officer you're so profiled person. You probably can help me understand it Mr. Speaker. How does that happen? And then you become Prime Minister for five years into a six year. You did not build one hotel room. In fact you lost hotel investments. Had to pay range almost 30 million dollars. How do you have all the answers but no actual work ever been done? Explain that to me. Explain that to me. Now I love listening to the member because in a way it almost becomes comical but how do you explain this? Five years as Prime Minister. Five years as Minister of Tourism and you cannot show slit for what you've done. He still wants us to be convinced that what he did in relation to Kabul and DSH were the most brilliant investment decisions in this country. He is not repentant. He's not going to say to the people of St. Lucia I made a mistake. I should not have given away your thousand acres of land. I would should not have given concessions that did not exist on the book. On the books and pass a special law to give cabinet the right to give those concessions. The special amendment I'm speaking about. You may not even recall that you passed a special amendment in this house there again but you did. You did. So so Mr. Speaker how it is that you are still so convinced that those are the most brilliant decisions that DSH was the best thing that ever happened to St. Lucia. Explain that to me. Explain it and then he speaks of Sandy Beach and how I stopped community tourism on Sandy Beach. I'll say a few things about community tourism but I said I did have the photos of Sandy Beach and what he had proposed for Sandy Beach and he said that's not true and I will circulate it as a document of the house with your permission honorable speaker. How is it that someone who signed an agreement took out photos had it live on television for the entire nation to see can so boldly stand up and say that it never happened. How? Now I know the member from Srozel or even himself will say they had abandoned those plans and they gave invest and Lucia a new mandate to come up with alternative plans but I would share something with this honorable house. One you remember recently he boasted that DSH was going to take us to cotton source. DSH didn't reveal it to the world because the two parties were talking trying to resolve differences but he announced it to the world and he announced it the weekend after he held a UWP fundraiser in one of the tents at DSH. You remember this? Mr. Speaker you remember it? So he Mr. Speaker signed an agreement with DSH and one of the reasons that DSH is asking or stating the discontent and they been agree is because a supplementary agreement was signed with him to allow them to do this to Sandy Beach. So he signed it. He signed it and DSH in their statement of this content is saying they signed an agreement to do this to Sandy Beach and it was not fulfilled. Imagine that. He signed it. He signed to do this and he stands in the house today and says he knows nothing about this. Now tell me he signed it. I can't tell you whether the member from Schrues-El-Saltibus signed it as well. I know he signed the first one but I can't tell you thereafter. He signed both of them. So explain to me Mr. Speaker how can you stand up in this house knowing that you signed an agreement with DSH to do this to Sandy Beach to deny it even when I told you I had the photos. You still denied it and then you accused me of stopping a community tourism project on Sandy Beach. Is this a community tourism project? Member for Microsoft. What is your point of order? This was a presentation that was made to cause the government to want to give this piece of property. If you stand in a point of order and say the member is Mr. Leader in the house just say what did he say to cause him to go ahead. So I'm saying that the member is suggesting that this was a contracted deal. A presentation was made in order for them to get this piece of land. We gave them Il Parata and not this piece of land and the member knows well that by the time he got into office all the plans had been drawn up for Mr. Speaker for all the land behind the concrete road. Subdivision was done Mr. Speaker and you when you drive in the south you'll see the two signboards are still up there talking about that particular project. So how he wants to bring anything in with regards to DSH he can show as many pictures as he wants to but the fact is when he got into office the deal that was on the table was for invest and lucid to develop that land Mr. Speaker. Thank you Member. You said that the member was Mr. Leader in the house. What I was what I got it from what the member said from this picture was that as you rightfully said a presentation was made. So I don't think that the member was Mr. Leader in the house. I have no difficulty Mr. Speaker if that's what he said but the reality he's giving the impression Mr. Speaker. No it's what he said it's not we cannot I can only I can only deal with what the member said I cannot deal with what you or what you think he's inferring the member said that a presentation was made and anyway they made mention of the concrete road and what happened and he showed the picture to show exactly what the presentation should I cannot take it to mean that what you're saying the member did not see it so member for castries south continue. Would you suggest Mr. Speaker. So all on all on member for castries south. Member is insinuated that this is what the deal was and that I that I lied and that there was never a deal for invest solution to do the Sandy Beach site and that's all I'm asking for so we can they can too can coexist and have no difficulty that but please do not give the impression that when he got into office that the Sandy Beach site was in the possession of invest solution all the designs and everything else were done and it was in fact he and his is the minister decided not to proceed with that project member again I'll see the member for castries south if my memory serves me well said that you said there's a community tourism project for view forth and the picture circulated document that was made a document of the house said that does not indicate that this is a community tourism project I don't my rule is that I don't think that the member is misleading the house so thank you continue member for so Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker you know I didn't want to go deeper I didn't want I did not want to go deeper into this matter I did not want to I wanted to make my points and to move on but I want you to listen to this Mr. Speaker the member from Miku South is saying that I as minister decided to stop now I can say for the record I have never been part of such a decision I have never I am not aware that any of my staff at the ministry participated in such a decision and I am not aware that invest but any such instructions from anyone to do so and one of the reasons why I can say so quite clearly is because I never even had any reason to consider what was proposed for Sandy Beach and the reason is clear and the Prime Minister can tell you when we came into office one of the first meetings we had was the DSH and the principles of the SSH and they said to us quite clearly what they thinking was on the DSH development including the fact that they had been given those lands for that development and it was taken away from them and the member from castries is can say so so DSH is saying to us that we signed an agreement in the last government they gave us copies of it all us that they would have an issue with the government of St. Lucia because it was given to them and taken away from them at that point there is nothing we have to consider about Sandy Beach anymore in fact they went on to tell us a lot of things about the way your government dealt with them a lot of things but you will stand up and accuse people you will stand up and accuse people and I'll tell you you have a very nefarious reputation I can tell you that but let's not go there today today is a glorious day for us so I'm not I'm not going to I'm not know seriously I'm not going to expose you on a day like today but we meet investors who tell us a lot of things at that meeting they told us a lot of things about your government and how it operated but don't get me started today don't let me get started but there's a reason why you dislike GPH but we'll come to that at another time Mr. Speaker not today is not a day for this Mr. Speaker you will stand here and accuse me of stopping a community tourism project on Sandy Beach when you sign an agreement giving away Maria Island and Sandy Beach Mr. Speaker but Mr. Speaker allow me to move on Mr. Speaker again member members misleading hold on hold on member for Castri South can you see member for Microsoft what is your point of order the members misleading the House there was never agreement Mr. Speaker to give anybody Maria Island so I would like him to withdraw that statement there's no truth to that matter thank you member for Microsoft member for Castri South member is saying that there is no you just mentioned that you know give away Maria Island or you saw Maria Island he's saying that there was never any deal to sell Maria Island you know Mr. Speaker you know you remember stood up accused me of stopping a project and said all kinds of things about me I'm at the minister and his reputation and whatnot blues I take it my shoulders are brought but you like a shin yeah you understand you come here you accuse people I'm in public life and I expect that I'll be accused from time to time I will remember for Microsoft take my blows and I move on and I just remember for Microsoft member for Microsoft for Castri South the member for Microsoft stood on a point of order and he made mention that you indicated that Maria Island was given away and said that this that never happened under his watch and if you cannot prove that he gave away Maria Island I'd appreciate if you can withdraw that statement Mr. Speaker I can go and stop this house and go and get the documents in my office to show you the supplementary agreement that was signed but that's not necessary the point has been made if you want me to withdraw I will withdraw but I will not ask you to withdraw what you said about me I will not because he just exposes it just the character that you are but you know what let's move on member for Castri South you can you draw the statement Mr. Speaker I told you I've withdrawn it I don't know you say if you want me to draw I'll withdraw you've not said that you draw your statement Mr. Speaker I've withdrawn thank you very much remember for Castri South carry on Mr. Speaker I respect the presided officer but I will tell you your days are short-lived up there because you will be sorted very shortly and you will not have the luxury anymore to stay but anyway on a serious note Mr. Speaker so let's let's move on that enough of this Mr. Speaker because I can say a lot more about DSH and carbots Mr. Speaker but you know let's move on so the member from Miku South in his presentation says that we are pretending that we are doing something new this is not new and that as far back as when he was director of tourism there was the let's be the best campaign and they wanted every gas attendant every ordinary person to be part of the whole tourism construct now he may be right I won't contest that but the fundamental difference between you and how you view tourism and how we do is that we do not see solutions as just been subjects in the industry we see them as been active participants benefiting from it and owning it Mr. Speaker that is fundamental because for you solutions participation in industry is you know is not the same value we place at it we have two different ideological and philosophical concepts so you think of let's be the best because solutions are supposed to smile and you know just be how do you call it not servants of the industry we want solutions to own it we want visitors to come in to invest to make profits but we want solutions also to invest and make profits so there's a fundamental difference you did not invent you know community tourism why do you want to come and pretend that you were the one who reinvented it you were the one who invented community tourism in Saint Lucia I mean come on let's get real I can say to you Mr. Speaker that this tourism development bill is not my work is not cabinet's work this has been a journey is an evolution of the tourism industry Mr. Speaker many many individuals have contributed to the development of this construct it did not start with me I know very little about tourism very little I'm not a guru the member Mikusov that's the guru because he told us about he working with Chris Blackwell and he built Miami Beach and he did a Jamaica and all those things he did Mr. Speaker I cannot boast of that I can't but I know I'm a fast learner I know ask a lot of questions and I know how to work as part of a team and I know I have a team in cabinet and in the ministry that is pushing industry forward Mr. Speaker so I will not stand here and boast that community tourism started with me or anything like this the members spoke of community tourism and what is needed is investment in community tourism we should not just be talking about it we have to invest in it and I wondered is something wrong again if the member from Mikusov and then I remembered at the last sitting he walked out like a real senior he walked out he did not stand face face it and therefore he may have missed the debate that we had on the borrowing for community tourism and all the projects will be investing in he would have missed all the discussions about the plans we have for more investment he would have missed the report I gave about what we have done so far and then he would have fully appreciated that we are investing massively in community tourism massively so when he speaks about his investment we need we are displaying investment in community tourism we are the ones that pass the legislation we are the ones that started the institution not him let me remind you he was prime minister five million dollars was spent on community tourism or at least part of it allocated and part of it spent show us the track record of what did you do in five years with that five million dollars show us when you speak of investing and lecturing us you had a chance five years and I heard yesterday in the Senate the former minister of tourism was grandstanding and showing slides as usual showing slide I have a simple message for him simple and I'm not going to engage in no big argument with any petrol and child you know because that's how he behaves but I'm not going to do that but then he goes on and he says a lot of things all I can say to him when you speak to the people in slurry countries they say and they express their disappointment that the Raffin thought that's offered was supposed to be a community tourism project and he did not end up as a community tourism project and that at some point the full story will come out and who is the person behind it who is the person promoting it who claims to be in charge of it and I will also say the last moment and slurry somebody told me go at the bamboo Raffin site and all the tables and chairs and food silvers and I see there all of those things were bought under community tourism now I will ask the ministry to give me an account on this I have not done it yet but if you want to step out of line with your accusations on a point of order the member is not in the house we're not supposed to be making aspersions against anybody who is not a member of the house you want me to save me this because now let me be very careful with my words very careful in my words I said yesterday in senate he said a lot of things and as a member of the parliament he will have an opportunity to present an account of what has happened because you know we can govern and we can we can stand here and we can debate we can argue but when people start making accusations and they cross that line they have to be made to account so when we're going to talk about community tourism I have never asked the ministry to give me any detailed report on what has happened with the five million dollars and what was done in community tourism I accepted we have to move on what was there what was there we will build on it we will improve it and we will move forward the same project in ancillary canaries who tell me we had to look for an additional one million dollars to get a sewer system in place so it can become functional and you're telling me your master planners master executors of projects seriously but we will prepare to let all those things go by let all those things go by and let's move on make sure the community gets what they need and they can benefit from it and forget forget those sins three years you had five years six years you had six years six years and you did not even do it properly you did not even do it properly mr. speaker you know the member from Mikosov said what we really need to make Saint Lucia successful what we really need to make central successful is to have brand Saint Lucia mr. speaker everywhere you go people will tell you we present brand Saint Lucia export tourism authority CIP invest we go wrong we promote brand Saint Lucia export under the minister from commerce they remember first I'm souffle for sajak and we present brand Saint Lucia brand Saint Lucia is not even new to us it is something that's been spoken about for years the first time I heard it being expressed in terms of how we implemented was under dr. Kenya Anthony you know that's how far back that goes it's not new to us and maybe somebody else even before might have mentioned it we will not proclaim that we are the owners of that idea but the fact is we are doing it you had five years or six years as prime minister and you did not do it so yes the brand Saint Lucia idea is an excellent one we will be learn what we've done before we will continue to work together and we'll continue to promote Saint Lucia as a special experience whether in investment in tourism in CIP and in whatever field of endeavor because we believe it is the right way so thank you very much for filming what we all accept but please do not come and pretend that that's what we should do and we're not doing it we are doing it the member said what we really need in Saint Lucia he gave a long quantification about you know flights and rooms and what's most important I mean I'm not going to spend too much time on this but I want to say to him I recall sitting across there and his first budget address he spoke about all the hotels that will be built in Saint Lucia first policy statement and then we laughed them on ourselves and we were reminded that during the by-election campaign in in Miku he promised he would have built how many hotels member from Castries is seven hotels he promised that he has minister of tourism would build seven hotels in Miku probably yeah yeah he in Miku he would build seven hotels in Miku seven hotels he did it during the by-elections in Miku and not one was built maybe in Miku north but not in Microsoft it wasn't built there but mr. Speaker as prime minister he stood up right there and he said how many hotels he will build over the next five years he in an interview with Rick Wayne his good friend my friend too but he's good friend said he was bringing two billion dollars worth of investment the following in Saint Lucia US US wasn't easy US me none but he said that of the hotels you said you were going to build in your first policy statement how many were built none I'm glad you're saying none of the two billion dollars investment you will bring in the following year and when he said two billion Rick Wayne actually said two billion he said yeah two billion zero so that's what he said he would build I can say to you honorable member from Miku south that many of the projects which was told some of them started under Kenya Anthony I don't want to give my friend from some of the projects that were sold we've engaged the developers we put them back on track in the case of carbots we express our views on the development what our challenges were what our thoughts were and we've tried to reorient it to make sure it serves the benefit of the people of Saint Lucia so we have tried Mr. Speaker and we've also reached out to we've gotten new investors that will be investing substantially in Saint Lucia that's Mr. Speaker and over the next few months and Lucians will see a number of projects that will be started in Saint Lucia so you would have spent five years as Minister of Tourism six years as prime minister and not built one hotel room galaxy can I can I say something to the honorable house about galaxy you know there we go you don't need to say it okay I would say it but mr. Speaker you know everything he touches fails fails mr. Speaker but he stands there and he lectures us lectures us he lectures the member from Bruce Lee minister of sports about the certification of the souffle stadium how do you have the call to do this when this had been a total disaster don't you have any shame of people resurrecting all your skeletons you don't have shame okay fine so mr. Speaker you know mr. Speaker maybe the member from microsoft should learn to just leave some things alone and allow us to continue to develop the country as best as we can because I honestly thought the member would come here and give a real robust rigorous analysis of the bill and shortcomings and where we can improve it whatnot I told I must admit I was a little bored during the presentation because there was nothing of substance in terms of the response to the bill so maybe you should just leave those things alone mr. Speaker please advise him to do so mr. Speaker I want to say something about two things before I finish to the incentives and he raised an issue about and I know there's a lot of talk going around about it 50% incentives and they'll only be 50% you know incentives given and maybe the fault was mine I didn't explain it properly but you can appreciate the amount that I had to see and I was trying to be quick and gloss over as many of the issues as possible so I didn't give it sufficient attention to explain it and mr. Speaker the legislation provides for generality in terms of you know what's required for somebody to get concessions it speaks of the different schedules what not but it doesn't go into the details those things are left for the regulations the regulations are not enforced until the legislation has been passed and the minister signs the order for the regulations to come into effect so first of all his suggestion that this piece of legislation is repealing existing legislation and there will be nothing existing is wrong it's wrong there will be a debt by which a new legislation come into force so until then the whole still apply and when the new legislation comes into force the minister signs the order for the regulations that will accompany the new legislation if he looks at clauses 154 155 156 it speaks of the transition in phase and it gives you a clear guidance on those issues if he looks at it so anybody who's in applying for concessions between now and the date when the new legislation comes into force will be treated as if they applied under the old it's in the legislation it's very clear apparently he didn't read it remember for Microsoft again mr. Speaker I'm going to be happy to be corrected but on a point of order the members misleading the house in the document itself mr. Speaker on page 88 section repeal 155 the following acts are repealed the tourism incentives act the tourism stimulus and investment act and the tourism levy it then goes on mr. Speaker and says the savings what's going to be hold held over it says from the commencement of this of the subject of the act incentives issued under the tourism incentives so to incentives that are already issued mr. Speaker or tourism stimulus incentive cap 1503 continue to be valid for the period for which the incentives were approved the rate of tourism levy so it says nothing about that mr. Speaker so I would certainly not be about what it says nothing about the regulations being held over it says that the acts have been repealed and when it speaks of the savings this is page 88 okay it only speaks to incentives that were given that they now continue their grandfather in would be the term but there's nothing here that specifically says that the schedule of incentives that existed under those acts are being saved I don't know that maybe I don't know what you said really any any conceptions you've got under the whole act you will continue to enjoy it yes that's not what the member said what the members may I speak what the member said is that the schedule that of the regulations would have continued to be in play there's nowhere in that document so then so then so you're telling me that you've repealed the act and exactly what I said is 100% accurate in repealing the act then the incentives as we know them have been repealed so if I want to apply for new incentives tomorrow what guides me where is it mr. Speaker I will read I will read for you again you read 157 have you have you read have you read close 157 read 157 read it aloud so all of us can hear me before cast yourself you speak through the speaker and you will not give orders to members of this honorable out go ahead member so mr. Speaker the act provides for persons who have made in other words okay let me put it differently honorable member let me try and explain it differently to you so if you look at clause one the act shall come into force on a date to be fixed by the minister by order published in the gazette so until then the whole legislation continues no mr. Speaker man remember remember what are you standing on what are you standing on the point of order that what is the point of order that we're still misleading the house in what way is the member misleading the house sorry in what way is the member misleading the house what are we making reference to section 157 and suggesting that that section answers the question it doesn't if you read what it says it application made for incentive so if there's an application that's in place today that has not been approved right the tourism stimulus investment act that has not been finally determined before the commencement of the act is deemed to have been made under this act right so so what but if I'm going to fly under this act we see if I'm going to fly under this act that's what I'm saying where the details into if I have 10 rooms what can I expect to get the same schedule that the member is speaking of which I agree and that's why I look for I said there's nothing in the schedules that highlight specifically what are going to be the incentives we get what the prime minister read mr. Speaker was headings but in the old act it says if in fact you have anywhere between 10 and 50 rooms this is how much corporate tax you're going to get away this is how much of the other taxes that you're going to be not have to pay and also the fact but there's nothing here there's nothing in the schedule so what it means is exactly what I said mr. Speaker a person is to apply put it in and with no expectation understanding what they're going to get that's a level of discretion that should not be allowed that's all okay okay mr. Speaker can I in the individual moving forward yes we'll refer you to the legal persons and they will I don't want to go back and forth with the honorable member on interpretation no mr. Speaker can I go ahead all right mr. Speaker all right can we can we can we agree to disagree and we can always ask the legal person so take a look at it and give some worthy consideration to the point that you reason because I am not a lawyer I can only give you the interpretation I have and the advice I'm given if you believe your interpretation you are is better or correct I will allow them to resolve it so but can we move on member forecast yourself can you continue with the presentation so mr. Speaker I was making the point that the real details would lie in the regulations now let us look at the previous pieces of legislation that existed and remember from because I wish you would really listen to me I don't want first to have to go through this because you said I said something which I did not say so so head is under the previous legislation where because he raised the question that in this legislation it is not specific what you're getting and we sent to him the specificity will be in the regulations in the regulations because in the all piece of legislation it says you will get up to a hundred percent you will get up to a hundred percent of ABCD the danger when putting this in the legislation is that the exact quantum you get is not measured by any objective criteria so if you apply mr. Speaker somebody in cabinet can decide we're going to give you seventy five percent we've on cooperation tax for ten years and they fully entitled to do so if somebody else apply and not favored by cabinet they can decide they give you twenty five percent for five years no no listen that's why you listen attentively listen attentively because there was no transparency in how the previous cons incentives and concessions were given it said up to a hundred percent but please let me just continue finish can I just ask you honorable member to let me finish and then you'll ask whatever question you want yeah so mr. Speaker sorry mr. Speaker can you ask the honorable member to just allow me to to to finish so in the previous legislation the discretion of that of cabinet and no objective criteria ladies and gentlemen sit around a table and they decide give me twenty five percent even fifty percent because there was no objective criteria and all of a city we you were in cabinet we sat let me okay let me tell you how a vulgar obscene it got let me tell you how vulgar obscene it get by this very member from microsoft a particular developer and everybody will know who I have to mention names applied for concessions concessions were given when it went to the edgy chambers they said they could not publish it because it was nothing keeping with the law think about that and then you know what it it came into this house and a man led the law to say that cabinet can give extras if they want to give extras tell me about that that's how vulgar obscene it became that cabinet in its deliberate judgment member for Microsoft this the speaker on a point of order the member is grossly misleading the house okay if he wants to give that example the same can be said of the economic no what did not member the members misleading that yes because in the incentives Mr. Speaker it clearly outlines X number of rooms X number of level of investment X number of jobs that is what established criteria to determine what incentives a person gets if in fact cabinet maybe the cabinet he was belonging to wants to go away from that but the parameters of what incentives to give based on the level investment the level of the jobs and the size of the hotel all those things are the criteria that is what I'm looking for that is what I'm not seeing in the new act if in fact Mr. Speaker that the members have not done that this is an intention member on a point of order you stand you say what the point of order is you've made your statement and then take your seat member for Cassie South the member is saying that there are clear parameters as to what level of incentives that a person can get we have seen what the member is saying a member for Cassie South is saying that there are clear parameters and it's not a it's not a discretionary issue as it relates to incentives Mr. Speaker I may be wrong but the member they start from the A.G. Chamber Zahe and from the Ministry of Tourism I am not aware of any piece of legislation that says if you create X amount of jobs you spend X amount of money this is what you get I am not familiar with that piece of legislation I am not and if the honourable member from Miko South has such legislation it is his private legislation this is private legislation so as far as I know this is not how it is stated in the TSIA and the TIA so I don't know where the member from Miko South got that from but I gave you the example of a developer that was given and as facts incentives that the A.G. Chamber's once he was Prime Minister said they could not publish it and that he came to this honourable house and had an amendment to give cabinet the right to give extras I can also tell the developer who was virtually not rejected on most of what he asked for but he still proceeded the project and today he is still trying to get redressed because of how he was treated by the last government and this is what we are going to remove it's going to be transparent and it will have an objective criteria so in the regulations Mr. Speaker that we have shared with the major stakeholders the regulations so I can give you an example Mr. Speaker just one example because it's quite a lengthy document the regulations so I'll give you one example and I want those he's already sent messages to that we only given 50% concessions so listen carefully as well say tourism accommodation say a first time construction of a tourist accommodation and its initial furnishing and equipping investment size up to 5 million and that's where most solutions would apply for across all the incentives they will get 100% import duty excise duty that some duty income tax corporate tax property tax vendor tax withholding tax they will get 100% well it has various periods but it's clearly stated any body come and invest know exactly what they will get hold on hold on hold on now you're changing your story let me go on from 5 million and 1 dollar to 20 million member for Cassie South you have 15 minutes to conclude your presentation I'll finish by then so for 5 million to 20 million import duty 100 excise duty 100 water 100 stem duty 100 income tax 50% it's not automatic 100 corporate tax 50% property tax 50% then you go to 20 million plus import duty 100 excise duty 100 water 100 stem duty 50 income tax 50 up to 15 years so you have a table that clearly states for each activity investment activity not only accommodation every single investment opportunity is listed there every single one we feed the investment size in terms of the quantity and it states what percentage you will get and as I stated in my presentation where you are 50% on the certain of the incentives you can get the additional ones according to your commitment to certain principles you understand it means any investor coming to St. Lucia any St. Lucia and may I say most of the investment opportunities that St. Lucia is engaging through our historical data they will maximize incentives and concessions okay but what it does and where it will eat at the member is that anybody coming into the country or any solution investing cannot be discriminated again anymore it's a transparent objective criteria of who gets what you know what it does and it's a very brave decision for politicians to have made very brave it reduces the discretion of politicians to decide who get incentives and benefits in this country which is why in the legislation a decision can be made that a committee in the ministry in the ministry can decide up to a certain amount the concessions that are granted because the table will say exactly what you can get there will be very little space for discretion and politicians of this government actually took a decision to outline in a very transparent open way what are the benefits you will get when you come and invest nobody will hold anybody to ransom nobody will threaten anybody and nobody will discriminate against anybody in this country when it comes to investment in the tourism sector and politicians took that decision I'm not saying there is absolutely no discretion but the space for discretion is severely minimized and I know a piece of legislation like this a progressive piece of legislation like this can never be passed by the United Workers Party government never because they thrive on discriminating against certain people and favoring others and if some people don't like me for saying this I'm sorry it is the truth all solutions must feel regardless of political persuasion that they are treated fairly and squarely and these regulations when they are published and we still probably have some tidying up to make we still get feedback on some of them will be a public document and not what that exists right now so the member doesn't like it and you have to really reflect on this Mr Speaker that this member when he wanted to give concessions he gave beyond what the law said he could give he gave the members in his own government said they could not publish it he came to this house and he did an amendment so that the cabinet can give extras think about that abuse of power they stop this they stop this so he cannot feel comfortable anymore so honourable member we will determine a date by which a new act will come into force and the minister will sign the order and the processes will take over I'm not saying it is a perfect document I can tell you it's guided by experience and historical data we may have to amend it we may have to modify it but that's the nature of the other piece we try to capture everything for every situation and you know you will never totally get it that way never so I am prepared to see that the regulations may have to be tweak along the way until we approximate the very best practice but this is a good start and we are removing the stain of the Alan Sharsney administration on investment climate in St. Lucia so Mr. Speaker I think I have dealt with most of the issues is there any other issue Mr. Speaker you wish me to address so in conclusion Mr. Speaker let me thank again the staff of the ministry and of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority and the staff of the Tony General chambers I wish you remember from before south was there today and to hear what you would say about the legislation he did work with us in an earlier draft and give us some very valuable ideas as to how to improve it Mr. Speaker a lot of what we have in there actually you know policy positions that he would have stated many years ago the staff did a fantastic job they worked extraordinarily long hours on weekends Mr. Speaker many a times they called me asked me to bring pizza for them which I did not always do Mr. Speaker but they really worked hard the AG chambers and the staff to get this where it is Mr. Speaker they were really phenomenal in doing so and I'm sure when people speak about tourism legislation in the region St. Lucia will be cited as a best practice model of legislation and Mr. Speaker it will be due largely and I want to be very clear on that largely to the staff the staff of the ministry and the AG chambers what we did as cabinet and as minister was to provide general policy direction and tell them where we want the ship to sail but they were the ones who are guiding it and managing the journey Mr. Speaker so I want us to be very appreciative of the work that what they did in this regard Mr. Speaker if there are any faults or errors in it it's my fault and my colleagues because we did not review it sufficiently to correct them and to guide them Mr. Speaker I want St. Lucia to to reflect on what we have achieved today to reflect on what this government has been doing and what we can see the MSME Mr. Speaker and the community tourism and now this are very clear statements of our faith and belief in the capacity of St. Lucia we believe that our people have given the support have given the legislative framework have given the financial support and have provided if the leadership can achieve great things we are not a large country with huge natural resources but we are determined people we produce among the best thinkers in the world two Nobel laureates we produce many adult standing technocrats throughout the region and internationally we can achieve we must have the faith and the belief that as a people we can do so and the role of this government is to provide that support provide that leadership so our people are good enough to take the steps to achieve this piece of legislation is another step in doing so to tell our people that the tourism industry the engine of this economy the economic activity that brings in the most money into this country can belong to them it can belong to them and this offers them the opportunity to do so the assistance we give for the youth economy agency the assistance for the community tourism agency what we do in sports the semi professional league the high performance center all those things are about saying to our people you can do it and the role of government is to create the enabling environment for you to succeed have faith seize the opportunities and let us make Saint Lucia a much better place because we can do it and we would have differences that there is a sharp divide between the united workers party the opposition and ourselves there is a sharp divide in how we see Saint Lucia and how we approach the development of this country so so Mr Speaker as I end this debate and I ask that we move on to committee stage Mr Speaker I really want to tell you that I am proud of what we have done and I look forward to Saint Lucia and the best opportunity and the best use of the work that has been done thank you very much