 Hello and welcome to another installment of Parliament Roundup. My name is Jesse Layance. In this review, we take a quick look at the appropriation bill 2020-2021, that is the budget address tabled on Tuesday 23rd June by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the Honourable Alan Shastney. It's titled New Challenges, New Opportunities to Continue to Build a Stronger St. Lucia Together. Now, as previously announced in the estimates of expenditure, the budget for this fiscal year is $1.697 billion. Now according to the Honourable Prime Minister, a downturn in revenue performance in 2019-2020 largely attributed to the advent of the COVID-19 crisis means a wider than expected budget financing gap of $560 million. This will be addressed using government debt instruments and external borrowing. We are aware that we need to spend deeply in order to keep our economy afloat. We are also acutely aware of the need for even more spending to accelerate recovery. This budget is a clear manifestation of our government's commitment to addressing these imperatives. This budget sets the path for job creation, growth environmental sustainability and social inclusion. A key area in the administration's endeavours this new fiscal year is its response to adverse effects COVID-19 measures had on earnings of all sectors in the economy with the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan. In his delivery, Honourable Shastney listed measures under this plan that are expected to stimulate the economy and strengthen social protection systems. Starting with small and micro enterprises, he indicated that they stand to access blended loan grant assistance of up to $25,000 from a US $3.1 million fund from the St. Lucia Development Bank, SLDB. This is expected to benefit between $1,200 and $1,500 such businesses with a focus on food security and digital technologies. SLDB will also administer low-cost financing to small and medium enterprises affected by COVID-19 to meet their working capital requirements. An allocation of EC$5 million has been made toward this initiative, which is expected to benefit some 350 people. Encouraging financial institutions to take a chance on micro enterprises in this economic climate, the Finance Minister plans to waive their taxes on loan interest earnings. Mr. Speaker, the intention of this initiative is to encourage our financial institutions to provide needed capital to small and micro enterprises through approved financial products for a period of three years commencing July 2020. EC$3.5 million has been allocated to this initiative. The Government of St. Lucia also intends to invest an additional $500,000 EC dollars for micro business startups. Provision of a half a million to bail fund to capitalise this institution to respond to the needs of micro business sector. Mr. Speaker, we recognise in these times a number of skilled persons are out of employment on desires of starting a business. These resources are meant to provide initial start-up capital for such individuals. Its relief for commercial and residential property owners has also been considered. Commercial landlords will enjoy a 50% waiver of commercial property taxes from 2019 to 2020 if they extend moratoriums of a minimum 20% of monthly rent either from April to June or July to September 2020. This is intended to support tenants of commercial spaces affected by business slowdown. We have not forgotten those in rented accommodations. We propose offering a tax deduction to landlords of 20% of the monthly rental value for a period of six months. In effect, Mr. Speaker, a tenant who pays a monthly rent of $1,000 may now have their rent reduced to $800 and the landlord can claim an amount of $200 per month for that period. With an increased reliance on the construction sector, the Prime Minister went on to report that major shovel-ready infrastructural projects had been fast-tracked to spur economic activity. Such projects include the Euronora International Redevelopment, Phase 2 of the St. Jude Hospital and the West Coast Road Rehabilitation Project as well. We anticipate that through implementation of these capital projects, a total of EC 396 million will be spent and between 1,500 to 2,000 jobs will be created, providing much needed employment to persons who have lost their jobs and stimulating the domestic economy. Another prompting in the construction sector is a duty waiver on building materials for housing development. Developers of five or more houses will qualify. Meantime, the Prime Minister called on citizens to support the manufacturing sector while we await the resurgence of tourism. We must give as much support as possible to the products and services that are manufactured and provided by St. Lucian businesses and corporations. I show one at hand, where a hand sanitizer is now being made in St. Lucian. We must support and buy St. Lucian. He added that government would reactivate and double toward implementing a buy St. Lucia campaign. Still in the budget address, EC 7.96 million dollars has been allocated to the agricultural sector to increase domestic demand and strengthen food security. Speaking of food security, the subsidy on bulk flour to bakers will be increased from 12 dollars to 17 dollars per bag from July to December 2020. Also for the second half of this year, duties and related charges on the importation of personal hygiene supplies will be waived. Another recovery strategy of this administration is strengthening systems to support and empower the poor and vulnerable in our society. This includes many individuals who lost their primary income or have to now subsist on reduced earnings due to effects of COVID-19. The fuel surcharge of one dollar will be reduced by 50 cents for six month period. This is expected to generate savings which will be used to reduce the electricity bills of qualifying households between 50 dollars and 100 dollars per month. Expansion of the public assistance cash transfer program from 2600 households to 3600 households. Increase in the child disability grant from 200 dollars to 300 dollars. Increase in the grant for persons living with HIV from 100 dollars to 200 dollars. The monthly grant for children in foster care will also be increased from 200 to 300 dollars. Honorable Shasne added that qualifying households would stand to access microfinance loans to diversify into micro small enterprise and cottage industries. Duty free concessions on imported motor vehicles are being offered to essential service staff, taxi operators and minibus operators. Essential service staff are being recognized in this instance for their hard work at the height of the early COVID-19 mitigation efforts. These workers faced immense challenges in carrying out their duties and it was painful to note that essential service staff, nurses, police officers, firemen and firewomen were profiled when taking public transportation and in many instances were turned away from buses in their uniforms. To that end, our government has taken the decision to provide duty free concessions on vehicles for a stipulated period of time to essential service staff who have been employed for more than five years within the public service. In addition, the government will be offering 100% duty free concessions on vehicles for taxi operators over the next two years. Our government is also mindful that bus drivers have been struggling to admit the pandemic and the 100% duty waiver will also be extended to our island's bus drivers. Switching gears and update on private sector tourism investment, the prime minister disclosed a Tuesday that developers of the points-servant business and leisure hotel that is the courtyard Marriott submitted their final drawings to the D.C.A. and received conditional approval for the U.S. $42 million project. The nine-story hotel will be constructed on 41,979 square feet northwest of the duty free shopping complex. Hon. Shasne says significant progress is expected on the other following projects, that is the Pearl of the Caribbean, Cannell's Resort, Cabot Link St. Lucia, Soleil Couchier, Restaurant and the Ants Disable. We also have the Hyatt Project in shop. The developer has recently announced the commencement of a sister investment in Barbados. He has received his D.C.A. approval and we're hoping for the commencement of that 800 room Hyatt at shop very soon. The administration's focus for tourism is to increase competitiveness of the product by diversifying its offering through ecotourism and the village tourism concept, also restructuring institutional support systems for the industry, improving tourism investment facilitation, rejuvenating iconic sites and reducing processing time at ferry terminals, increasing incoming airlift capacity and hotel room stock and increasing revenue with a target of U.S. $158 non-accommodation daily spend per tourist, thereby increasing the sector's contribution to GDP by EC $1.8 billion. The tourism sector is the one sector which presents the greatest potential for economic growth and economic diversification through the creation of stronger linkages, particularly with our agriculture and manufacturing sectors. It's also a sector that has demonstrated a great resilience, having survived several external shocks in the past. Therefore, going forward, the approach to tourism development will be one in which multi-faceted and aligned with our medium-term development strategy. And in addition, government expects a number of new investments to take place this year. For example, the commencement of poultry processing operations by Caribbean Quality Meets Limited at the newly renovated Invest St. Lucia Factory Space in Dennery and the expansion of KM2. The long-standing business process outsourcing operator will occupy an additional 6,000 square feet of space. The business processes outsourcing BPO's sub-sector holds tremendous promise for St. Lucia in the terms of job creation, especially for the youth. In that regard, we expect new business processes outsourcing companies will be established later this year in view forward at the Free Zone, which will occupy 20,000 square feet of space. Efforts continue to equip more of the nation's workforce with in-demand skill sets. The technical and vocational training TVET sector is expected to benefit from the World Bank-funded Human Capital Resilience Project and the EU-funded Generation of Employment through private sector development program. In addition, an allocation of EC $2.9 million has been made toward the retooling of recently displaced workers. Continuing with allocations in education, funding for the computerization of classrooms has been approved to the tune of EC $3.8 million. And under the government's program for education, realignment and transformation, infrastructural works at an estimated cost of US $15 million will be carried out on existing and for new institutions. Construction of a new secondary school to replace the NICU secondary school. Construction of a new special education needs facility to replace the Nonata school. Major expansion and restoration works at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Construction of a new special education needs facility to replace the Viewfort Special Education Center. Expansion and rehabilitation works at the SEND facilities. Expansion and rehabilitation works at the Early Childhood Development Centers. Upgrade and expansion of TVET laboratories at 9 secondary schools. Eight upgrade and expansion of two secondary schools, the entrepreneurial secondary school and the super comprehensive secondary school. Other infrastructural works include security systems in schools, ramps and other adequate access facilities for students with disabilities at schools island wide. Government has dubbed the new fiscal period the year for health. The time to make drastic improvements in the sector. Work continues in this financial year towards the completion of the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project. Although affected by some slight delays due to COVID-19 restrictions, works on the structural frame are approximately 90% complete and preparation being put in place for the architectural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing MEP phase. On the upgrading of health sector related infrastructures, St. Lucia will continue to benefit from the OECS Regional Health Project after the venture sought to major renovations at 15 health facilities last year. In this financial year, CISRAW and Babylon O' Wellness Centers will be refurbished. Also, three new facilities are expected to be constructed during this fiscal year. These include the Denry Poly Clinic, the long-awaited and well-deserved Meku Wellness Center and the Ansari Wellness Center. The Sufer Hospital will also receive some much needed equipment to replace what has been lost in the fires in 2017 and Mr. Speaker, construction works have already commenced on the Meku Wellness Center and it is anticipated that the center will be operational before the end of 2021. Having secured US $20 million for the Health Systems Strengthening Project, more focus will be placed on improving service delivery, governance, health information, human resources, pharmaceutical vaccines and other technologies. Officials have also set a target this fiscal year to reduce the number of patients on island with uncontrolled blood sugar levels and elevated blood pressure levels, with key strategies being the implementation of the OACS Diabetic Guidelines, testing strip subsidies and launching the PAHO Funded Hearts Program. Under housing, EC $1,948,240 has been allocated for the settlement upgrade project under the program for the regularization of unplanned development to the proud project. In this financial year, 2,368 meters of road, 3,443 meters of drains, 2,198 meters of footpaths and 5,828 meters of water infrastructure will be upgraded and or installed at Dexan, Sarat and Larosus. This, Mr. Speaker, will directly affect 269 households. 800 individuals will obtain land titles by March 2021 under Invest St. Lucia's Land Rationalization Project in an effort to address areas heavily occupied by squatters in unplanned communities south of the island. According to Prime Minister the Hon. Alan Shastney, the division's surveys are currently being executed in Pierrot, Grace, Despinaurs and Larosus. Invest St. Lucia is also aiming to create 600 more landowners by 2021, developing and making available residential land in Dennery, Miku and Shwazel. The plan consists of developments of 25 residential lots on five acres of land in Bojoli quarter of Dennery, estimated at a cost of $1 million, 59 lots and 11 acres of land in Bocia and quarter of Miku, estimated to cost $3.3 million and 130 used lots on 40 acres of land in Lafag and Shwazel, estimated at a cost of $7.7 million. The developments are expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year. In the area of citizen security, government is currently exploring options to fund the phase two of the Safe City CCTV project, which will focus on the installation of cameras at over 100 sites in the capital and Grosselay and Soufere towns as well as 10 license plate recognition sites. The justice system will get a shot in the arm with financing to help address the inordinate delay in criminal cases. An allocation is made to cover the cost of appointments of one additional judge for supporting staff. Consideration has also been given to relocating funds to provide support staff for the criminal court and to further strengthen the office of the Director of Public Prosecution through the hiring of two additional Crown Councils. This added support should rebound to the increased court hearings by the three judges, thus contributing to the overall reduction of court cases during the financial year 2020-2021. Funds have also been allocated for the forensic lab to arrange to qualify for ISO accreditation by 2021. And as 130 prison inmates who are eligible for parole wait to make their case, efforts toward the first parole board hearing have advanced with ongoing training of four appointed parole officers. The government of St. Lucia continues its pursuit of green, reliable and relatively cheap energy sources through the implementation of a World Bank-administered project. U.S. 960,000 has been secured from the Clean Technology Fund to undertake exploratory drilling for potential 30 megawatt geothermal power plant. And finally, efforts to reduce the cost of public street lighting facilities are scheduled for completion in April next year. LED lighting retrofits to replace some 22,000 street lights are expected to reduce electricity consumption by over 60%. And with that, we round up the roundup. This appropriation Bill 2020-2021 Budget Address Summary will be followed by highlights of the budget debate that speak on government's plans for the upcoming fiscal year. I'm Jesse Leance, a signing off for now. Until next time, do stay tuned for more NTN programming. I want to quote from some of the opening lines of the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. And I quote, it was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom. It was the age of foolishness. It was the spring of hope. And it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us. We had nothing before us. End of quote. This story makes the connection between two cities of Paris and London and the possibilities for transformation at the personal and societal level. In our environment, Mr. Speaker, this is relevant not in the context of two cities, but in the distinct paths and choices that are open to us. For my government, we choose challenges and opportunities over doubt and fear. We choose unity over division. We choose truth over lies and deceit. We choose hope over despair. And importantly, we choose growth over stagnation. Thank you.