 Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution to offer rise the Minister of Finance to guarantee an amount of AC 80 million dollars from the First National Bank of St. Lucia Limited to the National Lottery's Authority to assist with the financing of a Euphan Sports Infrastructure Program. The terms and conditions of this loan Mr. Speaker to the NLA are as follows. The loan is repairable in 15 years in biannual payments of three million five hundred and seventy one thousand nine hundred and ninety three dollars and seventy eight cents. Inclusive of interest at a rate of four percent per annum for the term of the loan. It is to be noted Mr. Speaker that this is a loan to the St. Lucia National Lottery's Authority and not a loan to the central government as explained by the Minister for Finance. It is to be further noted Mr. Speaker that the process for applying for government guarantee is prescribed in the recently enacted Public Debt Management Act. Mr. Speaker section of the aforementioned act states the process for the application of a loan to be guaranteed by the government. For ease of reference Mr. Speaker I shall quote the section application for government guarantee thirty six one prior to the guarantee of a loan on the section sixty five of the Public Finance Management Act number fourteen of twenty twenty a borrower shall make an application for government guarantee to the minister to an application on the subsection one must specify that one the purpose of the loan is to achieve a public purpose and two the proposed guarantee is expected to serve a specific public policy objective. B be accompanied by one the financial statements of the statutory body to legal documentation that it is prepared by the Attorney General. B is executed by the borrower whose loan is to be guaranteed and C specifies that in the event of default by the borrower the government is indemnified of any liability and B be the borrower commits to repaying the government any money paid by the government to a creditor under the loan guarantee. Section 37 Mr. Speaker of the Public Debt Management Act states the process that is required in evaluating an application for government guarantee in particular the following factors are considered in the evaluation of the loan. A to determine whether one the loan guarantee is the most appropriate mechanism for achieving the public purpose or the specific public policy objective. Two the borrower has the ability to repay the loan obligations and fulfill all payments and other obligations under the loan and under the guarantee and related agreements. Three the terms and conditions of the loan to be guaranteed are consistent with the debt management objectives and the approved strategy. Four the borrower is in compliance with the prescribed corporate governance required requirements established by the minister and B by performing a credit risk analysis of the proposed government guarantee. Once the loan is evaluated in accordance with section 37 of the Public Debt Management Act a recommendation is made to the minister of finance for grant or refusal of the application for the government guarantee. Mr. Speaker clearly the above process shows that the process for obtaining a government guarantee is a very rigorous one and requires in to earlier a determination of the capacity of the borrower to repay the loan and an analysis of the financial statement of the borrower. Based on the foregoing Mr. Speaker I am confident that the risk of default by the St. Louisian National Authority must be very low because it went through the process it was subjected to systematic scrutiny maybe subjected to new levels of critical examination and of course was obedient to the provisions. The second part of the analysis I would like to focus on Mr. Speaker is that the borrowing must be for a public purpose or a specific public policy objective. In this regard Mr. Speaker it is well known that we have a major deficit in youth and sports infrastructure in this country. This is a fact which is not subject to debate or compromise. The major sporting infrastructure in St. Lucia include the Darren-Same cricket ground and the George Audlum national stadium. Currently the Darren-Same cricket ground is being renovated which is to be completed in time for the hosting of the T20 World Cricket matches which are to be played in St. Lucia and the George Audlum stadium is to be rehabilitated when the hospital moves out to the St. Joe's Hospital complex at Auger. These major pieces of infrastructure were all implemented by the St. Lucia Labor Party government Mr. Speaker. The reality is Mr. Speaker that financing for sports infrastructure takes a lower level of priority than other infrastructure expenditures. It is to be noted that multi-lateral organizations like the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank do not provide funding for youth and sports infrastructure. The several competing demands on the budget also make it difficult to provide adequate funding for youth and sports infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, sports plays an important role in national development. More recently we were extremely proud when Julian Julian Alfred won the 60 meters in the World Championship in Glasgow, Scotland. We often wonder how many other Julian Alfreds are in St. Lucia but who were not discovered. The development of sports infrastructure therefore allow us to nurture and develop more elite athletes, Mr. Speaker, who are capable of competing at the regional and international levels. Julian Alfred has joined illustrious company of global St. Lucia ambassadors who are elevating St. Lucia's image on the international stage. Mr. Speaker, we need to find more of her in St. Lucia who can compete at the global level in their respective sports. This requires, Mr. Speaker, the development of proper sports infrastructure based on international standards. Mr. Speaker, we must recognize that not everyone can reach the level of Miss Alfred and we need to be realistic yet ambitious in developing ultra elite sports persons. The plane of sports by the youth has a number of benefits, Mr. Speaker, which are well documented and you're free of them, Mr. Speaker. Among the most obvious positive outcomes are improvements in physical health, such as weight control, strength building, increased flexibility, enhanced coordination and motor skills, improved cardiovascular health and pain reduction. People who are physically active often tend to develop healthier lifestyles and better eating habits. Which means, Mr. Speaker, that if we take actions like this, it will restrain the growth of expenditure in the health sector by having healthier citizens, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, another beneficial aspect of sport is the impact that it has on psychological and emotional healing and well-being. Sport provides a positive outlet for stress and aggression. Like I said, Mr. Speaker, these are things that are well documented. Participation in sport can help alleviate depression or anxiety. Physically active people also often experience enhanced self-confidence and improve self-image. There is also evidence that participation in sport improves concentration and mental functioning. And I can go on and on, Mr. Speaker, very important functions of sport, but I will keep it short and prepare to land at this juncture in time. These social skills and experiences are readily transferable to other aspects of life and may improve a person's ability to succeed in the future careers. The final point I would like to make, Mr. Speaker, is that sport also provides an alternative to risky or antisocial behavior, creating sufficient structure, discipline and incentive to keep some people away from drugs, violence or criminal activity. So, Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the fact that many of our youth get enticed to join gangs and engage in activities that we would prefer to keep under control. It is important to get our youth involved in sporting activities as just one of the aspects of intervention so they can be meaningfully engaged in productive activities. Given the numerous benefits of sports to the development of the holistic individual, it is very important for the government to invest in youth and sports infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, this initiative is complementary to the government's major policy of developing the youth economy. So, it's just another component of a wider architecture to deal systematically with the challenges of young people and to, of course, develop our country. Mr. Speaker, I wish to therefore lend my support to the resolution to authorize the Minister of Finance to guarantee an amount of $80 million from the first National Bank and Blue Shell Limited to the National Lottery's Authority to assist with the financing of a youth and sports infrastructure program. Mr. Speaker, thank you and I yield the floor.