 Mr. Speaker, I beg to move the following motion standing in my name, whereas on the section 10918 of the value added tax, cap 15.4 to the Act, it is provided that the Minister of Finance may by all the published in the gazette amend the schedules to the Act and whereas it is further provided around the section 1092 of the Act that an order made pursuant to section 1091 of the Act is subject to an affirmative resolution of parliament except where the amendment is to the customs tariff headings only and whereas the Minister of Finance seeks approval of the draft value added tax amendment of schedule one and three order to amend schedule one and schedule three of the Act by an affirmative resolution of parliament to include in the case of schedule one as zero rated goods for period of two years commencing from the second day of August 2023 and ending on the first day of August 2025 a supply of goods under the following customs tariff headings a 44.07 to 44.12 Lumber all articles inclusive and the related subheadings b 25.23 cement specified articles and related subheadings c 72.00 to 72.09 galvanize 73.00 to 73.08 galvanize another type of galvanize 73.12 to 73.18 semi 6.00 to 76.10 semi 6.16 and related subheadings 73.06 to 73.14 steel of all articles 72.14 and related subheadings and 72.08 and related subheadings e 44.11 to 44.18 plywood all articles 44.20 to 44.21 f 96.19 sanitary nap sanitary towers pads and tampons napkins napkins and similar articles of any materials 42.00 for period of two years commencing from second day of August 2023 and ending on first day of August 2025 a supply of components of 40 vaulted systems intended solely for harnessing solar power under the following customs tariff a 85.02.39 complete system b 85.41.40 solar panels c 85.04.40 charge controllers and inverters d 85.36 to .70 mc for connectors e 76.10 to 90 90 solar panel months 85.36.50 cables insular switches 85.37.10 combiner boxes 85.44.6010 direct current dc alternative current ac cables 85.07.80 85.07.60 deep cycle batteries j 85.36.90 battery clamps k 9032.8900 control devices other dc ac components 85.37.100 combiner m 85.36.900 junction boxes 9 85.36.500 insulators o 85.36.300 protective devices combination devices 85.07.900 data cloggers 9032.8900 control components 85.17.6900 communication cabling ethernet switches 85.37.30 for a period of two years commencing from the second day of August 2023 and ending on the fourth day of August 2025 a supply of the insulation service for 40 vaulted systems 85.37.30 for a period of two years commencing from the second day of August 2023 and ending on the first day of August 2025 the purchase or lease of an aircraft for local original travel 85.37.30 for a period of two years commencing from the third day of August 2023 the purchase or lease of an aircraft for local original travel 85.14.35,iya equipments and supplies. Be it resolved that the parliament by affirmative resolution approves the draft value added tax amendment of schedules one and three order which amend schedule one and schedule three of the act to include in the case of schedule one as zero rated goods for a period of two years commences from the second day of August twenty twenty three and in the first of August twenty twenty five a supply of goods under the following custom tariff headings four four oh seven to four four one two lumber all articles inclusive and the related subheadings be twenty five point two three cement specified articles and related see seven two zero zero seven two zero nine galvanize seven three zero zero two seven three zero eight seven three one two two seven three point one eight seven six point zero zero two seven six point one not seven six point one six and related subheadings the seventy three point zero six the seventy three point one four still all articles seven two one four and real subheadings and seven two point zero eight and real subheadings e forty four point one one two forty four point one eight plywood all articles forty four point two not two forty four point two one nine six ninety six point one nine scientific towers napkins and tampons napkins and similar articles of any materials two for a period of two years commencing from the second day of August twenty three and then in the first of August twenty twenty five a supply of components for for the vaulting systems intended solely for harnessing solar power under the following custom tariff eighty five point zero two point three nine complete system eighty five point four one point four not solar panels eighty five point zero four point four not charge controllers and inverted and voters eighty five three six point seven not mc for connectors seven six one not point nine zero solar panel months eight five three six point five zero cable insulator switches eight five three seven point one not combine the boxes eight five four four point six zero one not direct cable dc alternate current ac cables eight five point eight not eight five eight five not seven point eight not eight five not seven point six not deep cycle batteries eight five three six point nine not battery clamps nine oh three two point eight nine zero zero control devices other dc and ac components eight five three seven point one zero zero combiners eight five three six point nine zero zero junction boxes eight five three six point five zero zero insulators eight five three six point three zero zero zero protected devices communication devices eight four seven one nine zero zero zero the detailed logos nine oh three two point eight nine zero zero control components eight five one seven point six nine zero zero communicating f and s switches for a period of two years commencing from the second day of august twenty three and the first day of august twenty five a supply of the installation service of 40 voltaic systems in the case of schedule three as an exempt import for a period of two years commencing from the second day of august twenty three and in the first day of august twenty five the purchase or lease of an aircraft for local and regional travel two the import of vehicles buildings and construction materials machinery plant and equipment by approved contractors subcontractors and consultants for the Caribbean regional air transport connectivity project and free vehicles building and construction materials machinery plant and equipment by approved contractors subcontractors and consultants for the St. Jude hospital reconstruction project including medical equipment and supplies Mr. Speaker this is another of the promises that we made to the public of St. Lucia in my budget of the twenty four of April Mr. Speaker where we promised Mr. Speaker that we would incentivize the construction industry in St. Lucia we promised the public of St. Lucia that we would give the young people will give the people who have been longing to build the houses or will give people who have been longing to make improvements in the house Mr. Speaker we will give them a break Mr. Speaker what this resolution means Mr. Speaker is from the second of august that of twelve and a half percent will not be payable on building materials like like lumber all types of lumber Mr. Speaker steel all types of steel galvanized and cement Mr. Speaker and Mr. Speaker if you know a little about construction you would know Mr. Speaker that the bulk of course in the beginning in construction is on steel cement and lumber Mr. Speaker plus the fact that the cost of blocks of concrete blocks should decrease because cement that's the major component of concrete blocks the price of cement will be decreased Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker what this means is that the fact and I think I brought Mr. Speaker invoice somewhere for you to see Mr. Speaker that if the cost of materials that you build that you buy to build your house cement lumber steel and plywood Mr. Speaker if the total comes to two thousand dollars Mr. Speaker the total before second of august you will have to pay an addition twelve and a half percent on the two thousand dollars on the total price of the books you have to pay an additional twelve and a half percent Mr. Speaker but with the removal of that when you get your invoice that twelve and a half percent will not be there and you will not be required to pay that twelve and a half percent Mr. Speaker this means that even if even if the cost of these imported goods increase in the final analysis you ought to pay twelve and a half percent less than you would have paid previously before we remove the vat on these items Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker that is a very significant point to make and that is a point I want the public of solution to understand because the prophets of doom and gloom and lies and untruths Mr. Speaker will try to peddle it differently and make the point again even if the cost of these goods increase even if they increase at the end of the day before august the second you had to pay twelve and a half percent more with the removal of that with the zero written in that you have to pay twelve and you will not have to pay twelve and a half percent so you will make a savings of twelve and a half percent even if the price increases so Mr. Speaker I hope I really really hope Mr. Speaker that businesses work with us Mr. Speaker we have shown good will we are going to increase the tax on amnesty we are going to increase the time period for the tax amnesty we have reduced interest on vat Mr. Speaker we have said to you if you lost tax we will waive all the interest on the penalties for the tax that you lost Mr. Speaker we have shown Mr. Speaker I can say we don't fear of favor that this government of solution party has been the best government for business so all the talk all the talk here about this government is a government that taxis we Mr. Speaker we understand the private sector we give the most generous incentives the private sector we pass the tourism incentives act that give generous concessions the private sector and I have been told by the minister that we are going to we are going to look into a mega business act to further incentivize Mr. Speaker businesses in St. Lucia that make a large investment today you heard the minister for commerce told you tell about the medium and small micro and small business grants of ten million dollars first time in his shop St. Lucia Mr. Speaker you heard about the youth economy and the Caribbean development bank has just given us the go ahead they are going to be investing by means of loans six million dollars in the youth economy Mr. Speaker and colleagues from all over the region are coming to look at what we are doing in the youth economy Mr. Speaker this government has worked in the private sector and this government I can say we don't fear of favor we never ask any businessman what's in it for me on the retriever in our discussions with investors Mr. Speaker they tell the stories but you know Mr. Speaker time will tell time will tell because right now Mr. Speaker we think they think they have a new lease of life so they are talking social media talking political meeting this and that demonstration come to the how can I not speak about time will tell and Mr. Speaker I have warned them and they do it again all the time they underestimate the capacity of the solution Labour Party they underestimate our resolve Mr. Speaker and Mr. Speaker I will tell you the story about the cabinet yesterday Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker yesterday I felt proud to be a member of the solution Labour Party Mr. Speaker very proud you know why Mr. Speaker I saw the men and women in the cabinet spend more than two hours discussing an incentive for small contractors Mr. Speaker people that would have been normally disregarded people that would be called you remember the statement Mr. Speaker what's the track record who is she remember the statement who is she it's a track record what has she done she is a non entity remember the statement Mr. Speaker but we we spent hours discussing how we can help non entities and that is the philosophical difference between the solution Labour Party and the other party and we are proud of that philosophical difference we are very proud of it although some people who want to know better or to have that same philosophical underpinning that would guide the direction in life Mr. Speaker but because they suffer from so much self-hate because they suffer from so much self-hate because they suffer from the fact that people like them are now the makers and movers in the political life Mr. Speaker they prefer to spit out all kinds of anger and all kinds of hatred Mr. Speaker because they refuse to accept they refuse to accept Mr. Speaker to give people like them time and means to run this country Mr. Speaker but Mr. Speaker we are not going to be we are not going to be deterred Mr. Speaker I will not be deterred you know I will not be deterred Mr. Speaker because I have a vision for St. Lucia where every man and woman particularly those who are most vulnerable have an equal opportunity to achieve in this country Mr. Speaker and that is why Mr. Speaker and that is why that is why they will not understand why this government is removing that on a simple item you will hear the naysayers and the prophets of doom and the the balance of misinformation you will hear them make a joke if it Mr. Speaker but it's a simple and a significant step on the 96.19 Mr. Speaker sanitary towels and napkins and similar articles of any materials Mr. Speaker and Mr. Speaker those who do not know it will not feel it because they don't care they don't care because they have never felt it but go to parts of my constituency go to parts of Kashmir south or Kashmir north or even a certain country Mr. Speaker go to these parts and you hear about something called period poverty and Mr. Speaker you know these are the things that are significant Mr. Speaker these are the things Mr. Speaker so what we are doing Mr. Speaker there are many single mothers not single mothers who will be castigated not single mothers who will be single mothers who are castigated who are castigated by the leadership of the opposition who will call all kinds of neighbors to the single Mr. Speaker single mothers who want to bring up the children in a respectable way Mr. Speaker and they have to make a choice Mr. Speaker a choice at certain times of the month of whether they must buy food for the children or they must buy sanitary napkins that is the reality of life for many people in this country but you know what Mr. Speaker because of selfishness because of the sense of entitlement because of the feeling that it must be them or nobody else because they believe that God given the right to run this country they will lie and they will try to confuse the people of the generation with Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker this resolution will in a realistic fashion help people to look for the shelter Mr. Speaker and there is a thing in sociology called the hierarchy of once Mr. Speaker or needs the hierarchy of needs Mr. Speaker for Maslow Maslow hierarchy of needs Mr. Speaker and there he spoke about the need for food shelter and clothing Mr. Speaker and in once once right we try to deal with all of them Mr. Speaker once right so Mr. Speaker this removal of that on bill of materials it's not because we want people to eat plywood you know because of that and these are the kind of things that people promote on the radio eat plywood you know what Mr. Speaker it will help a single mother who wants to stop the godly on a house it will help her to pay twelve and a half percent less for two sheets of galvanized that's what it will do it will help the teacher and the policeman who want to put an extension on their own because their family is growing it will help them to buy their cement cheaper it will help them to buy their steel cheaper Mr. Speaker it will help them to buy their plywood cheaper it will help them to buy their galvanized cheaper that's what it does Mr. Speaker that's what it does what it does Mr. Speaker is it says to the man and woman in this country that the government is assisting you the government is assisting you to be a man and to be a woman Mr. Speaker to have a share to have a stake in your own destiny Mr. Speaker that's what this simple resolution is saying Mr. Speaker that's what it's saying and it also is saying that if you want to build a hotel or you want to build a factory where should you wait for the other incentives Mr. Speaker you can begin because you have to pay twelve and a half percent less on the construction materials needed to start up that business Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker this is significant it's a major step in the economic and social evolution of this country major major step Mr. Speaker and Mr. Speaker why are we doing that we are also seeing about the infrastructure we are also seeing about Mr. Speaker because we are saying that there is a project for the re-surfacing re-surfacing a world bank project for the re-surfacing of the UNR airports and Mr. Speaker will come to the parliament very shortly with a full disclosure on the UNR airport but there is a project for the re-surfacing of the UNR airport a world bank project so we are giving them we are removing fat on the imports Mr. Speaker but more importantly and Mr. Speaker why would somebody deliberately spread that work on St. Jude has stopped why why would somebody in that good sense Mr. Speaker because you have lost an election but they have already lost they have already lost they have already lost why why would somebody spread misinformation that work on St. Jude has stopped and a contractor whom they have vilified now they support them because they say they take his gift and he goes a contractor they have vilified and that is a sad thing with the opposition one day they are on this corner next day on the other corner one day somebody good and the person turns bad once a person speaks the truth the person turns bad so Mr. Speaker I want to assure the public I want to assure the public that I feel better now about St. Jude than I ever felt before I feel better now about St. Jude than I ever felt before you know why Mr. Speaker because I see the end in the horizon I see the day I see the day I see the day Mr. Speaker when we will say to the patients and the staff of St. Jude we apologise for what you went through from since 2011 and we usher you into pride new premises so you can continue to the people of St. Jude and that is going to be a wonderful day Mr. Speaker so regardless of what they tried Mr. Speaker you want to believe that this opposition is trying to push a contractor to have an injunction to stop work on St. Jude because they say the contractor didn't pay the subcontractor that's what these guys have reached you know Mr. Speaker that's where these guys are and their posture on television and radio pretending like I heard one of them talking about crime and the Minister of Home Affairs and national security should resign Mr. Speaker they are all kinds of crimes that have been committed in this country that go and resolve including kidnapping all kinds of crimes so Mr. Speaker when they want to throw stones tell them those who live in grass houses should never throw stones Mr. Speaker they have taken our silence for weakness they have taken our silence for believing we can roll over and die Mr. Speaker you know why we have not been dealing dealing with that nonsense that goes for a position because we are busy running the country but if they believe that they can continue their falsehoods and the propaganda and we lie down and die Mr. Speaker I tell them they have nothing going because everything they say everything they attack the government for they have done worse and when we begin to debate at the level I will prove to you Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker I am very happy with this revolution today Mr. Speaker very happy I feel boy I feel encouraged Mr. Speaker and what is most important Mr. Speaker is the people understand what this government is doing the people understand it so when they try to have demonstrations and they make a lot of false I mean Mr. Speaker you know Mr. Speaker desperation is a real serious thing when you saw from desperation especially when you lose power and you don't want to sit down and regroup and you get desperate you cling on all kinds of things there was a big story Philip J. Pierre attacked elderly people and tell a big big story a big story Mr. Speaker because they say I said something about elderly people all I was saying is that you should not take advantage on elderly people Mr. Speaker by bringing them on the streets when you know very well you bring them for no cause that's all I said and I stand by that that's all I said Mr. Speaker they attacked the attack solution going to referendum but the minister member was not there I applaud him for that he could not put in his good conscience a progressive man like that could not help himself to be a part of people but of course Mr. Speaker he didn't associate himself with colonization had a conscience he did not but then passed for that and Mr. Speaker the demonstration for the CCJ and they planned a big demonstration today for the help and security level a big demonstration Mr. Speaker instead of staying here and defend this cause he run away same thing as usual then next day he will come and go on his favor the program come here sit down and debate the help and security level come and debate it come and debate the fact come and defend come and defend this thing come and defend it Mr. Speaker come and defend the open letter to the prime minister when the debate comes I am going to give that letter line for line and I will tell you the basic student of economics would be ashamed of the right of this letter because the contents of this letter do not stand up do any talents of regular economics or anything it is just a whole lot of envy a whole lot of misinformation a whole lot of refusal to accept that the people of Seleucia have taken a decision and when you say that Mr. Speaker they tell you you are attacking this nobody sees the economy nobody sees that disrespect nobody sees the lies nobody sees the alignment nobody sees what they do to us every day but any time we respond oh it is a lie Mr. Speaker I urge members Mr. Speaker to look at the facts we are we are removing the facts on all the components and the subcontinent Mr. Speaker on the photo voltaic systems which are systems that will cause us to convert solar power into power that will cause us not to have to use electricity or fossil fuels in the same manner as we would without that again revolution is tough Mr. Speaker because something Mr. Speaker I am sure is very close to Mr. education the issue of climate change Mr. Speaker and the issue of how we have to keep the world to the 1.5 degree centigrade Mr. Speaker we have already passed that it has really been said that we will not meet the 1.5% Mr. Speaker and the serious things we have to discuss like climate change in fact like the way rainfall the kinds of weather where there is no there is no sequence in weather there is no dry season or there is no wet season rain falls at some point then there is a drought then in one day the sun is very hot then rain falls in the afternoon the climate change Mr. Speaker the effects of climate change the mitigation adaptation methods we have to take for climate change that is nowhere in the debate that is nowhere in the debate Mr. Speaker but we have to deal with that we have to discuss disaster clauses when we go to negotiate for loans we have to negotiate that Mr. Speaker we have to negotiate these are the issues we have to deal with as a government and issue we have to deal with a country not nonsense these are the issues I want the opposition to come and discuss how do we mitigate and adapt against climate change how do we do that how do we sit and decide that the government must take steps to cause us to take steps that will help make our agriculture sustainable after weather events and you saw what Mr. Speaker a little rain event over 70% of our banana crop got wiped out Mr. Speaker these are the issues not what you are going to discuss and these are the issues that the government on opposition that is serious these are the issues that they discuss and these are the issues that we want to engage them in Mr. Speaker because these are serious issues but instead nothing is said about that nothing Mr. Speaker except the normal cost and misinformation Mr. Speaker people get up in the morning wishing that something will go bad in St. Lucia they get up in the morning and they pray what's going to go bad in St. Lucia how will I attack Philip J. Pierre today how will I attack Eunice Healer today how will I attack Richard Frederick today get up in the morning and they dream for that to happen they actually decide that they sit down and they'll make a lie to create a lie on Philip J. Pierre today just sit down and a friend of mine say construct a lie Mr. Speaker that's what they do except dealing with the important issues Mr. Speaker but we're not going to be moved we're going to stay the cost Mr. Speaker and I ask the members to join me in supporting that resolution I thank you Mr. Speaker