 compliments of the season to all Saint Lucians, including those at the wider diaspora. It's that time of year once again where we celebrate both of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the light of the world. As Parliamentary Representative for Choselle Saltybus, I would like to specially acknowledge the proud and diligent people of my constituency. It is always a privilege to deliver this annual Christmas message at this joyous time of year where I can highlight some of the achievements of my constituency, as well as share some of the significant achievements of my ministry as the minister with responsibility for commerce, international trade, investment, enterprise development and consumer affairs. Two portfolios I continue to uphold with utmost pride and dedication, and for which I am indeed grateful for the opportunity to serve for the betterment of the people of Saint Lucia. I therefore look forward to this time of year, to reflect on the work I've accomplished, to re-strategize and plan for the way forward, as this is what I believe Christmas and the coming of the new year should involve reflection, thanksgiving and planning ahead. As the story of Jesus teaches us, Christmas can be the start of great things, and we should take time to reflect on our successes, learn from our failures and set goals for the coming new year. Let us also take time to appreciate our blessings, the moments with family and the companionship of friends. Let us also remember to give thanks and praise to the good Lord for having spread Saint Lucia from the ravages of this hurricane season, and continue to pray for the people of Abaco Islands and its sister island, the Bahamas, in their rehabilitation and recovery efforts. I believe the best gift of Christmas is to realize how much you already have by counting your blessings. Proverbs 17-22 reminds us that a merry heart does good like medicine, so let's strive to be cheerful this season and pass on the good share to others. Since attaining the leadership role of Parliamentary Representative in 2016, I have really drawn from my interactions with the people of my constituency and admire their willingness to make a difference in their community. To the people of Shorzal and Saltibus, your love, kindness and sense of community and camaraderie are worth emulation and acknowledgement. Your level of togetherness was particularly exemplified during the recently held Creole Day celebrations in Shorzal, which was hailed a success. I must also acknowledge and commend the youth of the community for their active involvement in the various sporting, festive and recreational events. As Parliamentary Representative, I will continue to create pathways for youth development in Shorzal and Saltibus, as the youth are the future leaders of tomorrow and we need to create opportunities for the growth and development. One particular initiative get towards this involves the ongoing works on the lighting project at the Lafargue Plain Field to help build and strengthen the sports skill set of the youth. My goal is to continue such projects in the coming years in order to contribute towards the development of the people of Shorzal, Saltibus. Saltibus would have benefited this year from a road rehabilitation project to help improve the transport network in the community and mitigate against flooding. Residents of Saltibus would have also benefited more directly from this project as contracts were awarded to them to carry out maintenance works. These and more are just a few of the projects rolled out this year in my constituency. In the coming year, I also look forward to the launch of our farmers village at Bangalow, the increased capacity and more efficiency from the Delsa irrigation project, in addition to the many opportunities associated with village tourism. Thank you to all the residents of Shorzal Saltibus for your support in our efforts at improving the visibility of Shorzal and Saltibus by showcasing our rich culture, talent and skill. I trust that we will have a revitalized Shorzal Saltibus in the coming years. As it relates to my other portfolio as Minister of Responsibility for Commerce, I wish to add that I have gained a greater appreciation and understanding over the years of the work being done by the Ministry of Commerce in our efforts at facilitating greater trade and investment and enhancing private sector development. The Ministry and affiliate agencies continue to work collaboratively towards developing policies and programs to enable private sector development, attract investment and foster trade. This year, for instance, Saint Lucia served as Chair of Cary Forum and hosted the 25th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Cary Forum in March. As Minister for Commerce and International Trade, I led in the signing of the Cary Forum-UK Economic Partnership Agreement. This agreement replicates the provisions of the Cary Forum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and will ensure continuity of the region's preferential trading relationship with the UK post Brexit. It also repeats commitments on development, cooperation to support implementation and use of the agreement. This was important to Saint Lucia to ensure that our business continued to export goods and services to the UK under the same preference and conditions which we currently enjoy once Brexit takes effect. Additionally, as part of the Ministry's efforts to propel the growth of our service industries, as you may well agree, Saint Lucia has a rich and dynamic service sector. The Cabinet of Ministers recently approved a request by the Ministry to amend the Fiscal Incentive Act to include approved services sector for fiscal incentives and to facilitate the expansion of existing manufacturing enterprises that have exhausted the existing tax holiday period. I am also proud to report that my Ministry, in partnership with its affiliate agencies, hosted the 5th Annual Saint Lucia Business Month in November under the theme, Propelling Growth through Entrepreneurship. We continue to see the interest in entrepreneurship growing in our economy as a result of the activities of Business Month. Even more importantly, the interest and participation of persons from the south has also grown and with the launch of the Southern Business Association during Business Month, we can only anticipate a further growth of entrepreneurs from the south of the island. The Ministry, in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Taiwan, also just brought down the kittles on the hosting of the 12th Annual Saint Lucia-Taiwan Partnership Trade Show. This year, 45 Saint Lucia businesses participated in the trade show and 8 companies from Taiwan, from sectors such as art and crafts, food and beverage and fashion to name a few. The trade show allows for the showcasing of new and upcoming products and services that are now available on the local market. We continue to see the growth and expansion of businesses as a result of their participation in the trade show, giving contracts, being entered into between manufacturers and distributors for the provision of locally made goods and the supply of services. From the trade perspective, the Ministry is moving with great vigor in achieving its trade facilitation agenda in order to meet its obligation under the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement. This involves pursuing reforms aimed at expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods to the benefits of the business community and consumers alike. Such reforms will include the development and implementation of a port community system electronic single window. This, among other initiatives, will contribute towards the ease of doing business in Saint Lucia, thus making our economy a more seamless environment for transacting business. The Ministry will continue to pursue reforms in the coming new year, with the hope of realizing a significant improvement in our performance in the various indicators which measures our global ranking. With these few words, I take this opportunity to express heartfelt thanks to the Permanent Secretary, Management and Staff of the Ministry of Commerce, for being a pillar of strength and support to me in executing my responsibilities as Minister. To the Management and Staff of the Affiliate Agencies of the Ministry, including the Saint Lucia Brewer of Standards, Export Saint Lucia, Invest Saint Lucia, Chamber of Commerce and Saint Lucia Coalition of Services Industries, Saint Lucia Industrial and Small Business Association, Saint Lucia Manufacturers Association, the National Consumer Association, among other agencies. A huge thank you for your perseverance and commitment in ensuring that we meet our mandate of enabling private sector development, facilitating trade and investment, advancing consumer interests and growing our economy, one business at a time. To my family and friends and the good people of Shorzal and Saltibus, I wish to express gratitude to you for your continued support to me as Parliamentary Representative. To the Honourable Prime Minister, other ST members of Cabinet, members of the opposition, the business community, the public sector and the people of Saint Lucia, wishing you a joyous Christmas and a bright and prosperous 2020. This Christmas, may your blessings be many, your worries few and your joy endless. I hope there are great many things in store for you in the coming year. As I close off, I leave you with this scripture from Romans 12-10. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honouring each other. May God's blessings be yours this Christmas.