 Mr. Speaker, I beg to move the following motion stand in my name, whereas it's provided on the section 63.1e of the Public Finance Management Act, cap 15.0 on the act, that the Minister of Finance, made by affirmative resolution of parliaments, borrowed from a bank or the financial institution for the capital or current experience of government, and whereas it is further provided on the section 64 of the act, that money borrowed by the government must be paid into and form part of the consolidated fund, and whereas the Minister of Finance considers it necessary to borrow from the Saudi fund for development the sum of 281,250,000 Saudi reals to finance the construction and rehabilitation of St. Jude Hospital project, and whereas the loan is repayable in 20 years after the grace period of 5 years from the date of the loan agreement commencing on the 15th of May and the 15th of November in each year after the grace period, and whereas interest at a rate of 2% per annum is payable semi-annually on the principal amount of the loan with joint and outstanding. and whereas interest at a rate of 2% per annum is payable semi-annually on the principal amount of the loan with joint and outstanding, and whereas interest at a rate of 2% per annum is payable semi-annually on the principal amount of the loan with joint and outstanding. ap Mr. Speaker, finally the people of St. Lucia will see the completion of this interview. Mr. Speaker, and this resolution, Mr. Speaker, to borrow what is in effect 75 million US dollars for the reconstruction, the complete rehabilitation of St. Jude and the rehabilitation of the stadium is coming at a time, Mr. Speaker, when the people of St. Lucia have joined and have asked that the hospital be completed. Mr. Speaker, this timing is also significant because it was in 2009 that St. Jude was devastated by a fire, Mr. Speaker and that fire saw the loss of some lives. And now September the 12th, 2009, we are finally getting the money to completely refurbish, rehabilitate and equip St. Jude also as Mr. Speaker, finally. And Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to some people in this honourable house. I want to pay tribute, Mr. Speaker, for understanding St. Jude's story to the parliamentary representative for view for itself, Mr. Speaker, for his continuation, Mr. Speaker. And I also want to pay tribute to another former prime minister, Mr. Speaker, the member for Kastry's North, Mr. Speaker. Who, Mr. Speaker, on attaining political office in 2016 in 2007, Mr. Speaker, 2007 and the fire destroyed the hospital in 2009, he began the process of reconstruction of St. Jude facility, Mr. Speaker. And when the people of St. Lucia made a decision in 2011, which he gladly accepted and understood that the people have a right to make their decision, Mr. Speaker, and he limited office dignity with honour and never tried to destroy the country that he had sought, that he ruled a few years or days ago, Mr. Speaker. The present government at the time, only Dr. Kenny Anthony decided that they would have continued work on the St. Jude hospital, Mr. Speaker. And so the work continued, but at no time did the government ever have a direct line of funding for the construction of the St. Jude hospital. But with the help of friendly countries, with the help of voluntary organisations, even the help of children who collected funds, Mr. Speaker. Both of these prime ministers continued construction of the St. Jude hospital, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to them, Mr. Speaker, in public for their foresight and the understanding that the people's health cannot be treated as a political football. I want to pay tribute to them, Mr. Speaker. I also want to pay tribute for the yellow parliamentary representatives in the area who had suffered the pain of residents at the St. Jude hospital, suffered the pain, Mr. Speaker, having to get health service delivered to them from a stadium. And that transition came when the old member of a country's north was the prime minister, Mr. Speaker. And the members that represented the south constantly and persistently had to be able, had to be selling their constituents soon come, soon come, soon come. But, Mr. Speaker, today I feel humbled, Mr. Speaker, to come to these parliaments to be able to tell the people of St. Lucia that we found the funding for the St. Jude hospital. And this funding comes from the Saudi fund for development, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the rehabilitation of the stadium for the sports people of St. Lucia. Mr. Speaker, there are a few significant things in this funding, Mr. Speaker. First of all, is the first funding that the government has negotiated directly for funds. And in there, there is a disaster clause, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, this disaster clause means, and I want to read exactly what it means, Mr. Speaker, it reads as follows. The borrower may apply for renegotiation on the foreign payment of the principal amortization and accrued interest during a period of disaster. Which event is confirmed in an event report of the Caribbean catastrophic risk insurance facility and included in a short coverage of St. Lucia provided that such event is considered as having a serious adverse effect on the paymentability of the borrower. What that means, Mr. Speaker? In this time of climate change, Mr. Speaker, and talking about climate change, I want us to spare a thought and a prayer for the people of Morocco who suffered devastation of an earthquake, Mr. Speaker. Morocco, the country of Morocco have been friends to us. The country of Morocco has done well for us. And we want to spare a moment, Mr. Speaker, if you don't mind for, could we ask the parliament, Mr. Speaker, to stand for the people of Morocco and the people of Libya, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, all of my members. Mr. Speaker, I was saying and in those times of climate change, Mr. Speaker, when any time, within a few hours, Mr. Speaker, as has been shown in Dominica and in Guinea, Mr. Speaker, and St. Lucia, although we were fortunate and that wasn't as destructive as Dominica, Hurricane Thomas and the Christmas Instruct and the entire economy, the entire GDP of the country can be wiped off. And what is significant, Mr. Speaker, is after these events, we still had to pay our loans. And this is why the world is searching for new developmental and loan paradigm where there can be some clause that deals with the vulnerability of our islands. So instead of using the traditional gross national income to measure the measure the strength of an economy, we'll use a multi vulnerability index that will build into it resilience for disasters, Mr. Speaker. So I'm very pleased to tell you that the government has been able to negotiate a disaster clause, Mr. Speaker, in disagreement with the Saudis for the rehabilitation of St. Jude Hospital and the stadium, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, this funding will rehabilitate the entire hospital. And that is continuing the work that has started, Mr. Speaker. Come, Mr. Speaker, when I invite you to visit St. Jude Hospital, Mr. Speaker, the original structure, you will see for yourself, Mr. Speaker, that work has the level of work that has been done in this hospital, Mr. Speaker. By a solution contractor is commendable, Mr. Speaker. You will see that the hospital is ready or the buildings are ready to receive the mechanical, the engineering and plumbing fixtures, Mr. Speaker. That is what's happening in this hospital. And when you reinforce, Mr. Speaker, there is no leak. When you reinforce, Mr. Speaker, there is no flooding inside, Mr. Speaker. When you reinforce, Mr. Speaker, there is no need to seal windows, Mr. Speaker, because what we have is a structure that there's been absolutely no document that is available, no authentic document that's available that says that this structure could not have continued as a hospital, Mr. Speaker. There is absolutely no document, Mr. Speaker. No document, Mr. Speaker. But, Mr. Speaker, that is for another show because this morning I don't want to go into I don't want to get involved in any rank, Mr. Speaker. This morning we ought to be very happy, Mr. Speaker. Every living solution, if they love solution, should be happy to know that St. Jude Hospital, the funding is available to complete it. Because, Mr. Speaker, no solution should be satisfied with our people being receiving medical attention in a stadium. And right on my feet, I want to applaud and thank the doctors and the nurses and the workers and the Board of St. Jude and the people who have been providing services to people in a stadium, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank them and no solution if you love solution today ought to be a day of rejoicing, Mr. Speaker because finally we can see the light and we should have the maturity to understand that when it comes to business of health and when it comes to business of seeing about the future of the health of the people of solution, Mr. Speaker we should be able to bury our pride and say we made a mistake and we are continuing and supporting what is necessary for the people of the country, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, this loan we'll do the following. Mr. Speaker, talking about loan because I know you will tell me about the national debt. This loan, Mr. Speaker, is about $202 million or 4.3% of the national debt, Mr. Speaker 4.3% of the national debt, Mr. Speaker is also increased by and it's concessional in nature, Mr. Speaker and it's at 2% it's a fixed rate of 2% not fluctuating and again this is significant, Mr. Speaker and any student will tell you with the variations in interest rates in the world as we have now the fluctuations you have every day, Mr. Speaker, there are fluctuations in the interest rate, Mr. Speaker we have negotiated a loan at a fixed rate of 2% for 20 years a fixed rate of 2% for 20 years with a 5-year grace period, Mr. Speaker in these times of fluctuating loan interest, Mr. Speaker and I dare say increasing loan interest, Mr. Speaker this is what we have been able to negotiate for the people of St. Lucia, Mr. Speaker exactly so, Mr. Speaker this loan will do the following, Mr. Speaker it will rehabilitate the entire hospital, Mr. Speaker the entire hospital that means, Mr. Speaker that the east wing the surgical wing the west wing the laundry maintenance building the dialysis building the psychotherapy building the volunteers quarters even the chapel the chapel, yes, Mr. Speaker the isolation and contamination building and the south wing, Mr. Speaker and what the mayor of Yufot calls the box will be preserved and will be allowed will be used at a later moment at a later time, Mr. Speaker will be preserved because you see if we will not leave the box farat off a bush off a bat even though our position is that the box was a waste of time because this government respects and understands that when money is spent it doesn't come from our pockets it comes from the pockets of the taxpayers of St. Lucia, Mr. Speaker or from the taxpayers of different countries so we will not allow it to decay and to allow bush rats bats cows and destroy two buildings or to break it down we will preserve it we will preserve it, Mr. Speaker for future use we will preserve it even though we will not agree with it but we will preserve it, Mr. Speaker that is how we will operate, Mr. Speaker as far as is concerned, Mr. Speaker follow, Mr. Speaker follow this law, Mr. Speaker will provide for the hospital all the necessary state of the art technology and equipment that is needed, Mr. Speaker including security arrangements et cetera, Mr. Speaker and talking about security arrangements the first thing we did, Mr. Speaker is we fenced the hospital compound how can you have a medical facility and the compound is not fenced the first thing we did, Mr. Speaker is to fence it, Mr. Speaker so, Mr. Speaker this loan will provide all the medical equipment and furniture Mr. Speaker and, you know this is not the time for that but at some point, Mr. Speaker the story will be told of the wastage that has taken place in Selusia as far as in Judith's Consulate, Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I will make a documented house available to show you millions and millions of dollars of equipment that was purchased and allowed to rot in containers, Mr. Speaker millions of dollars of equipment millions we will bring Mr. Speaker not now and Mr. Speaker the information is available because what this government did we allowed people who were working in the system we didn't bring anybody else we didn't fire anybody and I want to tell you, Mr. Speaker some of these officials are great civil servants but they were misguided some of them are great civil servants we didn't change we didn't chop we didn't send people home, Mr. Speaker all the people who were involved in the St. Jude Hospital project they are still working there today all of them we didn't send them home because we had nothing to hide so, Mr. Speaker there are containers and containers and containers of equipment, Mr. Speaker and, Mr. Speaker sometimes when you in government you can't respond to anybody to people who have nothing doing you have to keep focus, Mr. Speaker and that is why this government is keeping focus we are keeping our eye on what is necessary for the improvement of life for the people of St. Lucia that's what we did so, we are not ready to answer everything, Mr. Speaker we are not but the evidence is there so, Mr. Speaker this loan is going to ensure that all the equipment needed for the hospital, Mr. Speaker is available is available and we have already started negotiations with the people at St. Jude for the transition into the new hospital, Mr. Speaker but I have been said so there are people who have paid money for equipment there are people who have paid taxpayers' money for equipment, Mr. Speaker and one day a gentleman came to me and said to me he said Prime Minister you seem to be running the country that's very rich I said what do you mean and the evidence is available I said what do you mean he said I have been holding for you I have been holding for you $1.2 million $1.8 million thank you minister you met him $1.8 million of equipment for St. Jude Mr. Speaker and he could not understand why we hadn't because he visited the original building he had seen the equipment could be used he could not understand why that equipment was not used $1.8 million so he said he would have to reconfigure and the minister of health met him and that equipment will be put into the new house Mr. Speaker $1.8 million in a supplier's hands it was there and I think 20 what he said 2019 or 2018 Mr. Speaker he said he had that money and it's a good thing he said that money was available to us Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker we are also going to rehabilitate rehabilitate the sports stadium for the people of the south Mr. Speaker so this $202 million Mr. Speaker will give the country a state of the art facility will increase the national debt by 4.3% but when it comes to the people's health Mr. Speaker we cannot look at how it will increase the national debt by because the health of the nation is the most important Mr. Speaker and you can have no economy if the people are not healthy so we make no apologies for increasing national debt by 4.3% to fund a hospital that is needed by the people of Salvation Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker as I said earlier I thank the Saudis the Saudi fund for development Mr. Speaker and I apologize to them for all the unsavory things that have been said about them Mr. Speaker I apologize to them and say to them that the majority of people in Salvation the majority of people in Salvation Mr. Speaker are very happy and thankful for the fact that they are providing to the people of Salvation alone a 2% interest with a disaster clause 5 years grace and to be paid in 20 years Mr. Speaker and that's loan we did it as I said the building and civil works supply installation of medical devices and equipment Mr. Speaker and provide consultancy services and for them Mr. Speaker the loan will ensure the loan is up to up to it has an expiry date is up to 2028 up to 2028 it has an expiry date Mr. Speaker so we can use it between now and 2028 up to 2028 Mr. Speaker so Mr. Speaker what happened between that time and that time it's up to you to think of but I can tell you that I'm very Mr. Speaker it's one of the happiest days of my of my parliamentary journey Mr. Speaker to stay in this honourable house with a group of men and women of like mind of like purpose and say to the people of Salvation that we have the money when the process is complete to completely and finally make send you the hospital available to the public of Salvation and the people of South in particular I thank you Mr. Speaker