 How far down the road I have taken, all of it I do, I keep them calm. I will be done, as it is in heaven, realize this day and how it will remain, and forgive us all trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us, I may not talk into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For I am the King and the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Thank you Father, thank you for being, thank you very much for your life. Thank you for this gathering in this cabinet room. Thank you for our Ambassador who is in place, for the friendship of our two countries, with great blessings upon our Prime Minister, and our Cabinet Ministers, and our technical persons, for every person upon our country. We ask you to send all your spirit with us at the end. We ask that the spirit of gratitude as we receive the gift that we are provided to one nation, and in the wisdom they have shared with us today. We thank you for this, and we ask you to give us the guidance and wisdom to use these resources in the way that it fits so that our people can benefit from this. We pray as well for the spirit of service that we may always be open to some people in this world. We ask you to send all the blessings that you know that we need. We thank you for this prayer, and we make it in any way that some people subscribe to us, forever and ever. Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Cabinet of Ministers, His Excellency Peter Chia-Yan Chen, Mr. Augusta DeGasso, Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Esther Rigabert, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the... Miss... What did I say? Miss Esther Rigabert, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Paul Hiller, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Economic Development and the Youth Economy, Dr. Cadillia Ambrose, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Local Government and Housing, Accountant General, Mr. Matthew Branford, Mr. Edison, Sue, Staff of the Embassy of the Republic of China, Taiwan, Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister. Welcome and good morning. Sorry. Good morning. I would like to welcome you all to the presentation of what I know is a very exciting day for the Cabinet of Ministers, the Czech handing over of our constituency development program. Round of applause. But that is not the only thing that we are going to receive from our friends from Taiwan. Today, we are also here to receive Czech presentations for Human Resource Development Centers, National Disability Policy, and a grant towards the Independence 45 Anniversary Celebration. So round of applause again for all that we are receiving today from our friends of the Republic of China, Taiwan. I would now like to welcome Ambassador, no stranger to this Cabinet's room and to this location, Ambassador Peter Chen. Honourable Prime Minister, Philly JPA, esteemed Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Speaker, Parliamentary Secretary, Attorney General, Cabinet Secretary and P.S., Accountant General, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning. I am truly honoured and pleased to be here for the second time in January 2024. And on behalf of the Government of the Republic of China, Taiwan to make the significant contribution to four projects that will benefit the lives of people and communities in Senusia, including the Community Development Program, CDP, developing national disability policy, rehabilitation of Human Resource Center, as well as the sponsorship for Firewalls Display and Solution National Flags on the 45th Anniversary of Independence. As a steadfast partner of Senusia, Taiwan recognises the pivotal role that the CDP plays in addressing the social economic challenges faced by communities. And we are proud to be an integral part of this ongoing vital programme in collaboration between the Senusia Government. Likewise, as Taiwan and Senusia share the values of human rights and equality, we are also very happy to support Honourable Prime Minister Philly JPA and the Senusian Government's Social Justice and Community Development Strategy, where the projects of national disability policy and the rehabilitation of human resource centres are highlighted on the agenda. Last year, I had the privilege of accompanying several parliamentary representatives, along with officials from the Ministry of Economic Development on a visit to numerous CDP sites and witnesses firsthand the positive impacts to the people's daily lives. And I eagerly anticipate the ongoing results of the CDP and social initiatives to the individuals, communities and constituencies again. Being aware as Senusia is about to celebrate its 45th Anniversary of Independence in strengthening nations' unity and identity, Taiwan is more than happy to support the Firewalls Display on the evening of 21st February 2024 and to sponsor 250 hand-waving flags and 80 large flags produced in Taiwan and will be soon shipped to Senusia to be part of the celebration. And I'm so glad to be able to attend the 45th Anniversary of Independence. And I hope after another 45 years I can come back to attend the celebration again. We will still be here. Taiwan will continue to collaborate with other prime ministers of Ethiopia and the government of Senusia, steering our nations to a brighter and more prosperous tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your remarks and also for your assistance to the various activities that we will undertake this year as a government. If you would notice that most of, if not all, of the programs that this government undertakes is for the people of Senusia to better the lives of the people of Senusia and the national disability policy would be one to inform as an inclusive government our ways to ensure that all sectors, all people in Senusia can take part, can contribute to the development of this country. I did not mention the quantum of the funds, but I don't know if that's for the prime minister to disclose to his business, but I would just, I know you guys always, you know, but for our audience's sake. For our audience's sake, the constituency development program will be in the tune of $2.9 million. The human resource development centers $825,500, the national disability policy, $30,000, and the contribution to the independence fireworks would be $53,000. All made possible by the government and the people of the Republic of China, Taiwan. I would now like to call on Honorable Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre to deliver remarks. Prime Minister. Thank you very much. Before we start, I want to express to Honorable Emma Hippolyte our deepest condolences. She lost two siblings, two brothers. I know one very well. So I think we should all express our condolences to Honorable Hippolyte and her family by just a meter silence. Could you please stand? Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, colleagues. Good morning, Ambassador. Good morning, Permanent Secretaries, staff of the Taiwan Embassy, ladies and gentlemen. This morning is kind of pleasing in that if all I talk about taxation, taxation, taxation, we are receiving a grant. Let me make it policy clear to the people of Salucia that this government has seen absolutely we've not seen any draft tax bill. This cabinet room has not seen any draft tax bill. There is no draft tax bill as being discussed by the cabinet. This government has made it very easy or easier in terms of tax. We've given an amnesty on all arrays of income tax, never in the history of this country, never from this country's history has there ever been an amnesty on tax interests and tax penalties. And bear with me what that means. That means that if you collected VAT on behalf of the people of Salucia and remember VAT is collected on behalf of the government of Salucia and you do not pay that VAT back to the government after you've collected it there is normally a fine or some interest. This government has waived it completely. So we say to you, you just pay the VAT and that's it. Never before has that ever happened. This government has given in terms of tax thresholds the highest tax threshold again ever is $24,000 in terms of a tax threshold. So people who get $2,000, $25,000 so people who get $2,000 or less do not pay any taxation. Never before that is our history on taxation. That's our history on taxation. So I want to make it abundantly clear to all in Sanjui that there is absolutely no tax bill in this cabinet for consideration by this government. What we're doing is we are following what was left for us as evidence by an instruction in that the 12 income tax laws or tax laws that existed in the country and instruction was given which we did not change. The instruction was that these laws would be consolidated into one law and then there will be public discussion on these laws. So I want to make it abundantly clear that what's happening now is a discussion on the existing tax laws in this country with some amendments that were recommended. But these amendments or that bill has not come in this cabinet room with any discussion. What's happening now is discussion by the public, by NGOs, by those involved. So I want to make it abundantly clear. Anyhow, let's get to the good news or let's get to the true news. The true news today is that we are receiving a grant from the government of Taiwan and that grant is multifaceted and that is also very important. We're getting money for the renovations of HRDCs. HRDCs are very important to communities and I hope this year we can use these HRDCs in a way that is sustainable and in a way that benefits the people of the constituency a lot more. They can't be only used for dances and parties. We have to use them for education and this year I've instructed my staff we need to have, we need to raise the level of discussion in this country. We need to use the HRDCs for lectures and for debates because the level of discussion in this country has reached the lowest level ever. There is no discussion, there is no serious discussion on ideas. What we have is in UN law and sometimes on truths and misinformation. So I hope that these HRDCs can be used for that level to raise the level, raise it a bit. And I'm sure that most of my colleagues want the HRDCs renovated and want them repaired but as usual I want to inform them that they must remember there is an HRDC in Cassus East. And Cassus East seems to have been forgotten. Is this forgotten by the Minister of Finance? That's a problem. He's the Minister of Finance. And I'm sure we will see about that something happens to improve the physical structure of these HRDCs. And as I'm here I want to tell the ambassador that these HRDCs also need equipment. They need computers, they need chairs, they need furniture so we can convert them into real learning centers. That's just an idea. There also is a grant for a policy on differently abled people. Now, you know, thinking about differently abled people, this society has grown, has matured as far as that is concerned. Well, you know, I can share my own personal experience in something that I'm not afraid to say. I was actually born differently able. My feet were crooked when I was born and then I was fortunate in that my parents could send me abroad. I could see my parents could send me abroad and I could have a normal childhood but there are many people who are not unfortunate. Anytime I see anyone walking the streets with curved feet I say to myself that I wish that I could be in a position to assist them so that at least when they are at a younger age because the younger the better to get their feet straight as I got mine. So this is, this is really when I speak about disabilities also or differently able, this gets close to my heart and also my colleague who is a hero for a different able. The member for Mikunof, he's shown that with dexterity and discipline you break all barriers. So this also is important to me differently able. And also again personally some people saw that I was differently able with my speech and that was used, I was really cute as far as that's concerned. At the highest levels at the highest level of this country I was really cute. At the highest level of this country but I did not take it I did not carry it on my shoulder and right now the people of St. Lucia in spite of that and the help of my colleagues have made me the prime minister of St. Lucia which I'm very proud of. So the grant this morning in terms of our CDP and as the ambassador says the CDP program touches all the constituencies and again I want you to reiterate that this government has ensured that all 17 constituencies get a grant from the CDP all 17 constituencies including those represented by the opposition and I want to say that when we were in opposition we were never offered that privilege to share from what the government of Taiwan did but we as our independence we are inclusive. We do not believe that that a constituency should suffer because they did not vote for a particular party so we will ensure that in this is what's been the funds the constituencies that did not vote for us our philosophy is that there are solutions and they have to benefit from the grant by this government. It is our independence celebrations and this morning we launched our independence for the fifth independence anniversary and the celebrations will continue and the grant for the fireworks and the flags is timely but I'd like to see to the ambassador that next year when the grant will be it would be very good if we could find a way to produce them in St. Lucia so that the people of St. Lucia could benefit from that I think we have to start very early in doing that but I want to thank the government of Taiwan and I want to reiterate St. Lucia's independent foreign policy we reserve the right to be friends with whoever we want we are not in the fear index in the internal affairs of any country we do not interfere we believe in the peaceful coexistence of all countries and the peaceful coexistence of all nations we do not want people to impose their values on us now we impose our values on anyone tomorrow we are going to be receiving a bridge based on the support from the European government we send them for that but at the same time we believe that we are a sovereign country we are a small country but we reserve the right to have to be friends with who we want and to respect each other's sovereignty so Ambassador I thank you very much on behalf of the cabinet and behalf of the people of St. Lucia I'm sure the CDP grants will be used beneficially you know in my business in the business that we are in CDP grants create a lot of excitement because ministers have the privilege of being able to use these CDP grants in their constituencies to touch people and that's why we are in government to touch people and sometimes many people don't understand what it means for politicians to touch people's lives you know we know we are in the business of pulling and fiscal pulling and procurement rules all these things we follow we know it must happen but sometimes politicians are not they do not want to break the law but politicians are faced every day with urgency give you an example there was a fire in my constituency yesterday afternoon five people lost absolutely everything everything they have now today they've come to the Parliamentary Rep of course they come to the Parliamentary Rep what must be understood must be understood it may not be necessary it may not be possible to get ID cards bills police record fire record to help these people and that is the reality that we face every day in our lives as politicians you understand that people need urgent support so what do I have to do in the meantime to find money from my almost absent resources to support I have to because I can't leave five people on the streets I can't do it and this is why we try sometimes to tell our technocrats all the time our foreign technocrats our friends that come that try to impose these rules on us we don't understand the reality of our situation they don't understand it and they impose all these rules all these regulations all these statutes they impose on us as small islands looking for little money we never ask for a billion dollars we ask for little money and all these rules and regulations are put on us and why is it we're doing that our people are suffering and why is it we're doing that the political reality is we are the ones who get blamed so I want to thank you for understanding that these grants are necessary and they serve a useful purpose and I know that we've negotiated for five years but in our business sometimes it's a little less than five years so I will ask you in the public in the public domain if all the civil servants are on to see if our city can be made a little wider because you see because in spite of this gentleman ladies not clapping, they come after me all the time so come after me and they ask for the allocations to be increased all the time and if I listen to them I'll get none for myself so I think that you must understand how these things touch people's lives it is in a fundamental way to touch people's lives so I must thank you very much Thank you Honourable Prime Minister and I think Prime Minister forgot to mention just one very important which he has in the past that the funds go to the consolidated fund which is why we have our accountant General here to receive the checks on behalf of the Government of St. Lucia so please join me, accountant General Mr. Matthew Ambassador and Prime Minister to Prime Minister, you know Prime Minister will just touch the check briefly and immediately hand it over to the accountant General Minister you forget to say that we are paying no commission on nomination I will leave that for you all to see Thank you Okay, so Prime Minister will receive the checks to deliver the photographs and private letters on behalf of the Government and the people of St. Lucia Thank you very much protocol have been said, good morning everyone on behalf of the Government and people of St. Lucia Ambassador I wish to convey our appreciation for the generosity demonstrated by the Government and people of the Republic of China Taiwan we are deeply grateful for the recent check presentation amounting to about 3.7 million dollars the breakdown which I will not give as it has already been given that amount will be going towards as was indicated earlier for initiatives adaptive program for persons with disability rehabilitation of human resource centers the 45 Independence anniversary program and the CDP in accordance with the MOU grant for Year 2023 and support extended by your esteem Government play a pivotal role in fostering economic development within our nation the involvement of your check presentation further underscores the strength of the bilateral relationship between our two countries Your Excellency please observe our renewed assurances of our highest consideration we eagerly anticipate the continued cultivation of this mutually beneficial partnership for the prosperity of our two nations on that basis Mr Excellency Ambassador I would like to present on behalf of the Government and people of San Dusha thank you letters for the presentation earlier thank you