 Whereas、 it is provided by Section 63W1-E of the Public Finance Management Act cap 15.01 that a Minister of Financeis me by an affirmative resolution of Parliament, borrowing from a bank or an early financial institution for capital or current expenditure and whereas it is fully provided by A Finance the government must be paid into and form part of the consolidated fund. And whereas the minister of finance considers it necessary. And whereas the minister of finance considers it necessary to borrow an amount of US dollars, 9,971,000 from the special funds resources of the Caribbean Development Bank, special development fund to enhance the resilience of the zelusia file service, the loan. And whereas the loan is repayable in 92 equal or proximity equal and consecutive quarterly installments. And whereas the loan payments commence on the first day of January, the first day of April, and the first day of July, and the first day of October each year after grace period of three years, following the date of the loan and such later date as the bank specifies in writing. And whereas interest is payable at a rate of 0.75% per annum on the amount of the loan disposed, be it resolved that parliament authorizes the minister of finance to borrow an amount of US dollars, 9,971,000 from the special funds resources of the bank's special development fund to enhance the resilience of the zelusia file service. The loan is repayable in 92 equal, approximately equal and consecutive quarterly installments. The loan payments commence on the first day of January, the first day of April, the first day of July, the first day of October of each year after grace period of three years, following the date of the loan or such later date as the bank specifies in writing. Interest is payable at a rate of 0.7% per annum on the amount of the loan disposed and outstanding. Mr Speaker, before I make my contribution, I'd like to congratulate the zelusia civil service. The civil service of zelusia tomorrow is October the 4th is civil service solidarity day and we know the civil servants play an important part, public servants in the economy and the management of the country. So I'd like to wish them a successful solidarity day on October the 4th and I also invite members of cabinet and the zelusia public to a panel discussion on the food of October on solidarity in the civil services. Mr Speaker, I'm very pleased this morning to keep a promise of the zelusia Labour Party to enhance and improve conditions of the zelusia fire service in this country. Mr Speaker, the civil service has gone through some trying times. Most of us sometimes don't understand the work that these men and women do for the country. We take it for granted and we do not always show the level of appreciation for the men and women of the zelusia fire service, Mr Speaker. I had the benefit of a discussion with the fire service during a time in another life when I was acting prime minister. I had a discussion with the men and the representatives of the association and they told me firsthand that the trauma and the work and the effort and the ordeal that they went through as fire people. And that was before Covid. That was long before Covid, Mr Speaker. So you can imagine what they went through doing Covid. And I want to put on record again the appreciation of the government of the cabinet and the government of zelusia and on behalf of the people of zelusia, Mr Speaker, our sincere gratitude to the men and women of the zelusia fire service for the work that they do in zelusia for the people of zelusia. Mr Speaker, this motion came about by letter dated March 17, 2023. The government of zelusia through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development requested support to develop a resilience building project to assist in the strengthening the capacity of the zelusia fire service to improve emergency response, make it more effective and more efficient. This was necessary to reduce the vulnerability of the population to increase in disasters triggered by human action and hazard events including stronger tropical cyclones, hurricanes and storms, storm surges and drought events which threaten zelusia's social and economic objectives, Mr Speaker. Not to mention pandemics which happened with the COVID situation when we experienced the COVID pandemic, Mr Speaker, and the work of the fire service, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the expected outcome of the project is to enhance the capacity of the zelusia fire service to expand and improve emergency response services to reduce disaster risk across zelusia in rural urban and sub-urban communities to improve gender responsiveness of human resource management and resilience of communities. Mr Speaker, today I want to announce that very soon the government of zelusia will be waiving all ambulance fees for the people of zelusia. This is part of the work. This is part of the benefits of the health and security of every Mr Speaker. And we will account to the people of zelusia not in a black box, but we will tell them, Mr Speaker, how the health and security levy is being spent. Only this morning we increased resources to the zelusia to police force and the health and security levy will be used for training for effectiveness of the police force. So we will account for the health and security levy. We will not put it in a black box that has never been found. Mr Speaker, the project will be as follows, Mr Speaker. First of all, project preparation. The zelusia fire service has provided architectural and structural joints for the resigned rehabilitation of the zelusia fire service. So we are going to improve, Mr Speaker, the situation at the zelusia fire service in Vuford and the zelusia fire service training facility. And that was used when the RSS came to Zelusia. That's multifunction. It was used when the RSS came to Zelusia. They were housed at the training school in Vuford. So we are going to improve, Mr Speaker, the house at the training school in Vuford, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the money will be used for two parcels of land owned by invest solution Vuford. Being one, 24,500 square foot concrete warehouse with galvanized cladding situated in the Vuford industrial zone. That's where it is now, Mr Speaker. And the land registered in that name. In the name of the invest solution, Mr Speaker. That's what the money is going to be used for. It's going to be used, Mr Speaker, for infrastructure works, for the reconfiguration and retrofitting of the zelusia fire service training center and the practical training grounds to satisfy TVET standards and to facilitate expanded and specialized training programs for zelusia fire service, the rural zelusia police force and the national emergency management organization NIMO and the regional security system, Mr Speaker. The money is going to be used for engineering and construction related services and consultant services to provide design and construction supervision of the infrastructure works being done at the zelusia fire service training school, Mr Speaker. It's not only going to be used for infrastructure, Mr Speaker. It's going to be used for the provision of appliances. As follows, one aerodrome truck, five domestic fire trucks, four quick response vehicles, QRVs, four ambulances and equipment tools for nine fire stations including seven local stations and two crash fire hulls at George F. F. Charles Airport and even the International Airport and information communication technology equipment and furniture for zelusia fire service training school. And Mr Speaker, I want to speak, I want to fill out your four moments with the speaker to deal with the situation at the aerodrome, Mr Speaker. And Mr Speaker, you know, sometimes it's painful when you have people who never performed, who did not perform, who were given the opportunity by the people of zelusia to perform, but they did not perform, they refused to perform, they neglected the most important things that would keep the economy of zelusia going, that would benefit the people of zelusia, Mr Speaker. And now when they are rejected by the people, they refuse to come to parliament and when they are out of parliament, they speak. I wouldn't say that. Mr Speaker, do you know, Mr Speaker, the effective operation of the aerodrome, that's the airport, is a critical requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO and non-compliance increases the risk of sanction including suspension of the airport's license to operate with possible knock-on effects on the airport's reputation, reduce revenue for the entity and the complete breakdown in the tourism industry, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, at present, the aerodrome trucks stationed at George F. F. Charles' airport and the appliances, the fire trucks at the headquarters and in Grozile, some of them are in excess of 20 years old and are operating well beyond the design life of 15 years. In the current state, they require frequent servicing and repairs which have increased response times to emergency calls from citizens, Mr Speaker. The frequent failures increase downtime and continue to place inordinate pressure on other fire stations as they are pressed into action to provide supplemental support to fire trucks that experience mechanical failures whilst responding to emergency calls. This results in inefficiencies that potentially increases the incidence of loss of life of assets, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the continuation of this dire situation is contrary to the policy decision to treat citizens' security as a priority, Mr Speaker. So, Mr Speaker, that loan will be used to provide a new aerodrome truck for the solution fire service to operate at the airport in solution, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the fire service is not only about equipment, it's about men and women, Mr Speaker. So, the personnel fire service they have to always receive training and the organization needs institutional support. Part of that money will be used for the development of a gender policy and action plan through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Speaker. It will be used for mental health and psychosocial support program for firefighters in the solution fire service. Mr Speaker, psychosocial support is extremely important for members of the fire service because of the trauma that they see. Anytime there is an accident, you call them the trauma. The gunshot, the pain, the suffering, Mr Speaker, that these men and women undergo. So, they need psychosocial support, Mr Speaker. And, Mr Speaker, the government is strengthening its psychosocial support, the citizens of St. Lucia because the cabinet has approved the appointment of a psychosocial officer to be housed at the Ministry of Justice, Mr Speaker, once the public service commission agrees. That's important, Mr Speaker. That is very important, Mr Speaker. Once the public service commission agrees because many people believe that the Prime Minister can instruct the public service commission. This present public service commission ensures that the Prime Minister does not instruct it. And, Mr Speaker, it's very important because many of the delays in the system, Mr Speaker, which we as policy makers are suffering are way beyond our control, Mr Speaker. Way beyond our control. But, we obey and the Cabinet of Ministers, we obey the law and we have the patience that is necessary. So, we hope that the psychosocial support that we are seeing for the Ministry of Justice in the Ministry of Justice, Mr Speaker, we hope that that support is given because it is necessary, it is required, and it's part of the government's policy, the approach to combat crime and deviancy in this country, Mr Speaker. So, Mr Speaker, the money is also going to be used for the development of a maintenance action plan for nine fire stations and training to execute the plan. The development of an operational manual to guide fire chiefs and officers to improve overall operations of the solution fire service. The development of a sustainability management plan which will provide guidelines to improve waste management processes for this solution fire service, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the money will also be used for capacity building, technical training for at least 129 fire officers at this time, Mr Speaker. And the numbers have increased. Now, I think it's about 340 which comprises of 270 males and 70 females, Mr Speaker. And I'm very pleased to say, Mr Speaker, that men are the majority of fire service are men. They are represented in the frontline fighter, Mr Speaker. But there are 11 women who are supervisors at the mid-management level, Mr Speaker. So, there is general balance. Minister of Home Affairs, she says, not yet. Mr Speaker, and the solution fire service is an equal opportunity employer. And, Mr Speaker, so part of the funds that these 230,000 will be used for general policy and action plan, Mr Speaker, for this solution fire service, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the money is going to be used for capacity building, I said, technical training in the appropriate use of fire appliances including quick response vehicles, the use of the quick response vehicles, Mr Speaker, to avoid accidents, to respond in an efficient manner to improve their skills, Mr Speaker, in driving these vehicles, Mr Speaker. There is also quick response vehicles, the air drum truck, how to operate it, breathing apparatus, and maintenance service level training for eight maintenance staff mechanics at all fire stations, Mr Speaker. It will also involve training for IT staff and to deliver at least TVET level two to three certification in firefighting. So we are producing global firefighters, Mr Speaker, that they can use their skills to work anywhere but we hope they remain in solution, Mr Speaker, to work to give their services to solution, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the CDB Board of Directors approved the loan on June 18th, 2023. June 18th, 2023. The loan was approved by the Board of Directors, Mr Speaker, for a amount of 9,971,000 from the Caribbean Development Bank's Special Funds Reserve and a grant to the Government of St. Lucia. The Bank saw how necessary that was it, that was how intervention was and it gave a grant of 230,500 US dollars from the CDB Special Funds Resources on the CDB standard terms and conditions and on terms and conditions President has set out on this appraisal report. And I'm going to outline to you the conditions President, Mr Speaker, that caused us to have this loan. Mr Speaker, it's not a situation where we haven't got to report, we haven't got to follow processes, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the Board also approved a waiver of the CDB's procurement guidelines for projects financed by the CDB. They caused a waiver of the procurement guidelines to extend eligibility of bidders for the contract of bidders for the aerodrome, the fire truck, the ambulance, the fire fighting, the foam equipment and the appliances to countries not members of the CDB. So there's going to be a tender process with Mr Speaker and the tender process, the CDB has waived the requirement so everybody can tender, so we can get the better price or the best price for the appliances, Mr Speaker. The total value of the waiver, the total value of the equipment that we are going to buy out of the nine million dollars, the total value of the equipment is 7,370,736 US dollars. That is the value of the aerodrome and fire truck, the ambulances, the fire fighting foam, the equipment and appliances to that is going to be at the value of 7,370,000 US dollars, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the project will be implemented within a period of 40 months. 30 months from the date of approval and is scheduled to be completed by December 2025. By December 2025, Mr Speaker, the fire service should be a top line global fire service, Mr Speaker, in the aspects that I mentioned. Technical specifications and the management of the fire service for doing that for all the equipment and appliances have been prepared. The issuance of tenders for goods and radar services is scheduled for quarter three of 2023. It will happen now, Mr Speaker. A tender for goods and radar services, Mr Speaker. Architecture and structural joints have been prepared with which provide good details of the proposed layout of the zelusia fire service training school in Vuford. Mr Speaker, the ministry of home affairs and the ministry of economic development, will be implementing agency for the project through a project coordinating unit under the supervision of the ministry for home affairs, Mr Speaker, and the ministry of national security. Mr Speaker, sometimes there is not confusion but people don't really understand the distinction between the ministry of home affairs and the ministry of national security. But hopefully, that will be clear shortly but the ministry of home affairs, Mr Speaker, is the implementing agency for the fire service. The ministry of home affairs, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, there are conditions precedent to the first disbursement. First of all, the bank shall not be obliged to make the first disbursement of the loan until the borrower has furnished or caused to be furnished to the bank evidence acceptable to the bank that the following conditions have been satisfied. One, it has obtained prior approval from parliament for the loan. That's what we're doing this morning. Prior approval from parliament. Two, the project coordinator is engaged. Three, the PCU has been established with composition and functions acceptable to the bank. Four, the procurement officer has been assigned from within the ministry of home affairs with qualifications and experience acceptable to the bank. And finally, the project steering committee has been established. So, minister of home affairs, you have your instructions on these conditions precedent so you can move as quickly as possible to relieve these men and women in the fire service, Mr Speaker.