 Heard during the presentation in the budget, the issue of providing additional support under the public assistance program, we would be rolling out additional support for the CDB and World Bank support where persons who have been on the waiting list for public assistance will be getting. This income support is critical at this time because we are increasing both horizontally and vertically the support that has been given to two persons, so we will increase it slightly the amount but we will also be adding more persons who would be receiving income support at this time. So I am very pleased to report two solutions that is critical, also persons living with HIV also would be receiving support under the income support as well as the number of persons who are receiving the disability grant, so we will also be increasing slightly as well as increasing the amount that they will be receiving. Hi, two questions from me, the first one on the income support. I saw a notice from your ministry about some support that you guys are offering to persons who lost their income due to COVID or to children who lost their parents due to COVID that have not gotten anything. But how does this benefit small business owners who lost their businesses through COVID and did not, like if somebody was a small business, a micro business, one person operation and because of COVID they lost their income, the provisions that you have given doesn't allow for these people to benefit, so how do these people get support? Any safety net program is limited, it cannot take care of everything first, so it is not the amount of resources to touch everybody. So we are looking at persons who are most vulnerable in that regard and we would use our SNNET 3.0 which is a poverty tool that targets the most vulnerable, it is scientific and persons who are on public assistance and persons that we are seeking to serve because we are the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, we are targeting the most vulnerable. Understand that the social intervention is not only by the Ministry of Equity, so for example you would have heard the Ministry of Commerce for example implementing small business loans and of course would provide an opportunity for individuals as well. The bell fund for its support provides for vulnerable persons up to some extent but the Ministry of Equity through that program is specifically targeting I would say persons in the last quintile of our population, extremely poor people, that is our mandate, that is what the Ministry is doing. So when we speak of our interventions and we speak of persons who are very, very vulnerable and sometimes until you could put an eye to those individuals if you have not experienced it you would not even know what I am talking about. So it is difficult sometimes to speak as a Ministry because of the people that we represent and it is not obvious when some of us live a particular life and we are not exposed to persons who probably do not have the means of disposing their waste, they do not have a house with a floor. I personally have seen children living on the ground, that is what their floor is. I have sent this and I am about to address it even within the year as soon as we came into elections and there are people living below the poverty line, what they consume is far less so there are questions that would be applicable to the Ministry of Commerce in terms of small business and persons who would have suffered the loss of business through COVID but there are other persons who fall within our micro interventions dealing with a certain level of vulnerability and it is only captured for a scientific tool which is the SNF 3.0. Question, there was a murder in your constituency on Saturday, what are you planning to put in place in your constituency but now specifically to ensure that these things will not happen again because I think there has been more than one murder. Yes, I cannot guarantee that the interventions we have will prevent murders for us, I have known for a very long time that even when the oath was most perfect, Ken Killebel and I understood the parents were good parents. One of the things that I am trying to encourage in Castry's office is the issue of uniting our communities and uniting people. We need to be together, we should not allow religion and other forms of partisanship, politics to divide the communities and people in the communities the way it has happened, it has affected families. So I would be through the work of under the constituency development program, I would be advocating for a lot of values programmed to children and I am hoping that it will catch up and get mainstream where we need to focus on impacting values to our younger generation, respect, tolerance, love, same thank you, those courtesies, we had them before and we took them for granted but we have lost so much in a short space of time in exchange for what, maybe the extra dollar water bill. I think if we spend time in the social re-engineering of the next generation, I think we would gain a lot more. In the meantime, we continue to invest in our young people, I am happy that we had for example the CPA pageantry, the confidence of our young people in Castry's office, I enjoyed this, we continue to see investment in sports and being inspired like Julian Alfred will impact our wider population when she goes out there and performing the way that she did. All of these interventions together with what the ministry is doing with the social transformation officers on the ground will contribute but it will not by itself prevent crime. You also as young persons, you need to add your voice because the responsibility of having a solid society is not just government but it's every one of us. So that is my answer to this. My question is about accessibility. I know, are there any plans in your ministry to improve the accessibility to facilities for people with disabilities? I know in Tainusha, we don't really have ramps or these types of things to access certain buildings, certain places of work. Are there any plans to improve those? The Ministry of Equity will continue to be an advocate because the physical planning department is the one responsible, the Ministry of Infrastructure is responsible for our infrastructure. What my ministry will continue to do is to advocate. So we are not the one designing buildings. However, with the nature of our infrastructure, it doesn't cater for persons with disabilities, it's far from being what it's supposed to be. But however, I am of the opinion that we need to coexist and find ways of being able to facilitate persons with disability. So for example, if somebody who is with a disability is using the elevator in the building, we should not deny the person work because the person cannot reach the keys in the elevator. Somebody must be downstairs to receive and that must become the normal part of our practice. So where the technology doesn't allow for us to do what is happening in a first world country, our humanity must step in. So therefore, I do not see difficulties in accommodating persons with disabilities. Currently, we need to, if we believe in them, they are differently able, and we also recognize their rights. And then we would accommodate them. I know of a story of a young lady who went to South Aloysse and she's really short. And the furniture, the students, she said her two years at South Aloysse was facilitated by her students, not even the school, and successfully completed South Aloysse, you know, being that short. So our humanity makes a difference when technology is not available. But the ministry responsible for fixing our infrastructure with the rums and sidewalks and get all the necessary technologies for persons with disability to be able to do that. It's the Ministry of Physical Planning in what plans and what buildings they approve, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Design of the Roads and Infrastructure. Okay, so two questions. You mentioned bridging the gaps in communities. So my first question to you is, as the rep, what are you doing to ensure that the youth are being brought together in terms of, let's say, sporting activities or after school programs, that's you as the rep. Now the second question is now you as the minister with the Boys' Training Centre, what is being done to ensure that the young men are put into programs that could help them be constructive? Yes, thank you. Thank you so much for this question. And as the parliamentary representative, the going and do things for communities as its benefits, but also as it's, you know, there's a negative to it, as against facilitating communities doing things for themselves that when you no longer the parap it continues. What I have, what I'm trying to get communities to organize themselves and try to empower them that they can do for themselves. And up to yesterday at the meeting with the cricketers, the young men, the people who play cricket, street cricket in in Macron lands. Very interesting sports. I enjoy watching their rules as to how you could be filled in under the bush and nobody know that you're there, but you have to be there for when the ball gets there to send it back on the road. Very interesting. But like I said to them last night, I would like for when I'm no longer the parliamentarian that it continues. So you must organize yourself and take responsibility for doing it and facilitate it. There is a cricket activity in forestry every Easter. It is really forestry activity. It should not take a parliamentarian to cause this to happen every good Friday or every time the community should be so resourced and also has the capacity to be able to do that on their own. Just like we have the Lawers and Lamargoite, it doesn't require a politician for Lawers and Lamargoite to take place. So the what I'm trying to do as the parliamentarian is to empower, facilitate, but ensure whatever I do that is sustainable, that it is not just the parliamentarian there. So you would not hear, for example, a Joachim Henry football competition. I've said to them, name it after Lompos or a name that would remain not Joachim Henry was passing through. So the football competition, when I'm not dead, still going on. So our people must think of their communities. Again, unite and come together because they are resources. But if people are divided through religion or through partisan politics, you find the communities are weak. The resources are there, but they are weak. So I heard, for example, the former power rep asking me to cut the grass on a forestry playing field during the last community with more buckles and excavators than you could get anywhere else in the world. With the wealthiest of contractors, whatever you, you would wonder why is there a playing field in forestry. And then the community has not only to protect it and secure it. You know, there are poor communities who have been able to do that. So in castry's office, that's my agenda. That's my focus. It's difficult to do because a lot of persons have gotten into the habit that the power rep must come and do for them, you know, everything. We also, I'm trying to launch what I consider to be a debating competition within the constituency. Again, among the young people, I think debating the issues among young people will help, you know, bring about consciousness as to where we are. So the issue of intergenerational poverty that need to be discussed by the young people, because you are the ones that are going to inherit a future and you need to understand decisions are made today. How do you fit into this place tomorrow? What is going to be like to you? The issue of reproductive, sexual reproductive health and rights is something that's supposed to be discussed and debated among young people. There are a number of thematic areas that if you do not discuss it at the community level, it will not empower people. It should not be political talking points. So the level of advocacy among young people needs to be encouraged and people need to empower and do things for themselves. That is how you're going to have the real social transformation and re-engineering. Yes, final question for me. Do you think with your background with the SSDF, do you think that, well, I'm sure you've noticed that there is a direct correlation between job opportunities or people being in jobs and the level of crime? Is that something that you're going to look at in your constituency? Because in Odser, for example, in the industrial area there were a number of factories where a vast number of the population of that constituency were employed and that number has dwindled to almost nothing now. In fact, I would be surprised if even one of those factories are still open. Is there any plans for you to go into bringing back those factories, maybe encouraging some of those companies to come back and to encourage employment for the people as a means of reducing the level of crime in the constituency? No. I haven't seen research that suggests that there's a strong correlation between crime, crime among young people and unemployment. However, we believe that if young persons are unemployed want the right to, you know, it's part of their dignified work, you're earning a living is the right persons must have to. But you still find in some jurisdiction where people who are gainfully employed also participate in crime. But yes, we will, the Ministry of Commerce and I'll support the minister responsible for investment, every opportunity, because the land in Kaldesak, in Odser belongs to it, it's under the auspices of the of Invest and Ministry of Commerce. So does these areas of intervention are really the responsibility of certain ministry? And yes, I would continue to advocate. But what I can do on what I'm trying to do, for example, we have the ground floor of a community center built in Odser. I've decided to use my CDP and support of the Taiwanese and convert it into small cottage businesses to put a barber salon hairdresser, I'll convert it downstairs of the community center and allow the young people to to get it at paper con rate or give them one year lease without paying rent and to operate the barber salon. I'll do that in all other vacant public spaces within the community. So it provides opportunity and I'll buy the equipment and put in it. You know, I've also asked a barber to train two young men in Kaldesak who's willing to become barbers. And so at the level of a community, I am doing this to inspire people that there are low hanging fruits. There are there are interventions at the community level. If you want to be gainfully employed, if you prepare to put your mind at it, you will get support. Also part of my CDP, a lot of what I've received as as constituency development support through the prime minister have invested directly in small businesses or persons who want to open a business, whether give them a small grant to stock up their shop and what have you have done this and I continue to do it. So employment, it's about livelihoods, how persons are able to to embark on their livelihoods and that I am trying to do. And but of course, I recognize that the ministry responsible for investment also have a significant role to play. He asked me a question with regards to the Boys Training Center and the the as a ministry, we have a plan for the Boys Training Center. We continue to work with Cabinet approved for us to set up a steering committee with a number of stakeholders that will guide that process, because it is not just what I personally believe, but we want to subject this thing to a white cross section of other stakeholders. But the ideal thing, what will guide the way forward is one that we are rationalizing all of these juvenile centers. You have the the upturns place where you have the young girls, you have the transit home in Kazaba, you have the Boys Training Center. So we need to discuss that and rationalize that. One of the things that I personally have a difficulty with as a minister is that you cannot have five girls, but you have an assistant manager at the upturned girls and have six over there, you have an assistant manager. So between the three centers, juvenile centers, you have six managers, yet we still have problems. The cost of operating is too high. So we need to rationalize that. And we are moving to George Charles secondary school to let it become our premier juvenile center. But while we're doing this, we have to think of a juvenile detention center. Because what is going on at the Boys Training Center, we have young men who are there for care and protection, and we have young men who have issues with the law and they're too young to go to body lists. So we do not have a detention center for juveniles. The Boys Training Center was really a place for care and protection, not for persons who are in conflict with the law. So the prison or the courts have been transferring young men who have serious issues with the law but do not have an age based on our child protection laws cannot go to prison because the young people have a right. So in the redesigning of a juvenile center, we will take all of that into consideration. And with the necessary consultation with all of the stakeholders, it will be decided where best to be placed, whether it be placed on the site, whether it be elsewhere, what the design is supposed to be and everything like that. So we are working on this. With back to the COVID-19 income support that was the information released from the Ministry of Equity, it was a bit of a surprise or rather out of the blue. Can you provide some more insight or some background information on that? Yeah, the income support on the COVID, the theme COVID started since COVID time, but all of it was not implemented then and the funders came back and said, we are prepared to give you additional funds under the same regime. So yes, the term COVID may have signal, COVID support, but it's really to enhance our safety net for persons, the fallouts you have as a result of COVID. And of course, the lingering problems with COVID is that you still have persons who have not returned to work. You have persons, I was aware in a presentation where some jobs actually disappeared because of COVID what transpired. So the fallout is significant and the resources actually, the Caribbean Development Bank is continuing to provide support under the same regime, the COVID response to our vulnerable population. And just one point I need to make, sorry about this, of course, you would have noticed that a statement was made on social media and my private Facebook regards to the rights of newborn babies. It's a matter that these matters when babies are born at the hospital, they should not be denied their both documents because mommy owes that I think the child is a citizen and has rights and needs to be processed in terms of getting registered and what a view. So I spoke on this, it's a matter that I've raised among my colleagues, as well as persons who have died and there's money owed to them, the old money, sorry, the old money to the hospital and they are not able to bury the loved one because of an outstanding. I did advocate that these areas are areas that we continue to work with, but I am the chief advocate for vulnerable population as minister responsible for vulnerable people and what affects poor people. I will always continue to air and to stir discussion even within the population on the areas that affect our poor vulnerable population. But of course the minister of health champions this. In fact, he was surprised that some people, some technical people still do not allow persons to get those certificates for one reason or the other and it reminds me of our attempt to reduce the cost of sanitary products and while we reduce by removing that the private sector did otherwise and now we need to respond and put these things on as price control. So we as a government, we know that they are technocrats and while when we establish policies one way or the other, whether by speaking to persons who are responsible, sometimes other persons for other reasons do otherwise and but we need to continue to speak out and in that case I just air my views as the minister or the chief advocate. Mr. Minister, lately you know the government has been rolling out several social programs. The last one, the last addition was to enhance, to help people who displace during the COVID. Would that entail small vendors like small caterers, you know there are some people who did little catering at their home, small vendors, you know. What range of people would it really entail that could? Like I said, I answered the question earlier on. It's targeted and we it's not for, we cannot do everybody but we're looking at, we apply, we apply a tool, approximate this or approximate or what you call SLNet 3.0 or measurement tool so that we can target persons who need things most. There's a multi-dimensional aspect to poverty. It's not just about absence of income but when you apply, when you view poverty from a multi-dimensional lens, you'll see other deprivation. So the person might be without income but the person also might be suffering from cancer, what a view. That is taken into consideration when you're looking at vulnerability. The person may have, may have the issue of dealing with illness as well as income but may also go through, you know, some other part of the life where someone has passed on. So we take all of these into consideration when we are applying support to individuals and when shocks, when people experience shocks in their lives, it's a lot more complicated. So the multi-dimensional aspect of poverty is what our SLNet 3.0 are really considered. Not just the fact that you've lost a job because there are persons, even while they've lost a job, may be worse off than others and the money is going to take care of everybody. Okay, so recently we've seen that the horse race track in view for it is starting some development on it again, seeing all according to an article that was published. So seeing all the controversy in the past, does the government have a hand to playing it and what do you have to say on it? Well, I'm not aware that any developments are taking place with the Tewakin, DSH, Alan Shasne horse racing track. I'm not aware of that. I've seen photos being in form of any developments in that regard. I'm aware though that view for the people of view for it are planning to have a certain interest in view for that planning to have a traditional horse race. They've had that for many years before DSH came, before Tewakin came. They've been having their horse races in view for it. In fact, I will tell you if you recall the last time the leader of the opposition went to view for together with the leader of the opposition from Belize. There was a clip of some young men accusing him of coming and killing their horse racing in view for it to bring Tewakin and that he's partly responsible for a lot of what was going on. If you recall that, so it shows that the horse racing in view for it had been a traditional activity. And I think what you're seeing was an attempt to revive that. And of course, I think one of the local contractors was assisting them in making the arrangements so they can revive their traditional local horse races in view for it. The governor's solution is not involved. It is not a government activity. And in fact, I applaud the young people of view for it if they believe their traditional activity was taken away from them. And they want to bring it back and meaningfully and productively engage themselves in such an activity. I think it's a good one. I noticed the narrative going around that as if this government now is putting horses before hospital. I mean, this is absolutely laughable because a community deciding to revive the horse racing, which was destroyed by the last government is not the same. And secondly, the government is not involved in it. And thirdly, I don't know, you can equate it. I mean, a lot has been done now to resolve the hospital issue in view for it. And in fact, there's criticism that the government is doing too much to complete the hospital and a lot of feedback. I would believe that everybody in San Jose would certainly both parties would say, once and for all, let's get it right and complete this project. And I think we just have to put this whole thing in context. This horse racing has nothing to do with the government or any attempt to put horses before hospital. We are finishing the hospital and we will finish the hospital. With the SAG after strikes in the United States, I was just wondering, is there anything that the government is doing or your ministry in particular is doing to protect the rights of creatives in terms of intellectual property and that type of thing so that exploitation doesn't happen? Well, there is law in San Lucia that provides for intellectual property rights. Different countries have their own regime of legislation according to how mature and develop their creative industry is. Ours is a very, very infantile industry. We are just starting to create an excitement of vibe about creative industries. And of course, as it matures, a lot more policy and regulation will come into play. ECHO is there as it relates to some aspect of the creatives. But as industry matures, you will see a lot of the public demand, both from the public and from creatives, to have regulation and protection of them. So we're still very early days. We had very early stages of creating a creative industry and creating a vibe and awareness and necessity for us to have a creative economy in San Lucia. I noticed that you saw that you, on your last visit, during the annual conference of tourism advisors or travel advisors in Turks and Caicos that you took some time out to meet with San Lucia's working overseas. What was that like? What was it like to meet people, you know, our fellow countrymen, and how are they doing over there? I think, you know, for me it was really inspiring to meet them. I hosted a breakfast for some of them and then they invited me to go out on there. They don't have a grocery Friday night. It's a first day night, you know, fish fry. Where's more lobby? Because, you know, lobby is the big thing in Turks and Caicos. It is really good meeting them and the stories they came over. Some of them have left the hotel and brought them over, the beaches, and they have their own independent lives now, and they sat in their own families. And there's quite a significant San Lucia population and to hear of the activities of the association was really pleasant. I didn't know they were so active, so it was really good. And what also made it, you know, quite pleasing to me, you spend many years growing up in San Lucia and you hear all the talk, you know, sandals bringing on a lot of foreigners working in San Lucia and, you know, Lucians are getting opportunities, whatnot. And since I became minister, you know, I actually challenged sandals on that and said the popular perception in San Lucia is that foreigners coming to work here and Lucians are getting no jobs. And they told me, no, no, no, no, no. They'll give me the facts. And almost a hundred solutions are out working in various sandals properties around the region. After Jamaica, we have the most. San Lucians, now, and as I said in my posting on that, supposedly those solutions are taking the jobs of other people. You know, because when people come here, we do say, you know, they're taking San Lucian jobs. And to some extent, who knows, it's probably true. But the fact is, our people go overseas too. And the thing about it, most of the solutions were out there in senior positions. It's not ordinary waiter, you know, not at that level. It's a high level, which tells you a lot about the competencies we have in San Lucia. And the demand for the competencies we have in San Lucia was very reassuring. So, you know, I met with them and they were telling me, you know, in fact, I can tell you the breakfast was cocoa tea and bacon and salt fish. And two other guys were bakers. One is in charge of all pastries, what not, and the other guy, you know, I think he's from country southeast, actually. He was one of the main bakers at the hotel. He's a massive hotel. So, I was really glad to see him and hear his stories. And to tell him about the vision we have for tourism in San Lucia, that we want to build a tourism industry that is sustainable and inclusive to reorient it from what it has traditionally been into a new construct that allows more San Lucia to participate and to own the industry. So, I explained to them the vision that we have and certainly, you know, they, you know, shaped me, their own experiences and their own thoughts. And just hearing them saying it from a distance, you know, from carnival to jazz to the bombom wall to all those things, it was really good at exchange. Friday last week, I had a similar, well, not similar, but I had an engagement in London with the diaspora, they two asking questions. And again, I took the opportunity to sell to them the vision we have for tourism in San Lucia and how different we want it to be from what it has been. And I think, you know, it's to get everybody to understand what we want to do with tourism in San Lucia. No, you'll have to give me about 10, 15 minutes. But you'll get an opportunity, because very soon we will be going to the house for the new tourism development bill. And I'll get an opportunity to speak as to that vision for tourism in San Lucia. And I'm not a guru of tourism. I live that designation to others. My second question. The 2.5% levy on, sorry, the 2.5% health and security levy. It has been on goods and services. How does it affect the hotel industry? Because I heard that now hoteliers are required to pay the 2.5% levy on the advertising, whether they advertise in country or not. Can you give some clarity on that? But whether they were paying it or not. Let's start from the general and go to the specific. Let's do so. We face a reality where the demands of solutions for better health care is insurmountable. I mean, the cost of medical care. And if you just spend some time to even just read about the NHS in the UK, how much it costs the government, Medicare in the US, in Canada. And you look at all countries that provide some measure of accessible health care to their population. It takes a lot of resources. And I remember in the house, two budget presentations, I made a specific call for our government to move quickly towards having universal health care. Because as a parliamentary rep, I was feeling the pressure of people coming to me. They want medication because they need resources because they have to pay for chemotherapy. They have to do MRIs. They have to do ultrasongs. They can't afford to pay medication for heart problems, for cholesterol and whatnot. It is depressing that so many of our people cannot afford the health care. Some of us can. We could fly to Miami and we can, you know, rest and grow our build and look relaxed and whatnot. And, you know, people can go overseas and they have ways and means for them to meet those expenses, whatnot. A lot of solutions don't. They just cannot. They just cannot. And the government have to find the modality and the mechanism to provide for ordinary people. That's why it doesn't have to die because they can't pay for five wrongs of chemo. That would cost what? Three, four thousand dollars? You know, we have to think differently. So what do we do? And this is a historical problem that did not start with us. You can ask Senior Minister Stevens King, when he was Minister of Health, you can go as far back as Romanus Lansico, who wanted a new Victoria Hospital. And I don't know how many of you all are probably too young. Maybe Andrew probably can. He started to raise funds for Victoria Hospital. And we had to help as little young school boys and things to help raise funds. I mean, in Vedasonga's famous Calibso, you know, Victoria, crying about the plight of the hospital. But we have evolved as a country. We've built a modern hospital funded by the OKEU. But we have to maintain it. And it was calculated that the cost of operating OKEU was an additional 60 plus million dollars. But where do we get it from? We have to get it from somewhere. So what do we do? You come up with a system that doesn't even raise all the money you need. But at least every solution can contribute to better health care in the country. And we started already in some ways, providing medication for those over 80. All their services are free. Pregnant mothers, pregnant ladies and things. So we are starting and gradually we're going to expand the basket of services and expand it and expand it. We need to do it. So resources have to be raised. We also, I don't have to tell you about the security situation in the country. It is a concern to every citizen. Our people want citizen safety in this country. It takes resources. The police said to us, look, we don't even, we never had a budget in the last five years to pay for even training of police officers, not even training. And I mean, we've vehicles, you know, all the tools of trade that they need. So we need to raise the money. So okay, our decision was taken to put 2.5% levy on certain goods and services, certain goods and services, certain. Already the hospitality sector enjoys a tremendous basket of concessions and incentives. Trust me, they do. It's tremendous. The hospitality sector pays a lower vat than the average solution. But that has to be done because it is felt they need, they are the engine of, of growth and the fuel economy. So we have to. Now it's not just hoteliers, but the vendors and sites owners and all the other service providers contribute to the economic growth of this country. So I believe that every single solution should contribute to make sure we have a better healthcare system and to ensure that we have more support to ensure safety in this country, citizen safety. I want to know when I go about, and I, I lie in my constituency, I lie in a constituency that I feel a measure of comfort and safety in this country. And I want to know that the police and them get the support for that to happen. And I believe every single solution should be proud to contribute to know that the grandmother can get her diabetes medicine free of charge and the hypertensive medicine free of charge. And if she has to do an MRI, she doesn't have to pay for it. But that's the solution we want. But each of us have to contribute to it. How else are we going to finance it if persons do not contribute to it? And then if certain goods and services, because there are certain goods and services, you should probably not tax because it would affect, you know, the more disadvantage, then let's do it as a people. Let's collectively come together and say, let us, let's get it done because it's the better for our country and for our people. Let me tell you, it's not an easy experience when you have people sit down with you and telling you about, you know, they cannot buy, they're taking the diabetes medicine every other day because they can't afford to pay it. And you know the consequences of doing that. But we should take care of them. And I think, you know, you know, we should ask certain services and goods to contribute to that. It's a collective good and it's the betterment of the society. Yes, Mr. Minister, my question is a little different. You know, lately we've seen that if all the events take place, one of the tourism hunches or the big heads in tourism have designated St. Lucia as a festival country. Now we know the Juniquial is coming up. There was a grand opening in a different kind of form. But then the exec from FRC said it's going to be bigger than jazz, bigger than carnival. I know it's a challenge. But in the whole context, how would this whole Juniquial, this whole Creole festival fit into the calendar of activities at St. Lucia as a festival country? How big would that be now that you see that? Yeah, let me tell you. The last time I commented on that, I got myself in a lot of trouble with my Dominic and friends. So, you know, well, the describe center as a festival country, I think we are a romance country. We are an adventure country. We are a nature country. We want to be a dive country. And I have no problems. We've been a festival country. Why? Because you have different times of the year that different people travel for different reasons. You know, during the October, November, until March is our big tourism season. A lot of visitors from the cooler countries come down because of the warmth or not. During the summer is when you have a lot of regional travelers taking place. So, from jazz, you know, to carnival and of course going on to Juniquial. I've always said from day one when I became minister that the vision was for this country to establish a creative economy, for us to have a creative economy. Our creatives know that almost every month there is something that they can be part of. So, I took the example of fashion, for example. Why? I support we have in fashion shows throughout the year. So, we have one. So, we have the clothing for independence, then for jazz and then for carnival and then for emancipation and then for Juniquial. And if you have five fashion shows, it means same stresses and designers and models and all them are working five times a year knowing every time, you know, the pop shops and entrepreneurs. You create a whole economy, a series of economic activity, a wrong that's alone, fashion to support our different festivals. So, just think about it. You know, you're a fashion designer. You can design clothes for five peak periods, how much money you can make, same stresses, how much clothes they can sell. You create a little economy around the fashion industry. Our singers, let me tell you. Our solo groups have never had it so good in the last two years. I know because I have one in my constituency, they get calls repeatedly for them to come and perform. I'm very proud of them and they had a big hit last year. I won't sing it for you all this morning. You know, and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen this year for Juniquial. So, it creates an economic activity for them. You have events, you know, jazz next year we open to be even bigger than it was last year. I'm not sure we will put more people at pigeon point, given how this year was, but if we get the lineup we want, trust me, it's going to be bigger. Carnival this year in the first 10 days of July, we had 18,000 arrivals in the first 10 days this year. You know, if you just say 60% came for Carnival, think of the numbers that came. It was the biggest we had. And we want Juniquial likewise to grow and to be even bigger. So, whether this year would have reached that stage, I don't think so. I still believe there are a lot of elements that have to be put in to make sure it gets as big as jazz or as big as, you know, carnival. A lot of people still go to Dominica for Creole Music Festival. And the last time I said Juniquial and Sanusia can be as bigger than Dominica, it caused problems. I didn't mean that we want to compete with Dominica and take away from Dominica, but there is the potential, because I'll tell you one thing with Carnival. Carnival has a lot of supporters. We also have a lot of detractors. Everybody supports Juniquial and Creole Heritage Month. You know, it cuts across all spiritual beliefs, it cuts across all, you know, visions of morality and, you know, ethical behavior. And then it reinforces cultural tradition. So, there are people that will not support Carnival because it's back and I have people, it's continually dressed on the road. They don't have the similar gripes with Creole Heritage. So, Creole Heritage will become a massive, massive celebration in Sanusia. It will take some time to grow. Different aspects of it will also grow. And that is the vision. Emancipation, which I suppose have been a one-day celebration for the entire month. Last year, this year was another entire month. We have the murals in the city hoping next year we can do a number of towns and villages as well to supplement what we did. So, those things will grow. You will not establish the kind of creative economy I spoke of in one year. You know, it will take a few years, but each year we will get bigger and bigger and bigger and I think eventually we'll reach where we want to reach. Yes, I have two questions for you. One about CIP and another question that for your capacity as deputy prime minister, but for CIP we're hearing that CIP funds from the opposition that they do not go into the consolidated fund. They go into the national economic fund and there are talks about this being improper and so on. So, as the minister responsible for CIP, what do you have to say? I don't even know where to get those things from. Somebody must be really dreaming of all kinds of stories, but let me see if I can unravel what this is about. Let me tell you what is happening and what the law says. The law says that donations must go to the national economic fund. Revenue from the donation option goes to the national economic fund and that happens. So, all the monies that are earned from the donation option goes to the national economic fund. The bonds go to the ministry of finance. These are government saving bonds and there is legislation that says when you float a bond, blah blah blah, the money comes to the ministry of finance which is a consolidated fund. So, the bonds go to the ministry of finance and the treasury. The donation goes to the national economic fund. Any savings or excess of revenue over expenditure on operational, and let me explain to you, there are a number of fees that are charged, due diligence fees, administrative fees, application fees, what not. At the end of the year, you have a statement of all the fees you earn and how much it took you to run the organization, salaries, rental, what not. Any excesses, the ministry of finance directs how it should be done. That was what happened in the last government. The ministry of finance then, Alan Chastley, gave instructions that the monies have to go to the consolidated fund or to use otherwise. So, he used some of the money to give for the expo in Dubai, remember that. So, as ministry of finance, you direct how the money should be spent for whatever purposes and the luggage you're the right as minister of finance. And it's no different. There's nothing we're doing now that is different to what they did. Nothing. And I don't know what more I can say, but I can tell you, donations go to the national economic fund, bonds go directly to finance because it's a bond that has been floated and has to be repaid. And any excesses in operational revenue, the minister of finance says what to do with it. So, if he says, pay this bill, do this, send it to the consolidated fund, he decides what to do with it. And that's normal. And that's what we inherited. The present prime minister has not sought to do anything differently. Just now, just a second question. Capacity as deputy prime minister. Okay. Now, I understand that the DPP has recommended that prosecution be laid against the police officers involved in ORC in two separate incidents, one which occurred in Marsha and one which occurred in Viewfort. That decision was made about two weeks ago. Does this administration have any commitment to making public the impacts report? Or is the administration going to comment on ORC? Well, I'll leave it to the minister of national security, who is better briefed on those matters than me. So, to comment on, I really don't know. And I've been honest with you. Okay, thanks. All right. Just one question. Just an update on the, I guess, regional travel situation and ELF coming into the region as well. Is there any update in that regard? And what can we see in the foreseeable future? Well, certainly the ELF will improve over Q4 and Q1 in 2024. We went through, you know, a difficult period during this summer as Europe opened up. A lot of people went to Europe. A lot of the airlines put their equipment to go to Europe. The faeces opened up and quite a lot of equipment. We've been in discussions, very intense discussions with carriers. And, you know, we are going to see a major improvement. I don't necessarily want to make the announcements now because the airlines will make the announcements formally. But we are going to see significant increase in ELF capacity internationally, that is. And we continue to work with airlines to improve it. So, your announcements very shortly from Virgin as to what will be in place next year. I think American might have already made their announcement. If not, I will ask them when they're going to make their announcement. Delta is also going to increase. JetBlue is also going to increase. And we're expecting very strong showing for still arrivals for the season, Q4 into Q1. And the cruise season is about to start in the next two to three weeks. And it's going to be our busiest cruise season ever. So, there's going to be, as it relates to regional, it continues to be a headache. I've had discussions with Inter-Caribbean. They just got some more equipment planes, but they're still expecting some more. Liart is still, still mid. The Caribbean airlines have increased. Again, they're expecting some more equipment planes. But it's getting better. I mean, more and more, the airlines are starting to get back equipment. It's taken a long time, of course, post-COVID. A lot of the pilots have to be retrained and recertified. Some of the planes that were given up have to be brought back into service. And some of them have orders for new planes that they're still waiting for. But it's getting better. I can tell you from one year ago, it's getting better. And we hopefully, sometime next year, will return to a state of normalcy. A lot will depend on the future of Liart. SELUSIA has stated its clear position that we support a public sector solution to connectivity in the region. We also will support private sector interventions. But we believe to counter, not counter, but to supplement the private sector, there must be a public sector solution. Because we've learned in the past that when the private sector is challenged by economic difficulties and pulled away, we have to have something to carry us through. And if we had a public sector solution in place, we would not be suffering as we are. And it's of importance to SELUSIA because regional arrivals was our second largest source. So it was the U.S., regional, U.K., Canada. And with the regional declining so significantly, it has affected our original numbers. Because SELUSIA was a very attractive regional destination. So we have a very vested interest in a regional solution. In your capacity as Deputy Prime Minister, are you aware that the Taiwanese government has issued a statement about that OIDC-OECC affair to clarify on the loans? Now, this is not the first time that a Labour Party government has called the integrity of the Taiwanese government into question. There was the Tom Chu affair and the recalling of Tom Chu as the ambassador for SELUSIA. And now we have another thing. Are you or is the SLP government in any way worried that these issues would impact on the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and SELUSIA? Well, I don't think the government and people of Taiwan should be worried about this. The government and people of Taiwan, our friends, friends of SELUSIA, we have a strong relationship. We have strong bilateral arrangements in place and there is no issue with this or any questioning of this. And you made mention of the Tom Chu situation. I think then what was required was to call the irregular practices that were taking place. In fact, our view was reinforced by Janine Compton, who was then a representative in the ruling government, who herself said that the practices were unusual. And she had decided then that the money they was giving her as parliamentary rep, she put it in the Treasury and draw down on it from the Treasury. The others decided that they would accept money paid directly to them, which we said was unusual and should not be done. It had nothing to do with the government people. It was the practice that was being put in place by the local representative and the government then. In this case, it's an issue of expressing the arrangement that was in place with a private company, with a company out of Taiwan. That has nothing to do with the government of Taiwan or the people of Taiwan. I mean, we are bilateral partners and we like family. There's nothing to do with that. It's the same way we can criticize Tiwakin and DSH. We were not attacking those individuals. If we have problems with carbots, which we did, we were not attacking the Canadian government and the people of Canada. Why should anybody extend it to me? In this case, we are attacking the government of Taiwan and the people now. When we criticize carbots, did anybody say we are criticizing the Canadian government? When we criticize other developers who don't practice best practices in St. Lucia, is that an attack on the government? No, it's not. I mean, these bilateral relationships exist in a different sphere altogether. OECC is a subsidiary of the Taiwanese government and OECC was contracted by them. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan, the loan was fully transparent and they were the ones who chose to do that way. Who chose to go that way? The Taiwanese government. I mean, are you anyway worried? You're not worried? I am not worried. I don't see why anybody should be worried. If something happened which requires clarification and an unusual practice, it was a practice which is not in keeping with our understanding of the Finance Act, then we say so. And then, you know, let's sit down as friends and say, but look, why did this happen? In fact, I mean, if anything, they probably should give us all the information they have and help us understand what happened. But I mean, we are friends and we will be friends because it's the nature of the relationship we have with them. We have a long record of working with the Taiwanese and it doesn't mean that we will not express concern if we see something. If any government for that matter, any government for that matter. So, I'm not worried about this, you know. In international diplomacy and relations, there are ways and means of handling those issues.