 As a government, we also recognize the hard work of our essential service staff during the height of our early mitigation efforts against the spread of COVID in St. Lucia. These workers faced immense challenges in carrying out their duties, and it was painful to note that essential service staff, nurses, police officers, firemen and firewomen were profiled when taking public transportation, and in many instances were turned away from buses in their uniforms. To that end, our government has taken the decision to provide duty-free concessions on vehicles for a stipulated period of time to essential service staff who've been employed for more than five years within the public service. The details of this measure will be finalized after further consultation with the relevant stakeholders.