 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I thought he would have awaited at least the response of what he asked for. But he asked for it and he'll get it. Mr. Speaker, I promise you that. Mr. Speaker, let me start off by welcoming our colleague, the member for Castree Southeast, wishing him a full recovery. And I want him to ensure that he takes his rest, he needs it, and that, you know, whatever work he wants to embark upon should be of a lighter look. But Mr. Speaker, I have heard, let the jackasses breathe. I have heard barking dogs. I have heard you have lost the right to speak. But today, in this August chamber, the leader of the opposition member for Miku South, former prime minister, refers to a St. Lucian citizen as a non-entity. That must go down in the record books, Mr. Speaker, referring to a St. Lucian citizen as a non-entity. And after he lost the elections, Mr. Speaker, you will remember that famous statement, my class did not support me. My class did not support me. So clearly, Mr. Speaker, we have a class issue in this country. Mr. Speaker, the way I want to, as my colleague from Viewfort South did, the chronology I will adopt, Mr. Speaker, is to deal, first deal with his application to your good self to have me to withdraw a statement in relation to Tiwa King. I will do that, Mr. Speaker. I will respond to a lot of what he said, which will untruth, and then I will proceed with my presentation. I'm hoping not to consume too many of your temporal resources in this chamber. As I do know, Mr. Speaker, it is the intention that we should wrap up this evening if we are able to do so. But, Mr. Speaker, on the occasion to which the member for Miku South referred, I said and I quote, Mr. Speaker, I was barely expounding on the rubric of the necessity for due diligence. That is all. That is all I was doing. And I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that CIP applicants go through interpol and multiple due diligence processes. So I guess, Mr. Speaker, Jack Lam, who has been celebrated at Sandals in the company of the then prime minister, would have passed the due diligence process. Mr. Speaker, he was being celebrated by our then prime minister, being in partnership with Tiwa King, who himself is a CIP passport recipient through the CIP program. Mr. Speaker, I meant that he was a CIP passport agent. And so I was willing to amend the word recipient to agent. And, Mr. Speaker, my basis for doing so, my basis rather, at two full. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, Tiwa King, to whom I referred, was the one who indicated to the government that he will be building the Alpina St. Lucian Hotel and the Alpina Square in view for it. In that regard, Mr. Speaker, he applied and received CIP approval as a developer. And I'm reading, Mr. Speaker, I could make it a document of the house what appears on Tiwa King's website in relation to that result in view for. He said, the Alpina St. Lucian Hotel along with the square, a government approved real estate projects under the Citizenship by Investment Program of St. Lucian. So that was the basis on which I spoke that Tiwa King, his development was an approved development. But I want to say this, Mr. Speaker, I want to say this. When that application was made for approval to be a CIP developer, it was disapproved by both the Board and Invest St. Lucian. More than once I'm being corrected. You're hearing, Mr. Speaker, but because of the high-handedness of certain persons, approval was granted. The second reason, Mr. Speaker, that I referred to Tiwa King as a CIP agent is the DSH agreement, which I can make a document of the house, which was hurriedly signed, unfortunately, about six weeks after the election by the member for Miku South, now leader of the opposition, and, unfortunately, the member for Swazil Sultimus. Mr. Speaker, it was signed on the 29th of July, 2016. And at the back here, I see John Bradley, Felix, Minister of Commerce and Investment. I see Tiwa King, and I see the framework agreement, DSH, and yes, indeed. And Mr. Speaker, in substantiation of my assertion that he was a CIP agent, I will endeavor to read just a few excerpts, as I don't want to bore you with what obviously is a very, very disadvantageous document insofar as the interest of St. Lucian is consumed. Mr. Speaker, let me refer to about five or six clauses very quickly. Designation and transfers of land. And today, we want to talk about expenditure. The government warrants and represents that it is the sole legal owner of the land, and the land is not subject to any incumbents. Save the view for landfill, of which, do you notice, has been given to the master developer on the understanding that the government undertakes to decommission, to decommission and remove the said landfill by a date to be agreed upon between the parties. One of the undertakings was the decommissioning of the landfill in Viewfort. And, Mr. Speaker, it has happened. We now foot a monthly bill of about $90,000. Every month, we pay $90,000 because the minister of finance then, and unfortunately, the member for social saltibus, who hurriedly signed this agreement and placed us in this bind. Mr. Speaker, clause 210, I want to read, which the member, and you know he left, because he cannot take the truth. He cannot deal with the truth. And he signed it. Mr. Speaker, it says here this well, notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the leasehold to the land identifying Exhibit 2 as designated for horse racing, and if required by the master developer, part of the eco-site to be used for museum and natural attraction shall be transferred to the developer in accordance with the phasing schedule for a period of 99 years in consideration for one US dollar per acre. So when he says, Mr. Speaker, that this is not true, this is the agreement signed by the prime minister then agreeing to lease our land to Teohacking at a dollar an acre for 99 years. Now, Mr. Speaker, he refers to the land was sold for $60,000. You know, this man is a stranger to the truth, Mr. Speaker. It says here this well, the agreed commercial rates as stated in clauses 2.7 and 2.8 shall only apply if they want to commercialize part of the eco-site. So when he says some of the land was sold, Mr. Speaker, that is not true. That is a blatant lie. But Mr. Speaker, you know, hear this, the government, and he spoke about the CIP legislation, Mr. Speaker, when the last administration assumed office under the law, they were duty bound to come to parliament for approval of expenditure of CIP funds. They were bound to come to parliament to get the approval. What did he do, Mr. Speaker? He came in here and he changed the legislation. He changed it so parliamentary approval was no longer necessary. But not only for that, he changed it, Mr. Speaker. He undertook to change it for Teohacking as well. The government undertakes to do the following in relation to the CIP, to amend the regulations, to include investment in a mixed use tourism enterprise for real estate development, recreation, to amend with respect to the removal of any limitation on applications or passports. All of that, Mr. Speaker. But the most vexing one, Mr. Speaker, is the escrow count. The escrow count, Mr. Speaker, and I'm hoping, Mr. Speaker, that those kinds of disadvantages imposed on our people by the gentleman, Mr. Speaker, shall never come to pass. But we don't even know. So when he opens his mouth and he says, Mr. Speaker, that government monies were not spent on horses, let me read clause seven to you. Because up to now we have no accounting in that regard. The master developer shall open a new bank account in his own name. Teohacking will open an account in his own name in a banking institution outside of St. Lucia. Look, are you hearing? Are you all hearing St. Lucia's? When he tells you a certain talk show host and minister, tell him stay there. Ask him to stay there. Because I believe in documents. And Bradley sadly said that, I don't know if he wants me to read the buy back clause to him, but I wouldn't. I'll spare you today. I'll spare you. I'm not rich there. Yeah. You want me to read it? Hold on. Remember what's was up? Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure. Yeah, I think I think I'm setting up a point about it because I believe this. You think? The member is misleading. And I'll tell you why, Mr. Speaker. I'll tell you why. The member is reading from an original document. And there have been two, there were two subsequent documents after this one of which is not a signature. No, no, no. To which you were not a signature? Of which I was not a signatory. That's why I'm saying the original document you're reading from there was a signatory, but there have been two, there were two updated documents, which was signed that I was not part of. So there may be other components. For example, the buy back clause was one of those that was addressed in the updates. I've thought member of the country is central. Are you reading from the document which carries the member for. So is there a signature? That's correct. Please proceed. That's correct. That's what I'm reading from escrow count. The master developer shall open a new bank account in his own name outside St. Lucia. The money is received for the investment of CIP participants shall be deposited into that account. It goes on. The master developer shall use the monies to satisfy any project related fees course and at least he could basically do almost anything with that money. Mr. Speaker, almost anything and the government has no access to those monies prior to each withdrawal by the master developer from the escrow count. The master developer shall send a written notice to the government and state the amount to be withdrawn, the debt to be withdrawn. Oh, Lord. And why it is to be withdrawn and the withdrawal shall go if the bank is not in receipt of any valid reason objecting the government to the withdrawal. Mr. Speaker, hear this at seven four. Following the completion of, following the completion, any funds remaining in the escrow count shall belong to the master developer and the withdrawal process shall no longer apply. You know, this is what, this is what this man subjected us to Mr. Speaker and today, you come in here pontificating as though you are Jesus Christ of finance. You not. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk briefly on some of the points which in my view made no sense, which in my view made no sense. He spoke in relation to excise taxes but he lumped everything up, Mr. Speaker. And then he realized that the government had a shortfall of about $40 million on petroleum. He realized that now he's saying in total, you got more. Why didn't you reduce the price of gas? Although they themselves on the last year collected 45 million. This government collected 25, a shortfall of 40 but he still wants the government to reduce it, to reduce it further. What kind of prudent governance would that be Mr. Speaker? The other thing is you may get one more revenue on one end but it does not mean the other sources of funding came to fruition. You have grants. Suppose you did not get the grants budgeted for. So you have $100 million under grants to balance your budget. It did not come through because you have no control of a grant funding and when it is received but you make 50 million more fuel and you should reduce the price of fuel, not realizing that grant funding didn't come to pass. So you understand why we're in the mess we are, Mr. Speaker. You understand. The other thing is he must understand that they may just have been commensurate expenditure with the increased revenue. You know, and the man says he has a mixed degree. Mixed degree. I don't know in what. I don't know in what. Mr. Speaker, when you sit here and you hear a man who was minister of finance, adding deficits were a five-year period. It tells you we were in a serious problem. We were in a serious problem. You start off with a deficit and you continue for the rest of the financial year. The man is adding deficits and subtracting deficits. I don't understand where they got him from. Where they got this man from, I don't know. You know, and then talk about they lost a lot of revenue. I'll address that, Mr. Speaker, because in my substantive address I have that. But you know, when you tell me, when you tell me, and that same man speaks about traveling, the audacity of this man. This, the member for Miku South is on record as being having the greatest bill, the most expensive travel bill both as a minister and a prime minister. I'll repeat that. The most expensive travel bill by any minister in the history of this country is by him when he was minister of tourism. And the most expensive bill as a prime minister is by him when he was prime minister. You owe 2000 pounds a night in England, have a vehicle idling whole day, whole night, selling his drivers that he could walk out at any time, and the vehicle must be cold. You didn't realize those are financial consequences. The man was traveling so much, he was following me remotely like what a put, no not a put, I don't want to see that here. You know, following me remotely all over the place. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we have remotely delivered the feature address at the 16th, what was it? Something in Sweden, Mr. Speaker. And he was the only prime minister in the audience. He just decided he'll follow me. There was a meeting, I still have the clip where Mia was delivering and he's dropping on her notes and the Belgian pulled the notes. You know, that's a fact. He traveled. Mia Motley was doing the delivery. He deliberately sat himself in a place where he could have taken advantage of seeing her notes. And when one of the attaches saw that, they pulled the notes away from his line of sight. You know, this is what the man does. The man believes he is like those persons who fall in a certain bracket, like the member for you, for itself. You know, so some of them, Mr. Speaker, oh, I'll give up the land after. I don't, I just honestly, Mr. Speaker, I am really, really, I believe that for every lie, it can be found that a member tells, once it can be substantiated, he should be suspended for one session. Because I know the member for Miku South would have had so many lies cumulatively that he would not be here for another five years. I mean, it's sicker than Mr. Speaker to sit and listen. I'm going to talk about consultancies, Mr. Speaker. Consultancies. You were given to run this country as Minister of Finance. The very first thing you do is to bring in consultants. You brought in consultants in Ernst & Young to do what civil servants always did and then tell solutions without disclosing the right amount. It cost about 1%. We had a transition team to take us from Victoria Hospital to OKEU, headed by Dr. King, humble son of the soil. You discarded them and brought in a team from India as consultants, paying them in excess of $1 million a month. Yes, it was, it was 9.7 million. So it came to 25 million EC. You know, Mr. Speaker, and the list goes on and on but as I deal, as I go through my thing, Mr. Speaker, I will deal with some of the solutions that he made. Mr. Speaker, let me, although I mentioned them earlier, I want to thank the civil servants of this country, in particular those who are responsible for crunching those numbers together. I think we deserve to give them a round of applause because they have done a fantastic job. So we have started off with savings, Mr. Speaker. We have started off with savings. We have paid no consultant. We take the advice of our technocrats who are equipped with the relevant expertise to guide us in the right direction. I want to take this opportunity as well, Mr. Speaker, to give the nod to the estimates, estimates which increase the allocation to each and every ministry taking cognizance of increased demands placed on the backs of every MP. Mr. Speaker, 2022-2023 was a relatively challenging year for almost every ministry. We, at Ministry of Housing and Local Government, we had challenges, but we tried. We tried, Mr. Speaker, because you see the fact of the matter remains that no district rep, no minister, not even the minister of finance, can discharge each and every demand that is made of him. Before I delve into my particular ministry and constituency, Mr. Speaker, I want to give solutions and overall view of the performance of this government thus far, given the scarcity of resources and the very sad, the sad financial state in which this great country of ours found itself. Mr. Speaker, seeing sad state of affairs is putting it mildly, extremely mild, but I don't think there is any word within any dictionary compartment that would aptly describe what this country had been through between 2016 and 2021. This country was being run by a brainless, a clueless, and ill-advised minister of finance, and decision statement on behalf of the people of this country were not in the best interest. Mr. Speaker, had we continued with the trend that we inherited, Saint Lucia would have been sold by now to the highest bidder, but the good Lord intervened and rescued this country from the callousness and the squandering of its scarce resources. But the financial and economic environment is now beginning to change, and Saint Lucia looks better. When you have the member of Miku South being audacious enough to say that nothing is happening, Mr. Speaker, I wonder what he calls something. I wonder if he's given Tewakingland at a dollar and acre, something he denies at every given opportunity. I wonder if he's given DSCs to his friends. I wonder if he's acquiring property and then having persons in his immediate circle to handle its development. I remember Mr. Speaker blowing the whistle on Weepay, and I thank God I did, because had Weepay been here, Mr. Speaker, what it would have done was every transaction with government would have gone through them, and they would have gotten a percentage of the transaction. But then, Mr. Speaker, I did my investigations, and I found brother-in-law and father-in-law, and this-in-law, and that-in-law involved, and I blew the whistle, Mr. Speaker, and there was immediate resignation of all the persons who members of Weepay, members of the board of Weepay. So we are doing well, Mr. Speaker, we are on a better trajectory as can be gleaned from the estimates. Mr. Speaker, it was projected that this financial year we would have collected one point, and you see, you see, Mr. Speaker, now, heady hypocrisy, heady hypocrisy, he speaks about fewer, or excise taxes, excise taxes increased. Fewer there was a deficit, but the overall revenue position of the government, what projected and the actual was less. So the government projected to have collected 1.3 to 7 billion dollars. We collected 1.303. He will not talk about those figures at all, because it will not justify the narrative that he wants to push. Our revenue fell, our total revenue fell, even if aspects of the revenue increased. It is the total revenue, but then again, he's pontificating and trying to fool the 43 percenters. Let me say that in part one. Let's set this here. Leguven makame tutla jayasam. You can join it from various koti. Adab ele yo kote fe primere persi lezot, but lot kote ha if e fe pre was persi lotla. A total sa nu teka expect nu teka e fe, nu pa fei. Mesai ka fea, just bu kue ne mundaw ala, e po e yo set baga e selma, e po e yo set baga e kibli e tutla esta. Our revenue fell. That's what it is, the surplus on excise taxes. But Mr. Speaker, the reality is the fact is we lost revenue. There was a revenue deficit of 20, 24 million dollars. You know what is, what is not not not worthy Mr. Speaker is that the government exceeded. It did not exceed sorry, but that revenue shortfall was directly contingent to grants. So why else we make money on excises on excise taxes? The totality of the revenue excise taxes is just one component. Another component is grants and grants fell it is no fault of ours. If a man tells you he'll give you a hundred million dollars and you budget for it as per your estimates, then invariably you will see that there was a revenue shortfall. So Mr. Speaker, another thing I want to see is that a lot of persons believe they'll be your turn budget passi, they believe there is a windfall of cash. Mr. Speaker, one of the, I always say that at all my presentations, that this is not so. The estimates of expenditure are directly contingent upon the receipt of the various sources of funding are mapped from a given head of revenue. So Mr. Speaker, you can have estimates, you can say you are building an airport and your revenue source is a grant. If the grant does not come through, you cannot build the airport and that is the harsh reality. Mr. Speaker, for the financial year 2020 to 2023, we had total expenditure estimated at 1.4 to billion dollars. But through proper management, prudential management, there was a budget surplus of 29 million dollars. And it did not happen by accident. It did not happen by accident where a senior civil servant can openly say in the presence of colleagues that the country is now experiencing better financial management. You know implicitly that is a way of saying that this minister of financing, the member for castries east is doing a much better job than his predecessor. You see Mr. Speaker, the civil servants have become accustomed of being given instructions to spend what we did not have far less what we had. When we inherited the governance of this country, the GDP for 2021-2022 was 4.9 billion dollars. For those who may not know what GDP is, it is the gross domestic product and it is the value of all goods and services produced in your country for a financial year. Mr. Speaker, this is the culmination of our first financial year, totally driven by us. Previous one, we were partly responsible for the curve that begun happening. This financial year 2022-2023 is our first in full control of what is happening within the corridors of government. Mr. Speaker, what is telling is that last year our GDP was 4.9 million dollars and this year for the year 2022-2023 it was estimated to have been 5.47 billion but ended up at 5.5 billion. So you understand Mr. Speaker, why our economy did the best in the OECS, third best in the Caribbean and the seventh best in the world. And Mr. Speaker, that is against challenging times, challenging times, best in the OECS, third best in the Caribbean and seventh best in the world. You see, Mr. Speaker, on fuel, and I'll say it in part as well, a lot of government is saying a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying a lot a lot. He did about 25 million dollars and took over that 4.5% of us. Yet, Mr Speaker, opposition always wants to lower the price. If that's the name of the tenet, if that's the name of the tenet, I'll tell you, person pachamadu, Kote Harbudget, Puffet Kaltelahasala, Puffet about Karatsek Poussant, or Sauteke Expec. You still blew Bese Puygas. Now, Mr Speaker, I heard a member from Swazel, Saltibus, speak about revenue shortfall, and they keep blaming COVID. Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that COVID affected all of us. COVID affected all countries in the global village. But, Mr Speaker, the situation was exacerbated by bad policy decisions. Extremely bad policy decisions. When you tell me, Mr Speaker, that you are reducing that from 15% to 12.5% causing the government to lose cumulatively about $275 million in five years, roughly $55 million a year. What do you think you're doing? What do you think you're doing? And you blame COVID for that? When you tell me, you can decommission the rubbish dump in View Fort and then pay $90,000 every month to transport garbage from View Fort to the Deglo Dump. You didn't exacerbate the situation. When you tell me, Mr Speaker, you can spend $112 million on horses. You didn't exacerbate the situation. When you tell me you could give Loco Bee a consultancy of $32 million, you didn't exacerbate the situation. When you tell me a hotel that had registered debt of $135 million, government is not a hotelier, yet you use your powers of compulsory acquisition to acquire it. You didn't exacerbate the situation. Permanent do $13 million. And all of those things, Mr Speaker, I have a list here. I have a list, hotel £2,000 a night and you're telling me you want to blame COVID for everything? You know, that cannot be so, Mr Speaker. You build a bypass road that was totally unnecessary for Teoha King. That cost some $15 million and then blame COVID. In the middle of COVID, Mr Speaker, when the solutions were out of work, when people needed something to eat, when persons did not know where the next meal is coming from, you are busy signing a consultancy of over $1 million a month and you blame COVID for revenue shortfall and to do what, to write press releases among other things. That is the kind of financial mismanagement that this country was forced to go to under the last Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Those blatantly outrageous financial decisions, Mr Speaker, would always put us in the red. Permanent do came down here and they just collected several research papers that have been done by different agencies, compiled them and give you a bill of $13 million. $13 million, you know. You won the election. You said you went to training by Dr. Bat. You know, you were training Cabinet members and put them at Cocopam and you talk about revenue shortfall. Now, Mr Speaker, he spoke about the dihemal and I am tired of gone. You know, I have rarely spoken on the dihemal, Mr Speaker, but in a nutshell, I want to see this, in a nutshell, Mr Speaker, the dihemal was bought when the member for me, for Cassie's North, was Prime Minister. The dihemal, the meeting was held at Cocopam where members of Cabinet were treated with free chicken and rum. I can say boldly I did not participate, but the decision was taken to buy the mall for $30 million. We were paying interest of $252 million a month. Although the mall stayed idle for in excess of 12 years, for 11 years the total interest payments amounted to some $33 million. So cumulatively, governments spend in excess of $63 million on the dihemal. He turns around, sells it for $13.5 million and on top of that, agreeing to rent for $1 million a month, Mr Speaker. And you know, not realizing that he will be putting civil servants through the walls of the northern traffic, which invariably would lead to decreased productivity. You know, I mean, come on, what are you doing, man? And then today you want to pretend that you know it all, Mr Speaker. And Mr Speaker, I'm tired of saying, let's certainly say, the man sold the mall. He sold the entire mall, the deed of sale is here. And you know, the other thing is the development agreement. You have a development agreement signed with Amazonia, but it predicts the execution of the deed, which means basically that if you're saying I'm doing a development agreement, you ought to have title to the property. Title came after. You know, and that is how they did their thing, Mr Speaker. That is how they did it. And but today, Mr Speaker, I'm pleased. I am pleased because my prime minister was worried. The member for Cassress East was worried. Gentlemen, we have commitments to the courts. I am happy the leader of the opposition said it's not signed, but they put in pressure on the government, saying that they have to order special furniture, special glass, special this, special that, and we should proceed a million dollars a month in one respect for 16 and a half years and in the other 15 years. So, Mr Speaker, and that is the same man. That is the same man having won the elections in 2016. When they asked him about the deal with Tewa King, he said, and I quote, he may have said it several times, he said the country is broke. The country is broke. You met a broke country, but you bleeding it like that. Mr Speaker, during the financial year 2022-2023, under the rationalization program, regularization, sorry, 250 lots who are meant to have been created. Mr Speaker, I am pleased to report that in regards to the proud program, we exceeded the expectations and some 328 lots were created. But I must pause here to say, Mr Speaker, that for the financial year 2021-2022, not one lot was created for any solution, not one. So we moved from zero to 328 at the end of this financial year. So we are heading in the right direction, Mr Speaker. And as a member for Viewford South, quite rightly said, we have over a thousand lots currently being surveyed. And when they are ready for sale, one of the things I undertake to do is to contact the relevant district representatives so that they could partner with us to ensure that the people are the ones, the people of the areas are the ones who benefit from those lots. Because what you find, Mr Speaker, Adam Unpakawitia, Adam Kuti, we learn proud veneer because you come by tear at Upui Kiwesuna. Tutmungadu, Guamama, Yutiga, Witila, they may Guamapa Yutiga, Witila. And so they converge on the areas ready for sale, much to the disadvantage of persons who are in need. Only about two weeks ago, Mr Speaker, right at the Castry City Council, your humble servant is birthed 17 deeds of sale to various Saint Lucians, giving them title to learn under this government. Seventeen, Mr Speaker. And this is how you empower people. I remember one of the ladies who received it and said, Mr Frederick, now I can mortgage my land and buy a Rolls Royce. Yes, she was expressing how happy she felt at the time. Mr Speaker, but as the member for Viewfort South quite rightly said, land ownership and title to learn is empowerment. It is empowerment. You can use it for personal development. You can use it for the development of your children and you can use it for the educational needs of your children. And so, Mr Speaker, I can tell you last week, I saw some bright smiles on those 17 persons whom I had given the deeds, all of it happening under the watch of your humble servant since I assumed office. Mr Speaker, I am now corrected because I thought it was the first time in history that we had the National Housing Development Program. And it is one, Mr Speaker, that was introduced to take care of the poor, the vulnerable and those in the lower income bracket. Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the noise that you hear, only one million US dollars have been expended in that regard. With that amount, Mr Speaker, over 200 households have benefited from minor to major repairs or to even total construction of houses. 200 island life. Mr Speaker, I am pleased to announce that for this financial year, 2023, 2024, we shall rule out twice that amount in the sum of 5.2 million dollars to assist the poor and vulnerable. We are expecting, Mr Speaker, to assist a further 1,000 households. We are expecting to assist another 1,000 households. Mr Speaker, Cemetery in this country is a sore point. And sometimes I don't even want to talk about cemeteries in this country. Just before Christmas, some urgent attention was needed in view 4. And I had to call the Minister of Finance amidst the festive season to call whoever the directors are at the Ministry of Finance to ensure that there was some urgent intervention in view 4. Mr Speaker, you have 10 minutes left. No, I need at least another 40 minutes, Mr Speaker. 42 minutes left. 40, 40. Remember me, could not. Mr Speaker, I beg dastard in order for the 2.10 million dollars be invoked and I remember 4.3 million dollars be given an extra 45 minutes to complete this contribution. I remember the question is that standing order 3.2.10 be invoked to allow the member an additional 45 minutes to complete this presentation. And I'll put a question as many as of that opinion. Say aye. Aye. As many as of our country opinion. Say no. Ladies granted, please proceed. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I don't think I will consume the entire 45 minutes. I think I will try to put myself into a more productive gear in so far as speed is concerned. So, Mr Speaker, I was saying cemeteries in this country is posing a serious problem. And just before Christmas last year, view 4 encountered an urgent situation as it appeared people were dying much quicker than tomb availability was. So, this year, Mr Speaker, an allocation of some 2.4 million dollars is budgeted. And I must confess that Miku North calls for urgent, urgent assistance. They do, Mr Speaker. The Miku cemetery is almost filled to capacity. Monripo is nearing exhaustion. There is so is a special problem. And so, for that belt, Mr Speaker, there is need to pay attention to the Monripo cemetery. In that regard, the land has already been acquired and we will proceed with duty sparch, lighting rapidity to ensure that we deliver on that cemetery. Mr Speaker, with respect to the northern basin, Pastry's Constituency Council is currently undergoing a design for an upgraded cemetery to be constructed on lands already acquired in the Bexel basin for that purpose. An allocation, Mr Speaker, has been made of about 1.5 million dollars which will assist us. Mr Speaker, local government and the Constituency Council we were given a little cacada to assist them to do their projects. Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to publicly commend the city police for doing a phenomenal job. And I'm sure the Minister of Tourism would agree to that. The city police are doing a phenomenal job. I want to commend them publicly. Mr Speaker, we have seen the escalation on the ground of a state of robberies that occur more particularly within the city circuit, especially on days when cruise ships are in port. And they are the ones that are more visible on the ground. They are the ones who converge on the city and they are the ones who invariably are the persons of first encounter in so far as apprehension of perpetrators is consumed. They have made a number of arrests, Mr Speaker, and continue to make those arrests which serve as a deterrent to those who are criminally minded. They have been furnished with motorcycles, a photo pickup, body cams and other equipment to ensure that they execute their duties with professionalism. Mr Speaker, although the city council saw a relatively challenging financial year, it ensured that all workers, Mr Speaker, were paid on time. The Cassris constituency council has also taken medical insurance, medical coverage for all its workers and I am particularly pleased in relation to those in the sanitation department. They are charged with the responsibility of keeping the city and its environs clean and though, Mr Speaker, I exposed to all those diseases that garbage milk contains, but with medical insurance we will ensure that should they unfortunately contract any disease, they will be taken care of. This financial year, in fact, next quarter, Mr Speaker, Cassris constituency council will be purchasing a small vacuum truck. We will be buying a vacuum truck, Mr Speaker, as we know there is a need for it. We will be buying other equipment so that the workers can be better equipped to take care of Cassris North, Cassris South, Cassris East and of course the King itself Central. Mr Speaker, we will soon be erecting parking meters in the city and we await DCA approval. We await DCA approval. As soon as we get it, I could tell you, Mr Speaker, that it is something that we will be installing pretty, pretty soon. Like Central Government, the Cassris constituency council honored rather its trinium obligation to its workers for a salary increase and their back pay. It cost council approximately $2.5 million. Mr Speaker, most persons don't know that Cassris City council shows us the responsibility of paying no select for the street lighting in the city and its environs. This comes with a very heavy tab of about $2.5 million annually. Mr Speaker, in that regard, the government remains steadfast and is committed to replacing the island's street lamps with LED lights. During the policy debate, Mr Speaker, I am sure the Prime Minister will disclose the messy inheritance in that regard where a man who is not an electrician, who is not known to have anything to do with electrical installation or has experience in that regard, was the point person of a $25 million contract for light installation. His sole qualification, I dare say, Mr Speaker, was being a UWP hack. He was a hack and in his lap landed a $25 million contract. So Mr Speaker, before I get to my constituency, I want to speak a little on the National Housing Corporation. Mr Speaker, the NLC has been in existence for in excess of 50 years, over 50 years previously known as HUDC. Now please permit me, Mr Speaker, to deviate slightly. For in excess of the 50 years, Mr Speaker, the NLC has never had its own office. Notwithstanding that this organization is involved in the development of land, the sale of developed lots, the construction and sale of houses, it has never had its own headquarters. And you know, Mr Speaker, it appears that the organization continues to exist, just collecting rental revenue from the CDCs, selling properties and paying salaries. Mr Speaker, that is not sustainable, Mr Speaker. We currently pay pretty close to $9,000 a month. Mr Speaker, we took the decision to buy a building. But here comes the reason for digressing slightly. As it came with much propaganda that was spewed by the United Workers Party, perpetuation of blatant untruths, and of course some of them were repeated in this August chamber, by no other than the biggest stranger to the truth, the leader of the opposition. Mr Speaker, I will endeavor to shorten the version of events. And to just remain focused on the most salient points. We identified a building to be purchased, and it carried a value of $3.5 million. The entire board, and for those who don't understand what entire means, the whole board visited the building, along with senior members of staff. Based on that visit, Mr Speaker, a visit that did not secure my presence. I was not with them, because I did not want them to make any judgment call that was influenced by my presence. Mr Speaker, each and every board member, each and every staff member, agreed that we should buy the building like yesterday. What was even more enticing, Mr Speaker, is that notwithstanding the $3.5 million valuation, the owners were willing to sell us at an unbelievable $1.8 million. The question is why? Because government under the United Workers Party had first rented that building from the owners, and government remained in occupation for some 13 years. The owners cumulatively collected about $2.1 million in rent, and therefore they were willing to pass some kind of reprieve to the National Housing Corporation. So, Mr Speaker, the urge was there, but guess what? The National Housing Corporation had no money, and with the uncertain income stream, its income stream is rental revenue, and collections of difficulty sometimes were new that the eligibility would probably be in the balance, and the time-consuming application process may not have been necessarily in our best interest as the owners wanted urgently to close the deal. Mr Speaker, we needed to capitalize on that opportunity with Judith Patch, and so it was agreed that the National Housing Corporation would sell a property solely for the purpose of acquiring its own headquarters and help Mr Speaker the propaganda by the United Workers Party. And you heard Mr Speaker land that tapio, land opposite the Wellness Center, the member for Miku South and leader of the opposition. In his attempt at fooling the 43%ers, we'll say land in castries is $1,000 a square foot, so he's saying tapio. In fact, I do have a clip, Mr Speaker, where he says that the land is $400 a square foot. I'm not sure how much he said today, but that is the kind of misinformation. Where in tapio you get land for $400 a square foot? Where in tapio you get land for $400 a square foot? And it comes, Mr Speaker, with this fanciful exchange. He believed the men at NIC are idiots. They are not the same ones who were there under the United Workers Party who lent cabot our money. They are not the same ones. How on earth would anybody buy land up there for $400 a square foot? Nobody would even buy where people live in Fulashu, which is worth much more in my view. That's prime property. That is prime property. But Mr Speaker, the land is in tapio. It is about probably half mile to three-quarter mile from the port. The man says $400 a square foot. You know, Mr Speaker, those are the kind of difficult situations that sometimes you have to debunk. You have to debunk them, but when they are spewed by someone who has a certain degree of influence, albeit on persons who cannot think for themselves, you have to be worried. You have to be worried. In fact, Mr Speaker, the place was called Les Salopuis. Les Salopuis. You know why they call it Les Salopuis, Mr Speaker? Whether through natural currents or human intervention, it has been a repository of a lot of garbage. If you go there now, all you will see at the front of us is rubbish. That is what it is. So much so they call it Les Salopuis. The land is bounded to the sea, partially by a cliff. It is bounded to the sea, partially by a cliff. And Mr Speaker, sometimes a given purchaser based on his ability to militant against the natural tendencies of the land can make of it what it never was. So you have every equipment. You can take that and do whatever you want with it. It is quite possible. But to say, to open your mouth and say the land was valued at $400. And Mr Speaker, on the next occasion, the member of Amico South undertook to make a previous valuation done for that land as a document of the house. If not, he has to withdraw it. So Mr Speaker, to cut to the chase, Mr Speaker, the board decided, look, we need our headquarters. We are taking the decision to sell a piece of land for that purpose. And Mr. Skinner Sinclair, a renowned quantity surveyor conducted or affected the valuation, Mr Speaker. And when we received the valuation, which was not influenced by anybody, and I'll tell you why it wasn't, because Slasper had it and they could have gotten the land for the same amount. Mr Speaker, within the script, within the valuation, he recommended that Slasper be offered the property first. I asked him why he called and he said, even if the property is far and it may take another hundred years for the marina to reach there, you can still offer it to them. What did we do, Mr Speaker? True to form. That was done and Slasper was written to and provided with a copy of the valuation. And in the letter, Slasper was told, this is the valuation, but you can make an offer. The truth is, we were not interested in who the purchaser was. We were never interested in who the purchaser was. Our sole interest was generation of the relevant financial resources to equip ourselves with our own national housing corporation headquarters. So anybody wanted money could have bought it. Anyone. But you hear all that kind of nonsense. And so, Mr Speaker, Deputy Speaker, I beg your pardon, and so, Mr Deputy Speaker, we wrote Slasper, we appended a copy of the valuation and we asked them, we said, this is the valuation. I think it was 3.2 or 3.3. I can't remember now. If you are prepared to have it, make an offer. It took Slasper and the member for Casteries North knows that it took Slasper almost a year. And meanwhile, we are in a variance. We need an office. It took Slasper almost a year to even respond. So we did not put the property on the market. We did what the quantity survey asked us to do within the limits of reasonableness. We wanted it confined, if possible, to a governmental agency. And so, Mr Speaker, Slasper did not do anything almost a year. And we realized, Mr Speaker, that look, there is a building we need. A year has elapsed. We are not hiring from Slasper. Meanwhile, Mr Speaker, and Mr Deputy, another potential purchaser approached the board. Approached the board after one year of writing Slasper and furnishing them with the same valuation that was acted upon and transacted with the subsequent purchaser. Not a different valuation. So, Mr Speaker, the long and short of it is just before that deal was sealed I took it upon my own to call the manager of Slasper. I asked him whether they were interested and he told me not at this time. And therefore, the deal was concluded, Mr Speaker, between that other purchaser and the board. Slasper, I beg your pardon? Why you didn't buy the Tewaking one? And so, Mr Speaker, the deal was done. And guess what, Mr Speaker? The property was sold. The building was purchased, Mr Speaker. And mind you, both the one sold and what we purchased were of comparative values. Both of them were valued at 3.5. We gave up one, got the other, and still had $900,000 left to embark upon renovation and refurbishment. If that is not good business sense, if that is not prudent management, I don't know what is. I don't know what is. And I can say, now we have our building, Mr Speaker. National Housing Corporation for the last 50 years did not know what it was to have its own headquarters. It has its own headquarters and the contractors, three or four contractors. We are not giving one person or four to do various different things. We'll converge upon that building and next three to four months, I'm hoping to invite the entire parliament, including the leader of the opposition to the grand opening of National Housing Corporation headquarters on Shusi Road. That is what I'm going to do, Mr Speaker. So, Mr Speaker, Mr Deputy Speaker, I think they better make you a speaker, you know, if those common errors, you know, I'm sure the lawyers in here will tell you equitices has done that, which ought to be done. By me referring to you as Mr Speaker, it depends on equitices you as the speaker, the substantive speaker. Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker. So, this is progress. This is progress. And no matter what the naysayers say, Mr Speaker, Mr Deputy Speaker, they will not derail this government. This government is on a progressive trend. This government is about making people better, making the institutions better and putting the individual citizens of this country first. Not referring to them as non-entities. Non-entities. That one will resonate. It will resonate. The man has run out of adjectives to insult the people of this country. When he can boldly say he didn't win the elections because his class didn't support him. His class. You know? And then refer to a solution citizen as a non-entity. It's an indictment on a man who sat in the prime ministeriality of this country once. But I'll tell you, Mr Speaker, I will do my utmost to ensure there is no repetition of that great error, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, as far as the housing development is consumed, we will be partnering with a private developer. The private developer has expressed interest. He's ready to go. He has all the relevant financial resources. We will be providing the relevant land in the various areas across the length and breadth of St. Lucia. And we will start something, some rigorous construction in this financial year. Mr Speaker, we have to create some significant indentation of our 14,000 or thereabout housing stock shortage. We have to start something with due dispatch. Mr Speaker, I now turn to my constituency. Mr Speaker, I conceptualize and built the Serenity Power. It is my brainchild. It got its name through a competition between the primary schools in Castry Central. A committee was formed, Mr Speaker, to determine who won that competition. And the person who won the competition was even invited. She named it Serenity Power. We invited her. And that is what you call participation. She gave a brief remark on the opening of Serenity Power. Mr Speaker, lo and behold a feat of political victimization a feat of attempting to throw me into political hibernation they quickly renamed my park to George Mallet Serenity Park. George Mallet had nothing to do with that park. George Mallet did not even represent San Susi when he was representing Central. At the time San Susi was part of Castry's northeast. He had nothing to do with it. But basically Mr Speaker to permanently face my name from the political landscape of this country they used their best endeavor to ensure that I was obliterated. But they did not know they were not mindful that the good Lord knows and sees it all and there was a date called October 26, 2021 Mr Speaker. And so I can proudly say that the abandoned Serenity Park is back on track again. And those of you who passed there for Christmas saw the lights the park, the fountain and how basically Mr Speaker it has reactivated interest as a place for recreation. Mr Speaker, the name will be changed I can guarantee you that we have been awarded some 300 million 300,000 dollars I wish was million. We have been awarded some 300,000 dollars Mr Speaker under the tourism project for the construction of an amphitheater and an ice cream parlor and pizzeria inside Serenity Park. Serenity Park will be the place to be Mr Speaker and we are hoping to comment construction on that probably next month. Over to the gardens Mr Speaker again whatever you see at the gardens is my brainchild I built Serenity Park between 2006 and 2011 I built the gardens the court in the gardens that same time Mr Speaker Mr Speaker it is in a mess it is in a big big mess but it will be taken care of Mr Speaker you come down lower Jeremy Street I also built the Jeremy Street Plaza I wasn't working as a minister Mr PM at the time Mr Speaker I was on an execution train and I was putting up structures left and right I built the Jeremy Street Plaza Mr Speaker it was such a nice facility I they have now be faced with Mr Speaker because I had regulations in there the leases Mr Speaker we said what we said was we would not have placed three or four of the same vending facilities in there so you would not have three bars or laws or three barbershops you try to have a combination of services but Mr Speaker as soon as I was exiled from the political arena the last government the last government made a mess of it imagine Mr Speaker you have the Jeremy Street Plaza you have tenants downstairs you have tenants upstairs the last government drew lines tenants downstairs to coincide with the areas of the booth as they were creating parking lots they drew lines so from door to door in that person shop is there they drew lines like this you know nonsense and the facade and what is worse Mr Speaker they don't even know who do it first thing Mr Speaker the people upstairs started complaining saying that the rent should be reduced because if the frontage of those vendors downstairs belong to them as part of the rental they need space upstairs too and that is the kind of havoc that is created when you have men in positions and they fail to use their brain and so Mr Speaker and the castries constituency council plans are already been drawn they have been drawn we are hoping they deface the places of old dirty dusty tents and that's the reality rotten tents we will be fixing that place Mr Speaker and we will regulate its use because we will not permit anyone to bring any tent on the facade of the Jeremy Street Plaza I'm giving them notice now we will make it nice we will do something almost like what existed and slurry because we are using the same architect but we don't want anyone coming if those wooden benches for persons to come and sleep at night defecate and urinate much to the displeasure of other persons when they come to patronize the areas in that facility so we are doing that Mr Speaker I want to publicly place on record as I am in my constituency my appreciation for my attachee dax novel Mr Speaker we have been having a flooding problem on the shore sea and nobody knew what was causing it from new village there was a river there is a river rather and as long as it rains all be it for a very short period it floods and the water goes way down now to Jeremy Street Mr Speaker I never realized that Jeremy Street in itself is a huge dream Jeremy Street is a huge dream and so my attachee he was instructed by persons from Ministry of Infrastructure to remove this iron cap on the road and he could have walked by Reikai up to the point where he saw it was clogged and so Mr Speaker we were able to cut the road on a weekend cut the road remove a lot of debris mattresses, stoves washing machines all sorts of things were down there and now Mr Speaker the water flows there so smoothly I am not saying that Jeremy Street will not flood again but rest assured it will not flood as quickly as it used to and we are tackling a lot of the drains and castries to ensure that this is done in so far as cleanliness is concerned Mr Speaker we have built a number of very well appointed garbage bins Mr Speaker we built one atlastic hill we built one at Barnard Hill one in Mondino lower one in Mondino upper and I could tell you the people are pleased any one of you that drive Barnard Hill you will see when you come down almost by gobs where persons used to throw garbage almost on the road there is a very nice enclosure there now Mr Speaker and it not only beautifies the place but it keeps the place looking tidy because persons are disciplined enough to throw their garbage in the containers that it contains so Mr Speaker Castries Central is on a good path I could stay here and articulate for the next two hours because I am sure Mr Speaker my record speaks for itself we have fixed the road in Rose Hill we have fixed the road in Piazz Gap and I want to say a special hello to Cecil and Pierre Smith after I fixed that road Mr Speaker the lady sent me a song a western and it goes this one gets my vote and she indicated to me Mr Speaker that it had been in excess of 40 years that no one had seen it fit to at least effect some repairs to that road as you go up by the Marian Home you will see a nice pirate on the facade on the wall it was done by your humble servant I remember getting a call from an ex principal of St. Mary's College well that's got the call and he sent to my atashi I would have never voted for Cyril because there is a walkway a footpath a joining the main road Mr Speaker and for years he was asking that in my repent your humble servant came in and it was done Mr Speaker you go by Compton where a lot of friends congregate there was a step over there built in 1970 or there about I have redone it in its entirety with proper railings inside of Boapatat we have done quite a bit a lot of steps black stars you name it Richard Frederick has done it so Mr Speaker having said all of this I know we are entering the echelons of knighthood if I want to call it that and so I just want to end here by saying Mr Speaker that I support the budget without an aorta of doubt I support it fully and so I am expecting in the not to distant future that the citizens of this country especially the lesser mortals feel the positive impact of this budget on their lives with this said Mr Speaker I take my leave