 Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre on August 8th tabled a resolution in the parliament to transfer $5.4 million from the consolidated fund to the contingencies fund to finance refurbishment works and repairs to school plants around the island. Because, you know, the passage of Hurricane Brett caused damage to some schools and educational establishments in the country, I considered necessary because of the urgency of the need to repair these buildings, these school buildings, that the cabinet and the ministry of education thought it necessary to get money from the contingency fund to transfer money from the consolidated fund into the contingency fund to refurbish repairs, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, that comes in line with the educational support that we have given to schools this year and every member of parliament got an allowance to help in the educational education, to buy education supplies for students going to the constituency and I stress every member of parliament, Mr Speaker, every member of parliament. The completed repairs to local school buildings will strengthen resilience against natural hazards and enhance the classroom environment for a more conducive learning experience for St. Lucia's students. Prime Minister Pierre is appealing to St. Lucia's private sector for cooperation and compliance with his government's recently implemented value-added tax exemption policy that applies to imported goods such as select building materials, personal care and female sanitary products. VAT is paid at the customs and every 21 days there is a reconciliation of VAT paid and VAT collected. At the end of 21 days, if you have collected more VAT than you paid, you are refunded your money and if the government, you collected less VAT than you paid the government, you are giving back your money. So they got nothing like old stock, new stock because the VAT you paid on the old stock on the stock that you have at the point of reconciliation is going to balance it off. So I want to say to the members of the private sector, work with the government. The government has shown a level of generosity never seen before in the history of St. Lucia. Please, please, this is a plea for the items where the VAT has been removed allow the people to benefit from that concession, please. St. Lucia consumers can expect to benefit from a 12.5% reduction in retail costs as a direct result of Prime Minister Pierre's VAT amnesty. Conversely, the government is offering companies and business owners a 100% waiver on penalties and interest on VAT arrears up to financial year 2021 if they settle their taxes in full by May 1st, 2024. More than $200 million in outstanding VAT arrears can potentially be redirected back into the economy. St. Lucia's farmers and manufacturers will be exempt from importation charges related to the health and security levy to ensure that the manufacturing sector and the agriculture sector do not pay health and security levy on the imported raw materials to ensure that the manufacturing sector does not pay the health and security levy on the raw materials and the packaging material similar to the agriculture sector, Mr. Speaker. Out of an abundance of clarity, the manufacturing sector will not pay health and security levy on the raw materials or on the packaging materials once it's certified by the Mission of Commerce. The cost of packaging products, raw materials and agricultural inputs will not attract the levy to keep production and manufacturing costs down for suppliers and retail prices lowered for consumers. Office of the Prime Minister