 Well, you absolutely correct. That is a matter that is very, very, very serious. Yesterday, I visited the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, the lady, the house was closed, and the family had left the residence. But I met a toddler who was in the house at the time. It was a very moving time to speak to her. But she was in high spirits. She has very high spirits. And it was really moving to speak to that toddler, she. And in fact, two toddlers who were in the house, I understand, and they were rather, rather moving. But the child showed the strength and resilience that is remarkable. The next steps are we have to do some serious social intervention in that area. But why is it that there is need for enforcement? There can be no excuse for that level of criminality. There can be no excuse for it. And sometimes I wonder why people seem to want to make excuses for people who commit this kind of heinous crime. The government is going to come back on a serious process of more social intervention. We are going to try some crime reduction strategies. We are really speaking to some people about doing that. But in the meantime, we have to wipe out that criminality. That criminality must stop. And I make no excuses for it. I'm going to say to you, the government will use all the resources. The police have been instructed to use all available means within the law, all available legal means to wipe off that criminality in this country. And we make no bones about it. And I'm saying to you that the social intervention will continue. But the community outreach will continue. But this animalistic behavior cannot be tolerated. And we can make no excuse for it. And I'm going to say it again. The police have been given the instructions to use all legal means necessary to wipe out that brutality that seems to be happening by a small section of the community. I was in view for it yesterday. And the community is still very embracing and very hopeful. But it's a small part. And I don't want us to stigmatize any part of the country. I don't want us to pretend that the whole of view for it or the whole of a particular area in view for it is what you like to call a crime hot spot and thing. It's unfortunate. Just a few people. So we are hoping that the message is clear. The message is clear. Social intervention, the community outreach, the empowerment will continue. But the criminality must stop. And all legal means will be used to wipe out that criminality, legal means. Some of them, of course. Of course, people. And it was very, I mean, sometimes we like to think of it from a sensationalizing point of view. Sensationalize it, but make it a sensation. But really, it's moving. And if you go, then you have to go there to feel it yourself. Feelings people have to leave their homes. These people are accustomed of being in their area, have their own community situation. They have to leave it. There is a level of trepidation and fear. That is true. Prime Minister, general manager, so from his chest, if all you've been said on the answer, do you believe that the structure that the police is using is not working? I don't know the structure, you know? And I know sometimes the people who want to politicize that situation say things that are really not particularly not true. Yesterday, in Kentucky, there was a massacre. I mean, I know we can't compare Kentucky to Zalusha, but would you say that what was the reason for that? The police will never be able to police every inch of territory in this country. Never. They have never done, they will not be able to. I think the police, they tell me, are trying their best. The police, most of them, are committed to the cause. So I'm not going to blame the police. And I think we have to stop this blame game. We have to blame the criminals. All of us must begin to blame the criminals. And our reporting must blame the criminals. But we're looking for all kind of excuses, particularly those who try to use political excuses. This is a situation where criminals, the people who are committing these crimes, are criminals. And I make no bones about it. And the police must deal with them as criminals, use it all legal means. So how do you hope that Zalusha will recover from this little incident? Zalusha will recover, Zalusha is recovering. Zalusha, I'll tell you something. We just, we are doing very well. Zalusha is recovering. Yesterday at the Carrefter Games, we won eight gold medals. There are young people doing things. Why are we focusing on what you think is only bad news? Yesterday, eight young people won gold medals, including Miss London from the same view for itself that we're speaking about. Miss London is from view for herself. She won a silver medal in the 200 meters. There's Nair Jules who won a gold medal in the pole vault. Two silver medals in the pole vault. There is the young dester. So Zalusha is, there's Mr. Phillips. Zalusha is, why aren't we, I mean, it's, what's happening is sad, it's unfortunate. Why are we only looking at the glass half empty? So Zalusha, it's recovering. We just had you, we're gonna have an exciting, exciting things in the policy statement. April, St. Jude, working St. Jude, it's continuing. So there are exciting things happening. So whereas, what's happened, the crime is horrible. You can tell about it. But let's go look at the glass half empty at the same time. It's not good. So what message are you reducing out there for the general public and central to a shorter? I can give the message. I am putting out to the public, is the government using all the necessary sources available to wipe out the criminality. And I'm calling on the public and the press and the commentators and the social commentators to use their best efforts to assist the police to ensure that this criminality comes in. That's the message I'm saying out. All the resources, all hands on deck, everybody. No time for excuses, no time for name calling. Everybody, let's get together to deal with it. Next topic. That's the message. Next up, Jerry. That's the message. One more question on this topic. Yeah. Go ahead. That's fine. OK. I was asking just for a general update on the RSS intervention because I think we had requested some more... Yes, the RSS is here. The RSS is here. They are deployed and they will be here at least for the next three weeks. I'm not sure. I think possibly between 40 and something about 40 or so. But the RSS are here and they're embedded with members of the police service. I mean, sir, the economy right now, you said that we are seeing some growth as well, can you just influence us what's happening with the economy? What's happening? It's growing, comrade. The economy, we are doing... And you see what's happening? We had a surplus on our primary account and the statisticians tell me that when we get a policy statement in April, there'll be better news. And did you read that the IMF is saying that the world economy is in a parallel state? That's what the IMF is saying about the world. You see, we want to isolate St. Lucia, which are best to isolate St. Lucia, but the whole world economy is in a state where we have to be concerned. But St. Lucia, it seems that St. Lucia and I have made the point, we are doing reasonably well. There are some downsides, but we are doing reasonably well. And I hope that this continues. We're expecting growth this year. It was with much optimism that the youth agency was going to spread on Supervifort. So in this initial stage, what will be some of the development and progress? Well, first of all, I'm told that the year is doing very well. Hundreds of requests. The office is busy. They're very excited about it. People are very excited. Things are happening. People from all sectors of the society are coming. And I'm speaking to the men of commerce. Hopefully, after the policy statement, we will be opening an office in Vifort. You asked me for what's happening in the economy. $10 million for small and micro enterprises. $10 million loan funds and grant funds. Never before in this year of St. Lucia. Never. That's happening in the economy. That's happening in the economy. That's happening in the economy. So that's what's happening now. And the youth economy, we will move the office to Vifort. Part of the office for commerce and things. I don't know if you remember last year, the correctional offices that they modelled had staged a form of action because they were dissatisfied with things that were going on in the place. I know the government had done a review and then when that was brought in, according to them, some of those issues are still persisting. I know they had made requests for radios and these sort of things to help with their operation. Yeah, it's working progress. We are doing actually the issues about the fencing and the locks. That's happening. I know they're working on increasing the waiver and the ability for them to have cases from the facilities to work in progress. And in the policy statement we'll make a few more pronouncements on it. But you're right. It all hasn't happened, but it's happening slowly with work in progress to improve the situation. And you must have noted that the piece has quieted, hasn't it? You agree? Yeah. It's quieted, yes. But tell them that it's work in progress and we've seen about them. And ladies, I don't think it's right that I allow lies, especially in these days of when we have an heightened activity as far as guns is concerned. I don't think it's right for a responsible political party seeking to be in government to blatantly spread such falsehoods. And I think it's my duty as Ministers of National Security and the one targeted in these falsehoods to inform you about the appointment of the Fire Licensing Board. The Fire Licensing Board is a creature of an amendment to the Fire Arms Amendment Act. And it comprises in Part A an amendment to the act that was passed in the House of Parliament. So it wasn't a secret. It was debated in Parliament and the amendment to the act was in the Parliament in open season, the records of hands that will show you that. And it says that on the section 2A there is established a Fire Arms Licensing Board. The members of the Board are the Convention of Police or his or her nominee. The Permanent Secretary of National Security. Three persons nominated by the Minister and approved by the Cabinet who are of high integrity and are able to exercise good judgment in fulfilling the functions of this act. That these were the people on the Fire Arms Licensing Board. These are the people of an act of Parliament. And the Cabinet approved the Convention pursuant to section 2AC of the Firemen's Amendment Act. The following people were appointed for a period of two years. Mr. Severin Moshery former Commissioner of Police Mrs. Rumelia King a councillor Mr. Samuel Bryce a businessman from Viewford and the Commissioner. One license. That Board has not approved not one license not one. You understand? So it is a complete falsehood and I think these things ought to be called I'm not telling you I'm not telling you a job. It's a complete falsehood to say that and to impure improper motives on these people of such how can you take part shots at me but to involve innocent citizens citizens who just want to make a contribution to tell the public to tell millions of people that these people are corrupt and they're involved in bribery etc. is wrong we can't allow politics to put us in that situation and then it's something that you can't tell me everybody does it. That's not true. Truth is truth. These are blatant lies these are not innuendo these are lies falsehoods, misinformation worse than fake news aimed at destabilizing the country aimed at putting the country in a situation where we know that there is an issue relating to guns in the country but you are insinuating you are responsible political party insinuating that guns are being given through legal channels by corrupt means that can't be right so I just wanted you to be clear so you can report if you're so minded that this is the truth and when you report that you're not doing any government propaganda you are stating the truth because you can go in the handstand you can look at the act as an amendment as an amendment as an amendment act secondly the other falsehood is the situation as it deals with the residents in Washington of the ambassador you must have heard that the government in self subsidizing bread which again a falsehood we subsidize flour we subsidize flour the government is paying a million dollars on an ambassador's residence you've seen you saw that yourself right? let me tell you the truth the truth the government for many years almost decades had bought a building in Washington to house the ambassador the building was bought by the government the building existed it was there between 2015 and 2016 the residence is located at 60 6041 Crimson Court McLean, Virginia that's where the residence is located it belongs to the people of St. Lucia between 2015 and 2016 the ambassador lived in the building prior to that Ambassador Johnny who was our ambassador and Ambassador Dr. Lewis who provided the official residence that is the building that is there already the new ambassador as the new ambassador did not occupy the building the residence but US $4000 a month rent was paid for him $4000 per month was paid for him for the firm the firm the ambassador at the time did not occupy the residence that is before the ambassador that's here now did not occupy the residence and $4000 the US was paid rent for him the building remained unoccupied and as usual unoccupied buildings deteriorate $80,000 was spent between 2017 and 2018 to effect repairs on that building $80,000 was used to effect repairs on that building all the documents are available for scrutiny the ambassador did not move into the building at that time so the building remained unoccupied and left to the weather in Washington the present ambassador the government is being rent for the present ambassador of $5500 per month because the building is not fit for her to occupy okay this meant that between the firm ambassador and this ambassador the government has paid to this the government has paid about $1.4 million easy dollars of rent so we decided that it is better to fix the building and the documents are there for the contractor at a million dollars easy and then ambassador move into the building then allow the building to deteriorate and continue to pay rent that is a story about the ambassador residence let me tell you something further that you may not know the government of St. Lucia owned was part owner of a building in Washington where the OECS occupied OECS offices occupied except Grenada the government the government in August 2019 before Covid sold their share of the building for one million US dollars sold it you may not ask the minister of finance what they did with that money they sold it and then they rent the rent office space in Washington $7,821 and 66 cents per month for the office space in Washington and they sold their share in the building that they occupied no it was theirs it was owned they chose to sell it to parent so that means that in Washington as we speak we are paying 13,000 US dollars in rent for residence and an office we own a part share in one and we own totally another that is the financial management of this country experience in 2019 I was in opposition so you know it's very important that these things are put in the public domain because we have a lot of talk going on in the place a lot of self-righteousness you understand all these things and these are the facts and these are verifiable facts and I challenge anybody to say that that is wrong it's a challenge so right now we are paying nearly 13,000 dollars in rent buildings that we had we have one that is deteriorating and we have one that we sold so these are the stories on rent and ambassadors residence yeah you see that is the that's the position so what's happening that we are paying rent for people some of them stayed in their own residence we are paying rent for them to stay at home instead of repairing the building that exists so the million dollars that we have is to repair the building to stop us from paying 1000 families and US dollars in rent okay and if you want you could get the entire document the $80,000 that was spent the entire document because when we speak on these matters we do not speak in UNLU because our job is to inform the public and there are several other things that we can inform that we have informed the public on like nearly 3000 pounds per night in a hotel situation that we can give the documents we didn't know things that we are just saying the documents are available to be seen but we seem sometimes not to understand the gravity of that situation and we go for of this situation but instead we deal with the hype and the bluff of other things you mentioned that the partnership of the OECS building that we sold for 1 million US dollars right and then we are renting out for over 7,000 we are not we are so then my question is with the restoration of the building no it's only a resident so we are not being rent for the residents we have to continue being rent no they can't you know these places offices everywhere these places are zoned so the residents is in the residential area and the office can go there two different properties I was asking whether we were going to no we can't we can't move an office into the residential area it's zoned and basically it's a very nice house it's a house that was owned by the government which allowed to deteriorate and the question is we supposed to have spent 80,000 US dollars in it so that is why you see a million dollars in the budget to repair this residential it's about less than 200,000 US dollars so the ambassador can move in so he can stop paying the rent that is a story on the residents so you surprise gentlemen and lady there are many more things that will surprise you you'll be surprised there are many more things I can assure you there are a lot more surprises but the thing is that sometimes we seem to be so hell bent that we don't see the surprise there are many, many and you know the problem is why don't you all say that we have a country to run so we don't go into the blame game we have a serious country to run we have things to slide like fuel prices we allow these things to slide because we have to run a country a country that was left in a complete mess a country where not one hotel was built in the last 5 years not one a country where there will be no significant foreign investment for the last 5 years a country that left us with no hospital after more than 300 million dollars was spent a country that would have left us with a billion dollars worth of debt as far as an air police concern that is a country we inherited a country that cancelled a loan to construct the four lane highway and right now creating gridlock creating gridlock creating loss of productivity because a government would not want to go for a tender in process this is a country we have to run so we don't have the time to get involved in all this a country that destroyed destroyed a custody suites where there is no place to put in prisoners when you arrest them that is a country we have to run that is a country that left policemen in a state of complete inhuman conditions at the grocery police station where from 2016 funds had been approved from 2016 funds had been approved and the money was available to build a new police station that is a country we have to run so we have work to do so we must excuse us if you don't get involved in my answering back and all this thank you very much