 Greetings, fellow St. Lucians. The Christmas season is a wonderful time of the year. When we come together with friends and family to spread holiday cheer and celebrate the greatest gift bestowed upon us, the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, it is also time that we reflect on what has happened over the last 12 months, what goals have been achieved, what lessons have been learned, and more importantly, our aspirations for the new year. Of course, this year 2020 has been fraught with trials and tribulations as we each had to contend with the health and economic crisis and the new normal presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of us have been impacted in one way or another. Some have joined the ranks of the unemployed, have seen earnings reduce or businesses stagger as our local and global economies grounded to a halt as a result of this virus. It is a year in which each of us has had to re-examine our lives and livelihoods and make necessary changes to adapt and emerge stronger. It is also a year in which we re-dedicated ourselves to helping those in need, one reaching out to help the other, as we learned early that the only way through this tumultuous period was by working together. This is akin to the St. Lucia of yesteryear, a time when Coudemouin was a way of life, when as a community and as a country we move forward together, a time when the St. Lucia spirit radiated strong in soul and strong in arm as a national anthem so rightly proclaims. As the minister with responsibility for commerce, international trade, investment, enterprise development and consumer affairs, I have been privileged to witness the three emergence of the St. Lucia spirit firsthand as new businesses models emerge through the early periods of lockdown and have continued to gain momentum, a signal of the entrepreneurial's capacity that is inherently St. Lucia. I have witnessed employers committed to retaining their staff despite mac reductions in revenue, each with that deeper understanding that people must come before profit. And I have seen government agencies, private sector partners and civil society collaborate and reinforce efforts at a level never before envisaged. Moreover, I have witnessed positive changes in our consumer behavior as an increasing number of you show great patriotism by supporting our local producers and service providers ahead of the heralded imports. Notwithstanding the difficult circumstances that have necessitated this change in mindset and despite the immense challenges that still lay ahead as we work towards economic recovery, I stand here before you, proud to be a St. Lucia. I take this opportunity to thank my brothers and sisters of Schoesel Saltybus for your foresight and confidence in me to serve your best interests in and out of season and remain resolute to help you navigate through the rough tides. To the business community, I wish to remind you that the team at the Ministry of Commerce remains fully committed to supporting you and creating the conditions under which our private sector can thrive, maintaining its place as the engine of growth for our local economy and as a vital stakeholder in building a St. Lucia that our future generations can be proud of. My team continues to unveil the various support initiatives including one, the enhancement of government procurement policies in support of local businesses and as part of our wider Love St. Lucia campaign. Two, the ongoing improved access to duty-free concessions and other incentives. Three, close collaboration with financial institutions to facilitate financing and other support to businesses. And four, the implementation of an electronic single-window platform that will aid in reducing the administrative burden of the business community and contribute to the ease of doing business in St. Lucia. These initiatives, in combination with similar efforts being implemented across the various government ministries and through our private sector partners, will have an immediate positive impact on the St. Lucia economy and will see our island nation gradually rise to surpass its previous economic standing and world acclaim. In my capacity as Minister and Parliamentary Representative for Chosal Salibas, I urge us all to look past our current challenges and let the turning of the calendar and beginning of 2021 inspire new ideas, possibilities and beginnings where others may see problems, we will remain focused on the opportunities they present. I wish to thank my Cabinet colleagues for their tenacity and strong leadership during this challenging year and also take this opportunity to register my thanks and appreciation to all the essential workers who continue to serve with distinction and to those who will be working during the holidays. This Christmas season, let us give thanks for all our blessings and let us be optimistic that 2021 will be a brighter and better year filled with peace, good health and happiness. I bid season greetings to one and all.