 Tenants of the CDC encastries have welcomed a move by government to ease the financial burden brought on by COVID-19. The Department of Housing and Local Government has announced that tenants have been granted reprieve in rent owed to the National Housing Corporation. Minister Hon. Richard Frederick made the announcement Wednesday, indicating that the debt forgiveness totals $4.2 million. The Government of St. Lucia continues to make good on its promise to deliver to the people of St. Lucia and act in its mantra, putting people first. Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for housing and local government Hon. Richard Frederick, staying the course announced that tenants of the Colonial Development Corporation CDC will be relieved of any outstanding rent owed amounting to some $4.2 million. Minister Hon. Frederick further explained that the government, through the National Housing Corporation NHC, has considered and agreed that this would encompass all tenants currently occupying the CDC units, whether residential or commercial, up to the end of September 2021. The minister noting the hardships befalling tenants due to the COVID-19 pandemic said that the move was necessary. There are only two conditions attached to this. Gratuitous did. One, all tenants must pay their rent for the months of October and November. Pay your rent October and November. Once that is done, the good news is, all tenants again would get relief for December. So as long as you pay your rent for October and November, no tenant is expected to pay rent in December. Christmas has come early at the hands of the scaring government. The other condition is that tenants would have to sign a new lease agreement come January. In January, the government will start afresh and all tenants will be required to sign new leases. I must say that given this reprieve or this waiver, delinquency or non-payment, as we call it colloquially, will no longer be tolerated, neither will we tolerate subletting. Additionally, to tighten up lease agreements with both residential and commercial tenants, the NHC will ensure that the occupants are the lesses of the units, this in an effort to halt subletting. Two tenant liaison officers will also be employed to ensure a seamless process. As a caring government, we have helped the tenants by relieving them over a total of approximately $4.2 million. The obligation is now on the tenants to help themselves by being responsible tenants. I do hope that this kind of relationship will all go well for the NHC and its tenants. I pause here to say that that reprieve cannot apply to any judgment currently existing. Dean Fia Lubin, who has been a residential tenant for some eight years, expressed gratitude for the initiative. I just want to applaud Honorable Richard Frederick for a job well done on behalf of us who lives in the CDC. And also I want to even thank him for the internet he has placed in place for us. I want to thank him, may the Lord continue to bless him and lead him into the right path to continue doing the work he has started for the people in central castries, especially the those who cannot afford. Commercial tenant Sophia Peter said her business has been had hit by COVID-19, leaving her cash trapped. As such, she welcomed the move by the government. Since COVID came and things were slow and the last time we were supposed to close all the time, we were always closed and you know that people think not the way it was before. You know we were back on, especially me as back on my rent and I really appreciate what the government did. I am so grateful, I am so thankful to God and this government for doing such a wonderful job for us because you know they said they were going to put people first and I am very happy that they put the people first and don't think about their self because I know I think, I thought of it already and I said you know for them to remove, I show us about how many millions of dollars and for the government to absorb that loss. You understand I am very grateful for the prime minister, I am very grateful to Mr. Frederick for doing, for taking that decision as a government you know to give us that little you know thing. I am grateful and then I am telling the other people make sure now we could make sure I pray that no more COVID, COVID will go, COVID will leave San Jose and we will be able to give them what we can. Minister Honorable Richard Frederick also disclosed that an assessment is currently being conducted for the vendors arcade and market with an announcement to be made at the soonest. From the Government Information Service, I am Janelle Norville.