 I beg to move the following motion standing in my name, whereas it is provided by section 63.1 of the Public Finance Management Act Cap 15.01, the act that the minister financed me by an affirmative resolution of parliament borrowed from a bank or other financial institution for the capital or credit expenditure of government. And whereas it is further provided by section 64 of the act that money borrowed by the government must be paid into an informed part of the consolidated fund. And whereas the minister of finance considers it necessary to borrow an amount of US dollars 5,217,000 from the special funds resources of the Caribbean Development Bank to the bank to finance safety nets for vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19, and whereas the loan is repairment in 80 equal or approximately equal and consecutive quarterly installments, and whereas the loan payments commenced on the first day of January, the first day of April, the first day of July, and the first day of October of each year after a great period of three years following the date of the loan or such later date as the bank specifies in writing, and whereas the interest is payable at the rate of 4.39% per annum on the amount of the principal disboots and outstanding and the borrow may request an interest rate conversion from the bank, we resolved that the parliament of arises a minister of finance to borrow 5,217,000 from the special funds resources of the bank to finance safety nets for the vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19. We resolved that the loan is repairable in 80 equal or approximately equal and quarterly installments, and whereas the loan payments commenced on the first day of January, the first day of April, the first day of July, and the first day of October of each year after a great period of three years following the date of the loan or such later date as the bank specifies in writing, interest is payable at the rate of 4.39% per annum on the amount of the principal disboots and outstanding and the borrow may request an interest rate conversion from the bank. With the speaker, this resolution is seeking approval from the parliament to borrow the sum of 5,217,000 US dollars from the special resources of the Kaibana Development Bank allocated from IDB COVID-19 relief resources for the implementation of safety nets for the vulnerable populations affected by the COVID virus. Mr Speaker, I did not rehash the effects of COVID-19 on the economy of St. Lucia and the economy and economies of the world. You may recall that St. Lucia's economy declined by about 26% after the effects of COVID-19. Several measures were put into place for the management of COVID-19 including the quarantine for people who were suspected of being exposed to COVID-19 and the isolation of people who had COVID-19. And also the payment of income support mainly from the NIC for people who lost their jobs, who lost their livelihoods because of COVID-19. Mr Speaker, it is calculated that over 33,000 persons in the hotel and tourism sectors were negatively impacted by COVID-19 and 70% of households reported income decline. Mr Speaker, the biggest job losses occurred in the wholesale, retail and restaurant sector. It is no secret that COVID-19 really affected the region and St. Lucia. Mr Speaker, managing the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult but managing the effects of COVID-19 was made more difficult by the war in Ukraine. Mr Speaker, I have always said, which is a matter that can be disputed, that one of our most consistent revenue earners, which is the fuel tax, the tax from fuel, Mr Speaker, it was budgeted that we would have collected 65 million dollars this year from fuel taxes based on the normal price of fuel or the projected price of fuel before the war in Ukraine. And to date, Mr Speaker, we have not collected 20 million dollars from fuel taxes to date. And we continue to subsidize cooking gas between 18 and 20 dollars every tank of cooking gas that is purchased by the solution public with the government subsidizing it between 18 and 20 dollars, Mr Speaker. So, Mr Speaker, you understand that the impact of COVID-19 has really affected us and affected the economy of St. Lucia, Mr Speaker. And this is why the government sought to seek some support or some loan from the Caribbean Development Bank's special resources, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the purpose of the loan was to do the following things. And my colleague, the Minister of Equity, is a very happy man this morning. And I'm sure he may need one hour to explain the effects. But let me warn him, Mr Speaker, he will not be given any extra time. He is a very happy man this morning because his gym, Mr Speaker, is coming through. Mr Speaker, the project will provide income support and grants to over 8,496 poor and vulnerable solutions, Mr Speaker. In order to provide that income support and grants to these 8,000 old people, Mr Speaker, the project will comprise the following. One, protection using existing cash transfer programmes. Two, protection for the vulnerable populations not on present transfer programmes working in the informal sector and support for learning continuity in vulnerable groups and project management, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the Minister will give me detail these four aspects and he will detail them, Mr Speaker. But Mr Speaker, I want to say to you that the project is a one-year project and we are going to ensure that there is equity, Mr Speaker, in the disbursement of these funds. All constituencies and all people, regardless of where they live, Mr Speaker, regardless of who represents them, will be able to seek to get benefits from this loan, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, it is very important, Mr Speaker, that I make that distinction because, Mr Speaker, in previous times people from constituencies represented by the opposition will kept away from these facilities or from these initiatives by the government, Mr Speaker. I recall in my constituency there was a call to increase the number of vulnerable people in my constituency and I'm not blaming the officials of the ministry because they were under orders, Mr Speaker, not to contact the parliamentary representative, not to contact him, on the line they would not and these the people who were defeated, who continue to get defeated and will get defeated in the future were given the privilege to put names on these, to put names to get support, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, during COVID, when food was being distributed in the constituency, Mr Speaker, the parliamentary of the six constituencies that were in opposition, not one of them were called to give a muscle of food to the constituency, Mr Speaker, not one of them and that is a fact, Mr Speaker, that's a fact, but this program, that will not happen, Mr Speaker. You know what happened? The plan was to disenfranchise and to weaponize these projects so that they would have got political gain by that, Mr Speaker. But the people of St Lucia saw differently, the people of St Lucia knew differently, Mr Speaker and that is why the people of St Lucia elected us, not to do the same but to do it, but to ensure that there is equity, Mr Speaker and that is why, that is why, Mr Speaker, under the constituency development program the members of the opposition who never, never found it necessary to involve any member of our side were in opposition, Mr Speaker, they are given an allocation like members of the government and that will continue, Mr Speaker, that will continue. So when you speak about victimization, when you speak about marginalization, Mr Speaker it's not on this side. So, Mr Speaker, I am very happy that the variable people some of them will get support but there is still a lot of work to be done there are still people in this country who need support there are still people in this country who are striving, who are under pressure and there are still people in this country, Mr Speaker who are trying to fool these people who are trying to make them believe that the government is not doing anything to help them, Mr Speaker or the government is doing nothing to take them out of the vulnerabilities the government is, Mr Speaker, within the resources that we have and this is why we are borrowing that money today, Mr Speaker and I want to wait, I want to wait for the discussion and borrowing I am going to hold my peace I am going to hold my peace, Mr Speaker waiting, waiting, Mr Speaker, for the discussion and borrowing I am going to hold my peace, Mr Speaker because, Mr Speaker, sometimes I wonder why must people just not speak the truth when things are easily variable and I was speaking to a friend of mine last night and he said to me, there are certain leaders like Boris Johnson the ex-president Trump and the guy who just got beaten in Brazil I didn't say that who deliberately speak lies because they believe that when they speak lies people will not believe what they say in these lies because we will not say, meantime he made a big president in line so Mr Speaker, I reflected and I reflected and I must say to my friend that he is speaking the truth because I wonder why must people lie when things are easily, easily, easily clarified, Mr Speaker so, Mr Speaker, I would like members to support this motion because for the next year at least 8000 vulnerable people in San Lucia will get some form of much needed relief I thank you Mr Speaker