The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) is set to host the first-ever Walk of Progress on Sunday, August 25, to celebrate the achievements of the government during its three years in office. The event is intended as a significant march showcasing the strides made under Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre’s leadership.
The march will underscore the SLP’s commitment to policies that directly benefit the people of Saint Lucia. Participants will gather at the Vigie Playing Field starting at 2.30p.m., before marching through the streets of Castries, passing key landmarks. “We’ll walk down the Castries Waterfront, head onto Jeremie Street, take a right onto Chisel Street, go down Micoud Street in front of the Cathedral, come across Bridge Street in front of the Bank of Saint Lucia, back onto Jeremie Street, and end at the People’s University, known as the Castries Market Steps,” explained Lisa Jawahir, SLP Communications Director.
The march will focus on the government’s major accomplishments, including its economic progress, which has led to the lowest unemployment rate in over 15 years.
The SLP administration has also been instrumental in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises with a $10 million MSME Loan-Grant Facility, which has already approved 273 applications.
Social Programs have been another cornerstone of the SLP’s tenure. The Universal Healthcare program and the ‘One-Laptop-Per-Child’ initiative are highlighted as key achievements that have improved the lives of many Saint Lucians. The agriculture sector has also seen substantial support, with $279,000 in fertilizer subsidies provided to local farmers, boosting productivity and ensuring food security. Farmers with disabilities have also received a $10,000 subvention.
The Walk of Progress also serves to showcase the current government’s achievements with what the SLP describes as a celebration of the collective progress made under Phillip J. Pierre. Jawahir noted that the march is “a demonstration of support” of the Pierre administration’s policies. She cited that this contrasts the lack of meaningful action during the former Prime Minister’s tenure.
Jawahir emphasized the significance of the event, drawing upon her research which revealed a prior occurrence of such a support rally in Mexico. She touted the benefits of other major accomplishments worthy of celebration, such as the Youth Economy, which provides easier access to marketing, training, mentorship and finance.
Saint Lucians have expressed approval of the Prime Minister’s fulfilled promises across various sectors. “He honored his promise, and I give him thanks,” said a local pensioner, who added, “Phillip J. Pierre, I thank you with all my heart and soul!” A local entrepreneur expressed that in the two years following COVID-19, she received $1,500, which helped her start a business and put food on her table. A young man acknowledged the MSME Loan-Grant facility as an “opportunity to make something happen”.
Jawahir also expressed that the government has “offered resources and done our best to allocate support to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force to reduce crime, created a crime prevention center, and established an RSLPF crime hotline; there’s so much more we can look forward to!”
Like the SLP’s prior success in drawing scores of people into a support rally prior to assuming office, Jawahir anticipates that the event will be “a unique march [which] allows for us to come together and be united as a country as everyone has benefitted from the policies of this administration in some way or another”. She invites everyone to join the SLP for the Walk of Progress on August 25, and encourages people to wear any color, or the party’s signature red.
Source: MBC TV St Lucia, DBS TV St Lucia, Celebrating 3 Years Service 2021-2024.pdf
Featured Image Credit: Saint Lucia Labour Party
In-Article Photo Credit: our.today
