Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has defended his administration’s economic strategy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the government made deliberate efforts to stimulate growth and restore fiscal stability while prioritising the livelihoods of Saint Lucians.
Speaking during an appearance on a morning show hosted by Rev Up Saint Lucia, Pierre explained that his government inherited significant financial obligations, including outstanding back pay owed to civil servants by the previous administration.
“We had to reduce capital expenditure. But to reduce capital expenditure, we had to create a level of economic activity,” Pierre said. “The last government left us with a backlog because it could not pay civil servants their back pay. We said, ‘We’re going to pay that back pay.’”
The Prime Minister outlined a strategy aimed at revitalising the economy by capitalising on Saint Lucia’s strengths. These include tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), which he says continues to enjoy a high global ranking.
“We had a comparative advantage as far as tourism is concerned, and we had a comparative advantage as far as our CIP was concerned,” Pierre stated. “Any independent measure of Saint Lucia’s CIP has ranked it very high. That’s a fact.”
As global travel rebounded in the wake of the pandemic, the government seized the opportunity to expand the tourism industry, which Pierre described as the “leading sector” of the economy. But he emphasised that tourism is only part of the equation.
“We said, listen, we’re going to expand our tourism industry. We’re going to ensure that tourism becomes the leading sector in our economy,” he noted. “But we have agriculture, we have to feed ourselves. There is manufacturing. So we have that to do, and then there’s the CIP.”
Pierre’s comments come amid a wider national conversation on economic resilience and diversification. His administration has been focused on leveraging Saint Lucia’s natural and financial assets while addressing systemic challenges.
“We had to stimulate activity. We had to stimulate growth,” Pierre concluded. “And we’re doing that, across tourism, across agriculture, across manufacturing, and with a robust and respected CIP.”
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that economic recovery remains central to his administration’s agenda, with continued investments across multiple sectors expected to sustain growth and reduce dependency on external shocks.
