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Contact:
George Jude
Friday, February 20, 2004 - Former Opposition Leader, Marius Wilson,
member for Micoud North on Tuesday, February 17 praised the Government’s
initiatives designed to assist poor and marginalised St. Lucians.
Mr. Wilson’s praise for the Government followed similar accolades showered on
The Government by the present Leader of the Opposition, Arsene James for the
EURO 10 million borrowed to rehabilitate some 55 roads throughout the island.
Determined to relieve the pain and suffering of persons leaving in deprived
conditions, the Government established a number of institutions to deal with
those problems. These institutions include the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF), the
Basic Need Trust Fund (BNTF) the Short Term Employment Programme (STEP) and the
Games Belgrave Micro Enterprise Development Fund (BELfund).
These entities offer a wide range of services to the less privileged in society,
including the construction of footpaths where there is little or no access to
deprived communities; drains where run-off water present a problem; and
retaining walls where land slippage is occurring. The Belfund even makes small
loans available to less fortunate persons wishing to establish their own
businesses. All of these projects have a heavy emphasis on using community
skills and in that way, persons from the communities gain employment in the
process of implementing the various projects.
In praising the Government, Mr. Wilson said, “Often, I have said to my
Parliamentary Colleagues on the other side, that I believe the Government is
doing very great work and I applaud the Government when it does well”,
stressing, “They are doing some very great work under the able guidance of the
Minister of Social Transformation; they are touching the lives of the poor and
marginalised constituencies in a manner never done in this country … never done
in this country”.
Chastising the media for the lack of publicity on the benefits of the
Government-led programmes he said, “What is not happening is that the nation is
not being told what is being done in the form and manner required”. Suggesting
that the Poverty Reduction Fund was doing more than reducing poverty, he called
for its name to be changed to “The Empowerment and Development Agency”.
Mr. Wilson beckoned further: “Let us empower our people and let us start talking
to them so that they can understand that when the projects are done, the
footpaths are done, the roads are done, the electricity and everything are put
in place to help them, that they can understand and appreciate that this is an
initiative by a Government that cares and the people can be greater sensitised”.
Recalling the benefits which his constituency has derived from the
Government-initiated programmes he said, “Do you know what kind of burden
S.T.E.P. has eased on me as a parliamentary representative? I have always said
that”. He even asked to be given, allocation made for a few houses, which have
not been taken up. “I have completed four in my constituency”, he said, asking
the Prime Minister, “Those who don’t want it give it to me. Let me ease the
frustrations of the poor and deserving people in my constituency”.
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