Governor General's Throne Speech Optimistic About the Future
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Contact: C. Monlouis & A. King
Monday, 21 April 2008 – Governor General of Saint Lucia, Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy on Monday, April 21st, provided the nation with a foretaste of the matters of national interest which will subsequently be expatiated by the prime minister and parliamentarians over the next two days of the budget debate.
In her address which followed the pomp and ceremony marking the opening of the Third Session of the 9th Parliament of St. Lucia, Dame Pearlette outlined several areas of government's programme of work.
Among them, she spoke to education, indicating that there will be the formation of an education commission. Agricultural initiatives given the acute increase in the price of food will, she noted, require an intensified effort to produce more locally grown foodstuff.
“Notwithstanding the threat of global recession, and the compounding elements of ever increasing oil prices and the crisis in world financial market,” Dame Pearlette remarked, “my government's strategy and programme of action during this parliamentary session will address these challenges in a manner that allows our nation to take advantage of many opportunities that are being created in the globalization world.”
Dame Pearlette spoke on matters of high priority to the government including the crime situation, law reform and vision, information and communications technology, the registry of civil status, family and domestic law, patent regulations, and harmonized CARICOM legislation.
“In order to address the deteriorating crime situation in the Caribbean community, regional leaders have taken some key decisions to upgrade and expand the security arrangements that were put in place during Cricket World Cup 2007. To facilitate these crime and security arrangements, draft legislation being prepared at the CARICOM level will be introduced during this session of parliament,” the Governor General said.
Of particular importance to the proceedings of this session of parliament said Dame Pearlette, is the CARICOM Harmonization Initiative intended to facilitate the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
“The monetary council which is the highest decision making body of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank took a decision in 2005, that financial legislation in the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union should be harmonized. To this end, several pieces of legislation have been prepared for the ECCU, and are being reviewed for enactment early in this parliamentary session.”
Dame Pearlette assures that her government is dedicated to enacting legislation that is relevant to the development of the country and its people, in light of current economic and social threats and responsibilities.
The Governor General also reflected on the state of country in the aftermath of the passing of then Prime Minister Sir John Compton. She declared the country has overcome that trying period and has taken up the mantle of development with renewed vigour and determination. |
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