MAJOR CHALLENGES AWAIT SAINT LUCIA AND
DECEMBER 19, 2007
EDWARD HARRIS AT LARGE!
MAJOR CHALLENGES AWAIT SAINT LUCIA AND
THE REST OF THE REGION IN 2008!!!
It is that time of year when people of goodwill from across the globe, come together to give love at Christmas and bring cheer to all those who look forward to a New Year of Peace and Joy!!! I almost missed the deadline due to the many urgent matters including overseas travel that occupied my attention in recent weeks. However, it is proper that I wish you God’s Blessings as you celebrate the Holidays and may prosperity attend you throughout the New Year.
Looking back at the year 2007, November 29, 2007 was the day that characterized the happenings in many aspects of existence in the island states of the region. There were may wake up calls with many lessons to be learnt. Political elections upset, death of a political icon, challenges of the European Economic Agreement, the restlessness of the youth and the crime epidemic sweeping across the region fueled by the deportees. The politicians need help and as the year comes to a close, the challenge for those citizens who find themselves in a more fortunate positions in the developed world to seek out opportunities to bring hope to the less fortunate at home.
Apart from the many challenges, the year 2007 has been an exciting year for the people of the Caribbean and St. Lucia was not spared of the challenges. I am happy that I was able to update my readers on the political, social and economic developments in this beautiful island State. My political predictions have all been on target. My bullish position on investments has been validated and St. Lucia is on a consistent path of economic progress.
The Government has settled down to the task of running the country and while 2007 was not a great year in terms of their performance, they should turn the corner at this juncture. There were many reasons for the state of affairs as existed. It would be interesting to see their responses to the many outstanding issues as the New Year dawns. Principal among the outstanding issues is the appointment of overseas diplomatic representatives around the world.
The Real Estate industry is booming. The stock of properties being built to satisfy the tourism needs is expanding. Century 21 and REMAX franchises are now in St. Lucia. Private foreign owned real estate companies have sprung up in recent months and as a result local Realtors are somewhat uneasy. However, this is the reality of global business and the local Realtors will have to adjust to the new development. The unfortunate situation is that due to the high cost of establishing businesses in the developed countries, the services business will not be reciprocal.
I warned my readers that they must take action to own a piece of the ROCK. This is a good time for me to issue a reminder as many St. Lucians will be visiting for the holidays. Come see and make your decision to invest in St. Lucia. Something interesting has developed among local Realtors. A few of them got together and they are sharing listings which allows someone looking to invest in property in St. Lucia can review a wide range of options before arriving at a decision to purchase.
St. Lucians living abroad can contribute substantially to the development of their homeland. It is time to begin to look around their immediate environment to see what ideas and programmes can be duplicated in St. Lucia. Check out new technologies and methods that are being used by cutting edge organizations and share them with persons at home trying to achieve greater efficiency in their professions. Since opening up of employment opportunities is vital to addressing crime and teenage pregnancy among the youth, efforts on the part of St. Lucians in the developed world in wooing investors to St. Lucia can play an important role. It will help by simply looking around at the operations of NGOs and other organizations that bring hope to young people to encourage them to open up Chapters in St. Lucia. The New Year will challenge those persons who really care about the future of St. Lucia and are dedicated to sharing with the less fortunate. On a final note, our hospitals are in great need of equipment and furnishings. Any help to make live comfortable for the poor who cannot afford the luxury of a private hospital will be appreciated.
I am so happy to report that God is in Charge. Keep the Faith, Dream Big and Expect Miracles in your lives!
Edward Harris
Email: eaharrisdestiny@gmail.com
Websites: http://www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com http://www.stluciarealtors.com