St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

Everyone is expecting that the date for the general elections will be announced this weekend. Unfortunately, you will be reading this article before the announcement. However, you still have time to assess the situation and make up your mind on which of the candidates you will give your support. It is my view that the majority of voters support party. This situation leaves many good candidates out in the cold all because they find themselves representing the party that doesn’t have the established tradition of winning the constituency. This is the reason why Independents seldom win. It is the exception, rather than the rule when an independent wins.

Trying to get an idea of the possible outcome of the upcoming elections is very difficult except for those individuals who have set up residence with the party of their choice, they will not be moved and as far as they are concerned their party has already won before the votes are counted. But that is life. What is certain with every election, it is getting more difficult to predict a winner until the last weekend before elections, only then the outcome can be predicted by observing the colours. In the countdown of the 24 hours leading up to election day no one will be prepared to flirt or go along for the ride. Those persons attending the closing rallies have placed their future squarely in the hands of the party of their choice. They want to be seen by their candidate, some will even want to hug and kiss their candidate. The message is simple – they take a stand for their candidate.

We cannot get growth without risk. The visionary and the brave have stuck their necks out in a socio-economic mine field and the challenge of sustainable success is directly proportional to the effort spent in expertly managing the process.

The Rotary Clubs of Barbados South and West have jointly embarked on the planning of an Inclusive Play Facility, a building and playground at the Sir Garfield Sobers Complex. The objective is to allow differently abled children to enjoy similar recreational experiences as children without disabilities.

Who is the guardian of the macro-economic environment? The Government is the guardian on behalf of the people. If the advent of an industry is not financially viable from the private sector perspective but may contribute a significant improvement to the country from a macro-economic perspective, then it is the duty of the Government to conduct an economic analysis and offer incentives of one form or another for the private sector to invest with the expectation of a fair financial return on investment.

The Guyanese Diaspora has been very supportive of the major parties but it is significant that there has been a major shift in support from the PPP/Civic and APNU to the AFC. It is very much the same in Guyana with high profile political personalities embracing the AFC, leaving parties that they have been associated with for decades. This is all positive for the AFC. You can visit www.voteafc.com for the latest action.

I got some figures which are very revealing – Tourism is 67% of GDP, 64% Employment and 85% Foreign Exchange Earnings. If this is the true picture, all St. Lucians should get on board and begin a crusade to get the rest of the world to visit St. Lucia. Here is my slogan “Get away from the ordinary and experience the extraordinary – Saint Lucia is Magnificent!”. It is time for the government to excite the people; get them involve

Over the last two years we on the E-Team, now the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation, have had a wonderful experience pursuing the goal: “Barbados – The #1 Entrepreneurial Hub in the World by 2020.” Of course, there were the naysayers; of course, there were the cynics; of course, there were those who would love to join the positive tsunami but preferred to sit on the fence; but, thank God, there were the positive thinkers who gave full support to the unrelenting leadership thrust of our dynamic CEO Damian McKinney.

I continue to make the case for SLISBA that Government’s support for the Association is vital to ensure it executes its mandate effectively. SLISBA’s responsibility is more than advocacy; it is about expanding the entrepreneurial class in the St. Lucian society.

When we have gone to the great beyond, our children will inherit the Earth. We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that we leave behind a legacy of which we are proud. Each and every one of us must play his/her part and collectively we shall contribute to the world being a better

When there is an acknowledgement on all sides that a change of Mind Set is necessary, there will be no surprise at what the people of Saint Lucia can achieve for themselves and the nation as a whole.