We can't let nation’s CIP programme be turned into a slush fund: Allen Chastanet

The legislation related to the National Economic Fund is to ensure good governance, clarity and accountability, which were not adequately addressed in the CIP Act of 2015.

Tuesday, 16th November 2021

We can't let nation’s CIP programme be turned into a slush fund: Allen Chastanet

Opposition leader and Former Prime Minister of St Lucia, Allen Chastanet, has raised interrogatories regarding amendments giving power across the National Economic Fund to Cabinet. In a statement given on Monday, Allen Chastanet stated his United Workers Party (UWP) is immensely concerned about the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) administration proposed amendments to the Economic Fund Act coming before the House of Parliament on Tuesday. Allen Chastanet's statement: The Amendments to the Act eliminate oversight of funds from the Citizenship by Investment Programme and direct way to the Cabinet of Ministers. This transit is alarming and should be of concern to all residents, as the United Workers Party Government, in placing the fund in 2019, made sure the National Economic Fund Board was put in place to maintain the use of the funds to safeguard clarity and responsibility. The legislation related to the National Economic Fund is to ensure good governance, clarity and accountability, which were not adequately addressed in the CIP Act of 2015. Furthermore, He stated that we must look at these changes closely because they have profound implications. When we established the National Economic Fund, we made sure we had checks and balances in place and that the funds were adequately managed with clear guidelines in place as to how the funds should be used. Additionally, This is monies outside the Consolidated Fund, proceeds of our country’s CIP programme. We must guard its use to ensure the people of Saint Lucia are getting those goods. This change proposed by the Government clearly shows that the SLP Government will continue its pattern of deceit and hypocrisy, as there was so much spoke about the Fund when it was founded in 2019. We can't sit by and let CIP be turned into a slush fund at the whims and desires of the Cabinet. It has to be maintained properly with all the requisite attention to responsibility. Why remove oversight and checks and balances on CIP Funds? There are a lot of questions that have to be answered. We observe this latest move with indignation. No argument can absolve this. It cannot be a case of accessing the funds promptly because we proved this was possible when the Board provided emergency relief funds to benefit the agriculture sector, help clean up and rebuild the road network and provide support to individual households impacted by the passage of Hurricane Elsa. We will also be looking at whether this goes through all stages because one of the areas the SLP criticised while in Opposition was items coming to Parliament and going through all stages in one Sitting.