Saint Lucia moves to strengthen ease of doing business and support local entrepreneurs 

Saint Lucia: Minister with responsibility for Commerce in Saint Lucia, Dr Ernest Hilaire, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards improving the ease of doing business in the island nation while also creating a more supportive environment for local entrepreneurs, manufacturers as well as small business owners.

While speaking about the broader development vision of the government in a video message, Dr Ernest Hilaire said the administration remains guided by a clear principle of putting people first and strengthening the national unity. He emphasised that while this approach was initially central to the election campaign of the government under theme ‘Moving Forward Together’ but the focus is now building stronger collaboration across sectors to unlock new opportunities for growth.

The Minister further highlighted the progress already achieved within the Ministry of Commerce particularly in relation to small, micro as well as medium enterprises. He described these gains as a strong foundation on which the government intends to build with an even more determined focus on expanding and strengthening the small business sector in Saint Lucia.

According to Hilaire, the next phase of reform will involve a careful assessment of the obstacles that prevent more Saint Lucians from starting businesses and investing locally. He pointed to the positive outcomes of initiatives such as the youth economy programmes and the grant and loan facilities which have helped entrepreneurs turn ideas into viable enterprises.

He stressed that removing institutional regulatory and legislative barriers will be a key priority as the government works to make it easier to start and operate a business. The Ministry of Commerce is now intensifying its focus on creating an enabling environment where entrepreneurs feel confident that the government supports their efforts, he added.

According to him, this approach will extend beyond commerce into other critical sectors including tourism, manufacturing and creative industries. The overall objective is to ensure that more Saint Lucians are empowered to own and grow their businesses contributing to sustainable economic development and shared prosperity across the country, he explained.

He concluded by noting that the government sees this moment as a golden opportunity to build on past successes and work closely with stakeholders to create a business environment that is inclusive supportive and focused on long term national growth.