Rehabilitation work set to begin in GONS, Saint Lucia receives USD $75 million loan from Saudi Fund

Castries, Saint Lucia: Prime Minister Philip J Pierre led administration received a USD $75 million loan from the Saudi Fund for the transformational rehabilitation work at the George Odlum National Stadium (GONS) in Vieux-Fort.

This work has been on hold for a long time, leaving Saint Lucia’s athletes without access to GONS and at a disadvantage. PM Pierre kept his word that in 2023, he had made the decision to initiate the reformation work on the GONS.

For this purpose, he exchanged talks with the potential stakeholders and received a sum of USD $75 million loan from the Saudi Fund. The loan will take over the expenses of the rehabilitation and construction projects which included, St Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project (SJHRP) and the GONS.

The work will commence on the property following the approval of permission from the authorities.

While addressing the nation during the presentation of the 2024/2025 Estimates of Revenues and Expenditure on March 26, the leader of Saint Lucia underscores the need to restore GONS. He further said that his government is putting efforts to commence the restoration work in the Stadium and return it to the athletes and footballers.

Noting this, as per PM Pierre’s statement, the preparatory work is expected to start in the 2024/25 fiscal year on the GONS.

The prime minister has given a commitment that the interior and designs of the GONS should not be compromised. He committed $2.5 million from the 2024/25 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, especially for the development of the stadium, which involved the following,

• Supervision services
• Site preparation works
• Stadium design

Moreover, it has also been said that the GONS preparatory work will only be started if the operations of the St Jude Hospital will move to its original site in Augier at Vieux-Fort.

The government of Saint Lucia assured the citizens that soon, the athletes would benefit from the fully restored and repaired first-class sporting facility. The nation envisions to host various regional and international sporting events in the facility.

Additionally, such efforts of the PM Pierre showcased his unwavering dedication to enhance the youth and sports development in the country. He expressed his commitment to work continuously to foster the spirit of the athletes of Saint Lucia.