Saint Lucia: Equity Ministry presents plans, programs for fiscal year 2023/24

Saint Lucia: The Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister – Joachim Henry, on behalf of the ministry, presented a full slate of plans and programs for the fiscal year 2023-2024 on January 17, 2023. The presentation was received by the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Saint Lucia, Philip J Pierre, as per the information by the government of the country.

The Equity Ministry presented the vision for the upcoming fiscal year, including the projects and projects to be adopted by the government of Saint Lucia to advance and develop the country. In this annual presentation, seized the opportunity to update the team on the achievements of the past financial year.

Permanent Secretary Velda Joseph, on this matter, stated that the ministry recognised that it had done tremendous work in terms of the enabling environment for social protection, in that the ministry has performed a lot as it relates to the development of policies and plans as it works on the social protection legislation, and so it thinks that the policy and legislative framework for social protection here on Saint Lucia.

During the fiscal year 2023, the ministry further emphasised that it will be strengthening the many social interventions across the island country that will touch the lives of the citizens of the country. The programmes of the country will address social issues like violence, crime, youth at risk and, most importantly, unemployment.

The government of Saint Lucia also informed that the ministry of Equity would focus on building community resilience through the empowerment of residents, emphasising children. The minister further informed that it has commenced planning a to host a major event on November 20, World Children’s Day.

In addition to this, some of the new social interventions will include establishing a Prisoner Re-integration Project, which is an initiative focusing on Safety Nets for Vulnerable Populations impacted by the coronavirus – a Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre.