Saint Lucia records 4.2% GDP growth in 2024-25, says Prime Minister Philip J Pierre

The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J Pierre during an assembly session last week shared all the developments that his government has completed and the future plans the administration is willing to implement in the coming year, 2025-26.

In his statement, PM Pierre first mentioned that Saint Lucia is going to grow at a rate of 4.2 percent as far as Gross Domestic Product is concerned. There were also talks of new recruitments in the Police Forces in the month of March 2025, a total of 79 vacancies to be filled. Recruitment in the police personnel has been the same this year, that is 2024-25. 

Northern Police Headquarters and Police Rangers Program 

In 2025, the Police Rangers Program would be started by the government of Saint Lucia inviting applications for 50 vacancies under the same. PM Pierre also said that the most advanced facility for the security forces in the CARICOM is going to be built in the form of Northern Police Headquarters at Saint Lucia.

The CARICOM stands for the Caribbean Community. It is an intergovernmental organization with 15 member states covering the Caribbean, the North and South America and nations spread across the Atlantic Ocean with its headquarters in Georgetown. 

The NPH would be a fortress that would showcase the power of Saint Lucia across the Caribbean region.

Global Ports Holding Programme to start in Saint Lucia

On the other side, there were mentions of the GPH Programme to be kicked off in the island in 2025. GPH translates to Global Ports Holding which is a company focused on operating and developing cruise ports across key locations spread across the globe. Thus, this is expected to give a boost to the country’s tourism, food and shipping industry besides providing employment opportunities in the construction, shipbuilding and engineering sector. 

The company is managed by Mehmet Kutman and specially deals in cruise ships management and their passengers safety among other needs. 

St Judes Hospital to be Opened in 2025

The Prime Minister declared the opening of St Judes Hospital. Currently, there are 5 hospitals in the island federation of Saint Lucia with 4 public hospitals managed by the government and one private hospital. Out of the 5 hospitals, there are 2 general hospitals, the Victoria hospital that remains the backbone of healthcare in the island while St Judes hospital situated at Vieux Fort supports it by providing secondary care. 

Restoration Work on George Odlum Stadium and other Works

The George Odlum Olympic Stadium is located at Vieux Fort in Saint Lucia. The Prime Minister Philip J Pierre in his speech said that there were going to be refurbishment work to be started at the venue to restore the stadium back to its original glory.

There were talks of new construction and housing projects that would be starting in 2025. Additionally, there is to be an addition of the emergency care and wellness centre at the Victoria Hospital located in Castries which is the capital city of Saint Lucia. 5 new schools are also to be opened in the island including extensions to the current Entrepot Secondary School and the Ira Simmons Secondary School.