Copyright thevoiceslu
Over the years, numerous comparisons have been drawn between Singapore and Saint Lucia – two nations similar in size yet vastly different in development and governance. What many fail to acknowledge, however, is that the fundamental cause of this disparity lies in one word: integrity – or rather, the lack of it among some of our Members of Parliament. Without integrity at the highest levels of leadership, Saint Lucia’s aspirations of ever approaching Singapore’s success will remain a distant dream. Yet, alongside government accountability, there is another entity that must shoulder part of the blame for our stagnation – the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce. As the island’s guardian of business ethics and progress, the Chamber has not done enough to push back against the poor decision-making that has repeatedly hindered our economic advancement. Our concerns stem from a troubling pattern: the abrupt halting or abandonment of major national projects – often without explanation or justification. The losses from these decisions run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, representing the hard-earned contributions of Saint Lucian taxpayers. It is unacceptable that politicians are allowed to make such drastic financial decisions without oversight, decisions that burden the nation with unnecessary debt and deprive citizens of much-needed infrastructure and services. This is precisely where the Chamber of Commerce – and those within it who understand the financial and developmental risks of such erratic choices – should intervene in the national interest. It is no coincidence that such reckless decisions would never be tolerated in a place like Singapore. Despite being geographically similar to Saint Lucia, Singapore has thrived through sound governance, fiscal discipline, and an unwavering commitment to transparency and national development. By contrast, Saint Lucia continues to suffer under the weight of costly missteps. The following figures highlight just a few of the projects either stopped, scrapped, or mishandled in the past four and a half years under the current administration: Total Estimated Waste: EC$513,500,000 If these funds had been the personal money of the decision-makers responsible, it is doubtful they would have been spent so carelessly. Yet, this is the harsh reality for a small, developing nation like Saint Lucia – forced to bear the burden of a half-billion-dollar loss, even as hospitals remain below acceptable medical standards and citizens continue to struggle for access to basic public services. Until integrity becomes the foundation of our governance and institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce take an active role in holding leaders accountable, Saint Lucia’s progress will remain stalled – and comparisons to Singapore will remain just that: comparisons, not aspirations.
