The Debate on the Appropriation Bill commenced on Thursday, April 23, with Members of Parliament detailing constituency developments and national priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
Dennery South MP and Deputy Speaker Alfred Prospere highlighted a series of infrastructure projects aimed at improving daily life for residents in his constituency. Among them was the construction of a long-awaited facility at the local cemetery.
“We constructed a washroom facility in the Dennery Cemetery. I am telling myself we never had one, and I think it was important for us to do so because many people going to funerals… were struggling to find a facility that they can use to do the necessary necessities,” he explained.
Prospere also underscored efforts to improve pedestrian safety, particularly for schoolchildren.
“We constructed another footpath along the highway starting from Albert all the way to the bus shelter by the Dennery Preschool,” he said, noting that students had previously been forced to walk along the main road.
“Our children when going to school most times would have no choice but to walk on the main highway because the conditions were not available for them to walk off the highway.”
He added that further expansion of these pathways is planned, subject to funding.
“It is my intention… to continue the footpath… so that we create a pedestrian pathway for as many persons who are using that route to do their daily necessities,” Prospere stated.
Upgrades to sporting infrastructure also featured prominently in his contribution, including lighting improvements at community facilities.
“We have also placed new lights on the La Caye football field and in the coming months we will be also upgrading the La Caye grounds,” he said, emphasizing the importance of sports in youth engagement. “It is time that we engage more of our young persons in sporting activities especially on evenings.”
However, he raised concerns about the removal of lighting at the Dennery playing field prior to the last general election.
“That caused a serious fear in me because I was worried… I was not aware until I got a call that it was happening,” Prospere said, adding that restoration could cost over two million dollars.
“I will be coming to you in the next few days to see how you can assist me in getting our lights back on the Dennery playing field.”
Meanwhile, Choiseul-Saltibus MP and Minister for Physical Development and Utility Regulation Keithson Charles turned attention to the rising cost of electricity and the need for long-term energy reform.
“I hear the conversations… I see the frustration on social media. I have seen the creative memes from citizens struggling with the recent spike in electricity bills,” Charles said. “Yes, I did. I hear them, and this government hears them. But let us be honest about the why.”
He attributed the rising costs to the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.
“As long as we remain shackled to imported fossil fuels, our people’s pockets are at the mercy of geopolitical winds in the Middle East,” he explained.
“When a conflict erupts thousands of miles away, the shockwaves hit every kitchen table in Saint Lucia and around the region. That is an unacceptable vulnerability.”
Charles argued that investment in renewable energy is essential to reducing that exposure.
“This is why our push into renewable energy, solar, wind, and geothermal is not merely environmental policy. It is an independence policy,” he said. “Every solar panel, every geothermal well, is a blow against the volatility of imported oil.”
Looking ahead, he framed the transition as a matter of national resilience. “We want to build a future where our children’s electricity bills are dictated by Saint Lucia’s sun and Saint Lucia’s soil… not by global oil markets,” Charles added. “We have to move away from this.”
The debate is expected to continue with further contributions from MPs outlining sectoral priorities and policy directions for the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year.