PM ANNOUNCES BACK-TO-SCHOOL RELIEF AND VAT REMOVAL ON SANITARY NAPKINS
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has unveiled a package of back-to-school measures to ease the financial burden on families, including August salaries for temporary teachers, doubling financial support for Early Childhood students, and a $250,000 allocation to tackle period poverty in secondary schools. The government will also move to permanently remove VAT on sanitary napkins to make them more affordable.
TOURISM MINISTRY TRAINS MARITIME OPERATORS TO MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS
The Ministry of Tourism has kicked off a week-long training program aimed at boosting the skills of maritime tour operators and helping them meet the standards required for a tourism operator’s certificate under the Tourism Development Act. The workshop covers sustainable business practices, marketing strategies, and digital payment systems, and is part of a broader capacity-building initiative set to run throughout the year.
PM SAYS LOW OVERSTAY RATE, REGIONAL LAW WILL SHIELD SAINT LUCIA FROM US VISA BOND
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has reassured that Saint Lucia’s low visa overstay rate and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s proposed uniform regional law for citizenship-by-investment programs will help protect the country amid the U.S. State Department’s new pilot program requiring visa bonds of up to $15,000 for travelers from certain countries. The program targets nations with high overstay rates and those with citizenship-by-investment schemes, aiming to ensure compliance with visa terms.
