UWP MANIFESTO 2016

1. Good Governance

GOOD GOVERNANCE IS NOT JUST A CONCEPT

As we approach 40 years as an independent nation, we can reflect with pride on our many achievements, but as a party the UWP is concerned about where we are going. There was a time when we embraced each other as colleagues and as partners no matter which political party we supported or what views we harboured on issues.

The St. Lucia Labour Party changed all of this in 1997 when at its Annual Convention it adopted a motion calling for "affirmative" (preferential) action in favour of its supporters. This approach underlies the form of governance of the SLP. The SLP government has adopted a policy of discarding programmes which have been on- going or close to implementation merely because those programmes were not initiated by the SLP. These decisions have been at great cost to our country and the majority of our people.

We cannot continue in this manner. The UWP commits to pursue programmes and projects based on the benefits Saint Lucia, irrespective of which government initiated it.

IN THE INTEREST OF ALL SAINT LUCIANS

A UWP government will govern in the interest of all Saint Lucians no matter what their political affiliations. We Will:

Reconstitute and strengthen the National Consultative Council as a mechanism for eliciting the views of and facilitating the participation of Saint Lucians in the process of governance.
Establish a Council on Social Reform which will comprise partners including churches, community organisations and NGOs. The Council will report to Parliament and will make recommendations to address the ills of society while seeking to elevate and strengthen positive traits that all good societies are based on.


2. Climate Change

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The UWP believes that Climate Change is one of the gravest threats we face as a people. Urgent action is required so that it does not reverse the progress we have made towards development so far.

 Internationally, we are engaged with countries and agencies that can assist us in adapting to these changes by building long-term resilience to extreme events. Nationally, we believe that we should strive for a more eco-friendly economy. The UWP has a history of supporting environmental protection.

 We need to encourage and provide increased levels of respect for the environment through the adoption of conservation and preservation practices. We will take measures including legislative action, to stop existing environmental deterioration while repairing damage that has already occurred.

The UWP Government will:

•Promote and support the installation of rainwater harvesting systems for domestic and commercial use.

•Continue efforts to provide adequate drainage throughout the various communities as a means of avoiding flooding and land slippage.

•Build more green areas not only to enhance the beauty of our country and create short-term employment, but to preserve the natural biodiversity of our islands

•Encourage developers of major hotels to adopt various national sites or develop “green parks” for public use and promotion of wellness.

•Continue to work to ensure the restoration of our forest devastated by Hurricane Tomas.

•Institute an annual “plant a tree” programme for all residents and “pot a plant” programme for the public and private sectors.

•Work towards a “zero waste” economy; and encourage people to recycle and work to reduce littering.

•Undertake a review of the land use and zoning practices.

•Strengthen legislation and improve enforcement capacity to correct land, air and water contamination.

•Develop a Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) which will identify priority resilience-building activities.

To reduce vulnerability in natural disasters, we will:

•Conduct River Bank Stabilization and River Restraining Programmes throughout Saint Lucia.

•Rehabilitate forests island-wide

•Perform Hazard Assessments in key locations

•Rehabilitate areas of Landslides in the central rain forests


3. ICT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is not merely an economic sector; it cuts across every other sector and industry.

We believe that ICT has the potential to be the most significant driver of growth that we have ever experienced.



It is very important to have a developed ICT sector including a modern and secure information network available to all individuals and businesses throughout Saint Lucia.



Hence the new UWP government will:

•Work with telecommunications service providers to ensure that “Internet Hot Spots” are erected across the island

•Provide support for broadband connectivity in rural districts.

•Install protocols for the protection of children and vulnerable citizens.

•Provide subsidies for business incubation services aimed at promoting the creation of a new ICT-enabled industry.

•Implement the National ICT Strategy that was developed in 2010.

•Develop the e-Government portal to enable end-users to have seamless, 24-hour access to government information and services

•Create an online portal for making health care and service information available to the public.

•Provide incentives to encourage the use of ICT in all businesses

•Fully incorporate ICT in the national school curriculum at all levels.

•Provide adult literacy classes in ITC in communities around Saint Lucia.

•Provide ICT training of teachers at all levels.

•Ensure that professional level computer science is taught in addition to the more application-oriented computer studies, in order to put Saint Lucia on the cutting edge of the ICT industry.

•Develop the necessary legislation to give effect to all of our ICT policies.
Infrastructure for Growth

The UWP has always been committed to providing an enabling environment for business and the public sectors to operate efficiently.



In the new term we will therefore continue with essential infrastructural projects including these:

Roads and Transport Routes

•Hewanorra International Airport Redevelopment Plan

•Road maintenance system involving local contractors

•Upgrading of farm roads

•A Central bus terminal in Castries; and satellite terminals at Union and Cul-de-Sac.

•Repair critical hurricane-damaged arterial roads.

•Morne Ciseaux/Morne D’Or Link Road.

•Link Road in Mabouya Valley between Dubonnet and Grande Riviere.

•Anse-La-Raye Bypass and one way system.

•Highway to Saltibus through to Bongolo.

•Improvements to the existing Vieux Fort to Cul-de-Sac road to reduce travel time to 30 minutes.

•The Castries By-pass Master Plan

•Implementation of the Rodney Bay and Gros Islet Enhancement Plan.

•Complete the Vieux Fort Road diversion, coastal promenade, waterfront upgrade and associated development (Anse De Sable) Plans



Facilities Upgrades

•Implementation of the Castries Port Redevelopment Project.

•New Cruise Ship Terminal in Vieux Fort

•Castries Sewage Treatment Project.

•Sewage Waste Disposal in all towns and villages

•Bus Terminals in towns and large villages

•A Civic Centre in Micoud.

•A new hospital in Dennery

•Boys’ Training Centre (Bois Jolie)

•Dennery Infant School

•Regional cargo hub in Vieux Fort

Water Supply

•Complete the Water Supply Systems of Grande Riviere, Garage Site and Tournesse Intake

•Belle Vue/Joyeux Intake for the Southern Water Supply

•Vieux-Fort water supply redevelopment

•Implementation of the Garage Site Ground Water System for the Mabouya Valley

•Tournesse Intake and Fond D’Or Watershed


4. Small Business Support

Small Business and Young Entrepreneurs

A UWP administration will give special attention to our young business owners and provide support in the following areas:

 For young people:

•Animation and film skills training with international marketing support

•Highly employable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills training

•Increased training to meet the demand for certified workers in Accounting, Finance, and Financial Regulation

•Training and employment support in hydroponics

•Expanded and improved skills training programmes offered by the National Skills Development Centre

•Awareness of opportunities in Sports and the Cultural Industries

For existing small business owners:

•Tax exemption for approved small businesses in the first two years of operation.

•Reduce taxes on approved existing small businesses for three consecutive years.

•Introduce a Delayed Payment Act (offering protection for small businesses which supply goods and services to larger entities).

•Enact Contract Enforcement Laws (making it easier for small business to seek legal redress).

•Adopting logistical improvements to help our goods reach OECS and CARICOM Markets

•Make it easier for small businesses to win government contracts through:

(a) an e-procurement system that brings down the cost of bidding and makes the process more accessible; and

(b) breaking tenders into smaller contracts that can be won and completed by small companies.


5. Housing

Decent housing is one of the most effective ways of empowering people.

Home ownership and access to quality housing are therefore top priorities of the United Workers Party.

With a housing shortage of 2500 to 3000 units, home ownership and quality housing are the dream of many people in Saint Lucia. Our shrinking middle-class is responsible for the decline in homeownership and the deterioration of housing quality in areas that were once proud middle-class communities. Unplanned housing communities have become a major problem that is largely responsible for rising crime rates.

UWP is well-known for establishing low-to-middle-income housing projects throughout Saint Lucia. We believe that our citizens should have access to proper housing regardless of their income level. Therefore, a new UWP government will:

•Establish three tiers of model housing communities to include: subsidized, middle-income, and luxury homes.

•Distribute housing stock more equitably across the country.

•Ensure greater involvement of Government in land ownership, for allocation to deserving potential homeowners.

•Establish minimum housing and living standards.

•Review the Architect Registration Act with the purpose of making the industry more competitive without compromising quality.

•Promote public-private partnerships in housing development, community upgrading and land rationalization.

•Involve local people in the provision and up-grading of housing in all areas, especially deprived areas.


6. Education

Education is a basic human right, a fundamental ingredient for tackling the problems of poverty and the foundation for achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves and our country.

Our education system should therefore provide RELEVANT EDUCATION to produce worthy, self-reliant and successful citizens in St.Lucia.

Yet, despite the value of education for empowering people, the Labour Party government has reduced the transportation subsidy and scaled down the school feeding programme on which poor families depend.

Our young men and women need to be prepared for a future characterised by continuous change, where technologies are being replaced at a rapid pace. They will face intense competition and shifting competitive advantage. To prepare students to have a chance at success in this global environment, our institutions must themselves embrace change and keep looking for ways to remain relevant.

The UWP government will implement:

STANDARDS AND SUPPORT TO ATTEND SCHOOL

-Introduce and enforce standards throughout the education system, including standards for school buildings (plant), policy administration, school supervision, curriculum, teacher preparation, and student performance.

-To facilitate equal access for all, we will re-introduce the full transportation subsidy and expand the school feeding programme, linking the programme to local agricultural production.

-Re-structure and expand the text book support programme

-Modernise and re-structure the curriculum unit to become the focal point for innovation, development and implementation.


EQUAL ACCESS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

The principle of equity requires that persons with special needs benefit from the same level of access as others to develop their potential. The UWP government will:

-Seek to educate children with special needs in the least restrictive environment possible

-Facilitate special-needs assessments to be carried out by multi-disciplinary teams

-Ensure that Principals and teachers are offered training and facilities to help integrate children with disabilities in all schools.

-Expand the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in special education, to ensure that all learners are computer literate, and can enhance their employment opportunities.

-Ensure that students with disabilities are offered technical and vocational skills

-Provide a Special Education Assistance Package to help disadvantaged parents of children with special needs

-Maintain public education to help society accept and help persons with disabilities


EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECED)

The private sector is playing an important role in Early Childhood Education and Development; and so the UWP believes that in addition to the regulatory role of the Ministry of Education, these service providers should be supported to continue their contribution. A UWP government will:



-Ensure that all children aged 0-8 years have access to early childhood education

-Utilize spaces that have become available in elementary schools for the provision of early childhood education

-Establish accreditation for training agencies and processes for registration, licensing, mandatory training of providers, monitoring and evaluation of ECED services

-Introduce a Bachelor’s degree programme in ECED at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

-Provide classes and home-based parenting education though multi-media public information programmes.

-Provide training for other specialized professionals to become ECED educators.


7. Health Care

The UWP believes in an integrated system of health care at the local level that requires the public and private sectors to work together towards common objectives.

Saint Lucia’s health care system today is plagued by poor management of the Public Sector services and a lack of collaboration and synergy with Private Sector services, causing waste, duplication and inequity in access to health services.


The new UWP government will begin its term by:

-Insisting and demonstrating that access to health care is a human right

-Introducing a targeted amnesty on accumulated hospital fees

-Improving the conditions under which the sick are treated

-Completing the hospitals that were started years ago

The situation at St Jude’s Hospital which continues to be housed in the National Stadium after almost five years of SLP rule, highlights the insensitivity of this administration to both the persons needing health services and the youth. The sick are being held in dilapidated conditions, while the young people are being denied access to sporting facilities. The fact that this is taking place in the Prime Minister’s Constituency is the clearest possible indication of how little he cares for the people of St. Lucia.


Planning and Management of the health care system will be improved by:

-Empowering people regional health teams and a community health structure

-Co-ordinating between public and private health care institutions

-Recognizing the role of primary health care as the foundation of personal and community health (healthy habits and early responses to avoid reaching the point of hospitalization)

-Constituting a Technical Advisory Board of both public and private health care institutions, professionals and civil society to assist in the planning and management of the health sector.

INSURANCE



Some people prefer, and can afford private options for their health care. There will however always be persons who will not be able to access these options and who, in our view, government should provide for. We are therefore committed to providing arrangements to make this possible.



The UWP will:

-Provide universal access to an agreed minimum standard of health care for all citizens

-Increase sources of finance for health through Health Insurance

-Design a framework to maximize access to private health insurance

-Establish a public health fund using earmarked resources and contributions from other public and private sources.

-Pursue external funding sources including International NGOs, Foundations and Philanthropic Organisations.

-Pursue research funds linked to a health research and development plan.

-Develop public-private partnerships in Health Care including institutions wishing to open facilities to create a medical tourism sector



THE HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM



Public health professionals cannot be expected to perform effectively in an environment where information is deficient. We will therefore:

-Implement an electronic health information system

-Link the Health Information System to other relevant information systems with due regard to privacy and security

-Encourage a culture of using data for decision making (evidence-based) in the health sector.




8. Tourism

Our tourism product must adapt to new values in the global market. Travellers want assurance that we operate with sensitivity to the environment and in a sustainable manner.

Local small businesses need the direct linkages to be able to offer local produce and local products as a first option (over imports) to hospitality businesses. And some parts of St Lucia have not received equal levels of support and investment to bring the tourism business to all our communities.


A UWP Government will:

•  Create “Village Tourism”, whereby certain villages will be uniquely themed and a development plan established to address the village’s infrastructure, culinary assets, architecture and capacity.

•  Expand our hotel room capacity by at least 25 percent. The expansion will be more evenly spread throughout the country.

•  Deepen Saint Lucia’s marketing presence in the established markets (US, UK, Canada and the Caribbean).

•  Expand into new markets in Latin America and elsewhere.

•  Work with airlines and maritime transport to increase routes and arrivals

•  Develop Vieux Fort as a new tourism frontier, and as a home port for the cruise industry.

•  Establish a national Hospitality Training Institute and increase training in wellness services.

•  Increase local ownership in the tourism sector through the creation of an indigenous Saint Lucia brand to encourage investment in the tourism sector.

•  Partner with Taiwan to develop Saint Lucia as a destination for mega yachts.

•  Develop the yacht building, repair and maintenance subsector.

•  Develop a comprehensive policy for the provision of support services for children of employees in the tourism sector, especially after-school care.

•  Transform Soufriere, Laborie and Choiseul into unique tourism villages based on their attributes and strengths.



9. Agriculture

Agriculture is a critical factor in reducing poverty, creating employment and generating income.

This sector has undoubtedly suffered declines in production, resulting in lower incomes for our farmers and a massive decline in the number of farmers. Consequently, we have witnessed exponential increases in our food import bill. In addition, the agricultural sector has not been able to fully benefit from direct linkages to our tourism sector. This has prevented our farmers from enjoying increased incomes that should come with an increased number of visitors.

A new UWP government will tackle these issues by:

•Creating targeted employment opportunities and programmes for youth in agriculture.

•Developing the fishing sub-sector through new technology and practices

•Revitalizing the banana industry.

•Creating opportunities for rural people to become self-reliant through the establishment of a cottage industry programme in communities impacted by changes in the banana market conditions.

•Reducing the risk to life and damage to property from flooding by rivers.

•Facilitating a social safety net for ageing farmers.


10. Economy

The hallmark of the new United Workers Party is a clear understanding of the realities of the 21st Century

Debt and Government Spending on Itself

Our national debt is at an unsustainable level. The revenues we earn are therefore spent keeping up with obligations to lenders, leaving little or nothing for spending on our own people and services. The little we have is wasted in a multiplicity of Ministries and agencies, often duplicating each other's programmes, and continuously increasing the debt burden.



To bring Government spending and debt levels under control, the UWP will:

Restructure the number of Ministries to ensure that there is no duplication of duties; and to achieve value for money.
Assess the efficiency of government statutory bodies, and where applicable, eliminate or merge them.
Set maximum expenditure ratios for some Ministries and the range of expenditures for others. The same principle will apply for statutory bodies.
Taxation

A UWP government intends to relieve all citizens and residence of St. Lucia from the high cost of living experienced in the last five years. Hence, we will undertake the following measures:

•Reduce the Value-Added-Tax (VAT) and outline a plan for its ultimate elimination.

•Replace the VAT with an appropriate level of sales tax within the first term.

•Simplify the income tax regime with a flat 10 percent tax for persons earning more than $20,000 per year.

•Reduce corporate taxes to 20 percent for three years, and thereafter, cap it at 25 percent.

•Grant residential property tax exemption for three years; and thereafter, it will be assessed on rental value.



Diversification--Jobs in Many Sectors

For decades now, we have been hearing about economic diversification but nothing has changed. At one time we depended heavily on bananas, now that emphasis has shifted to tourism. The St. Lucia economy will hardly ever reach its full potential if that one-sector policy continues.

A UWP government will adopt a balanced growth policy to ensure that all economic sectors are given equal attention to allow for a combined positive effect on the economy in the form of gainful and sustainable employment opportunities for all. In particular, the new UWP government will target the following strategic sectors for growth and the creation of employment: Tourism; Construction; Housing; Agribusiness; The Arts; Fashion Design; Handicraft; Manufacturing.