United Workers Party (UWP) member Sarah Flood-Beaubrun has accused Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and his administration of deceiving the public over the newly implemented Health and Citizen Security Levy (HCSL).
Effective October 2, 2023, the levy is applied to invoices for goods and services.
The measure intends to enhance healthcare services and national security infrastructure.
However, in her heated address during a recent UWP event, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun claimed the government’s true intent was to secure a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
According to the former Health Minister, the Prime Minister had used the promise of improvements to health and security as a front for raising the necessary revenue to qualify for a $42.7 million policy-based loan.
She quoted Pierre’s remarks from the introduction of the HCSL Bill, stating that the funds were, in reality, to modernise tax administration and land management in Saint Lucia, not to enhance health services or national security as initially stated.
“But you know today, tonight, you know what I want to say tonight? Philip J. Pierre, the Minister of Finance, he owes every single Saint Lucian money. He owes every single Saint Lucian a cheque or cash in their bank account,” Flood-Beaubrun proclaimed, accusing the government of deception.
The former Castries Central MP likened the situation to obtaining money under false pretenses, asserting that Saint Lucians had been misled into supporting the levy, believing it was for healthcare and security when, in her view, it was not.
Flood-Beaubrun’s remarks included a direct call for financial restitution to the public: “When they collect that money, if they decide they want to use it for something else, they either have to come back to ask you permission or they have to give you back your money.”
The Prime Minister, however, has maintained that the levy is necessary for the government to meet its financial obligations and improve the quality of life for Saint Lucians.
He argues that the funds will directly benefit healthcare and public safety infrastructure, addressing critical needs in those sectors.
