Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet pulled no punches on Tuesday morning as he spoke with reporters ahead of Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s much-anticipated 2025/2026 Budget Statement. In a pointed critique, Chastanet accused the government of burdening Saint Lucians with higher taxes while failing to deliver meaningful improvements in their daily lives.
“I expect a lot more lies,” Chastanet said bluntly. “The numbers in the Estimates speak for themselves. Compared to 2019, the government is now collecting $300 million more in taxes — and the question every Saint Lucian should ask is, what are we getting in return?”
Highlighting the rising cost of living, the Micoud South MP noted that gas prices have jumped from $13 to $16.50 per gallon since 2019, bread prices have doubled, and bus fares have gone up by over 35 percent. “We’re paying more for everything,” he added, “and yet we’re not seeing improvements in the services we depend on.”
Chastanet reserved some of his strongest criticism for the state of healthcare, citing warnings from the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association. “They’ve said it’s never been worse — and the public sees it every day: overcrowded hospitals, no medication at health centres, broken equipment, and demoralized staff.”
He also expressed concern over growing public safety threats, pointing to the jump in homicides from 46 in 2019 to 77 last year. “Life has gotten harder,” he said. “There’s no real sense that things are getting better.”
The opposition leader accused the government of hiding behind a 4.5% growth rate, describing it as “a distraction, not a solution.” He further alleged that the administration had entered “full campaign mode,” citing the injection of $15 million from the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) and $18 million in Taiwanese funds into community infrastructure projects like sidewalks and bus shelters.
“That’s not development — that’s politics,” he said.
Turning to the controversial CIP, Chastanet warned of growing international scrutiny. Quoting Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he said: “The US, UK, Canada, and Europe gave this region three years to clean up CIP. They couldn’t do it — because without it, there’s no money. That’s damning.”
According to Chastanet, the current administration slashed the minimum real estate investment from $300,000 to $200,000, dramatically increased the volume of approved applications from 1,000 to 6,000, and allowed Galaxy, a third-party developer, to structure a deal worth hundreds of millions. “Galaxy was supposed to give $100 million and get back $600 million,” he said. “Now the program is suspended — and they’re still blaming me.”
Chastanet’s comments have reignited debate over the government’s fiscal stewardship, and whether Saint Lucians are truly benefiting from the country’s economic gains.
