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B&D lays off 600, says government hurts local firms

In a damning open letter printed in The Voice newspaper, Charles Daher, the top man at B&D Construction announces that his firm is laying off 600 workers as a result of "tactics of intimidation and victimization practiced by this administration". According to Daher, "the Government and its agents have launched an all-out attack against the Company [B&D] trying to undermine its image. The actions of Government have extended even to denying B&D Construction of work, and of orders for materials, to the point that the Company has just laid off 600 workers. The Government must be held responsible for the hardship and suffering of these workers and their families".
A television news report on DBS on Saturday evening showed angry workers at B&D's headquarters in Union. The report made mention of "five hundred" workers being laid off  for a period of three months, after which the situation will be reviewed. Both B&D management and workers cite financial difficulties resulting from lack of contracts as the reason for the lay-offs. Workers interviewed during the news report appeared not to blame B&D's management for the present situation. "It's not because the company has not been trying", one worker said - apparently agreeing with B&D's management that discriminatory practices by the government - as the largest issuer of contracts - are behind the company's troubles.
Charles Daher takes particular issue with the government's handling of the tendering process for a multi-million dollar contract to upgrade the Vieux Fort-Soufriere road. This project is being funded with a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and therefore contractors from all CDB member states and eligible countries (including China) are allowed to bid for the contract. This being a relatively large project, B&D Construction and Hippolyte Equipment Service Ltd. reportedly submitted a bid as a Joint Venture. According to Daher, this Joint Venture "had intended to nominate approximately sixteen other local sub-contractors to assist in the construction of the road, which would have provided employment for over one thousand persons over a two-year period".
During the opening of the various tenders at a meeting of the Government Tenders Board, however, the bid by the Joint Venture was rejected on grounds which B&D and several other local contractors deem unfair. The subsequent awarding of the contract to a Grenadian-registered foreign firm prompted former prime minister Sir John Compton two weeks ago to write to the president of the CDB, alleging that all was not well with the manner in which the Labour administration had handled the tendering for this project. One of Sir John's objections - besides charges of unwarranted and excessive expenditure - was that a normal provision in the tender document which states that wherever local resources are available they shall be used, had been excluded in the case of this particular project. "This speaks to the issue of fairness and nondiscrimination in the allocation of contracts and must be of deep concern to regional contractors in general and to St Lucian contractors in particular at this time of sluggish economic activity in the island", wrote Sir John.
The Crusader newspaper, two weeks ago, carried the full text of Sir John Compton's letter, as well as an editorial directly adjacent to it which put forward in some detail, reasons why some governments might prefer to award contracts to foreign firms rather than local ones, since "foreign firms repatriate their funds, making it easier to effect payments to local politicians and public officials through overseas accounts. The payments are bribes, kickbacks, or, more euphemistically, incentives which foreign firms pay local politicians and officials for favouring them with the contract. In this sense the Government is easily the foremost launderer of funds through these foreign firms which receive local finance and process the funds through foreign bank accounts available to them in special accounts".
Following the rejection of its tender bid, B&D Construction and its joint partner took legal action and filed judicial revision proceedings to contest the tendering process. In the meantime, an injunction was obtained which put a temporary halt to the road works.
In response, the government earlier this week issued a press release in which it announced that it "has no intention of entering into a process of litigation with B&D Construction and if procedural errors were committed during the bidding process as is claimed by the company, Government will want to ensure a fair and equal chance for all competitors involved, whether local, regional or international". According to the government release, in order to avoid litigation and ensure that all parties have "a fair and equal chance in the process", the tendering process will be re-advertised.
But the government's decision to repeat the tendering process is not as magnanimous as it might seem, claims Daher. For whilst announcing the re-tendering, the government press release in the same breath implies that because of its complaint, B&D is accountable for the "further delay in the construction of the road", as well as for "further maintenance costs to the Government and taxpayers in order to keep the road motorable. Government recognizes that the delay in commencement of the road will cause quite some disappointment to drivers from the south of the island in particular".
Daher takes serious issue with this criticism. "Any delay that might arise as a result of the re-tendering process", writes Daher, "cannot be conceived to be the fault of the Joint Venture and the concerted campaign by Government and its agents to discredit B&D Construction and local contractors that has ensued is typical of the tactics of intimidation and victimization practiced by this administration".
Not mincing his words, Daher goes on to accuse the government of deliberately awarding jobs to certain contractors (including foreign ones) and depriving others of work. "The approach adopted by Government in this matter is in stark contrast to government's pronouncements about creating opportunities for St Lucians and, on the contrary, there has been a systematic attempt to exclude certain local firms from involvement in major Government contracts. Typically, the pre-qualification requirements for contracts have been set outside the capabilities of all local firms; and contracts for which tenders were never invited have been awarded to certain local firms at higher than market rates. The excuse has been used that donor agencies such as CDB are responsible for setting guidelines for selection of contractors and that is therefore the reason why local contractors are not considered for large projects. It must be pointed out however, that B&D Construction has successfully executed many CDB projects in the past and that large projects can be split into several smaller packages if there is any desire to accommodate local contractors, or if any priority is being given to building up the capability of the local construction sector".
[Read document:  Invitation to tender – Road Development Project]
Daher explicitly cites the La Place Carenage and the Soufriere Jetty projects as examples where he suspects there may have been unfair play in the awarding of contracts.
"Most persons involved in the construction sector are aware that there are certain construction firms and consultants in St Lucia that, by virtue of their connections and associations, receive favored treatment. These firms are given contracts that have never been put out to tender, at inflated prices. These firms have the monopoly on the procurement of goods and services for government projects and supply these items at a higher cost than might be supplied otherwise; and these firms are given the inside track as consultants on all government projects".
The Vieux Fort-Soufriere road project was also discussed on Rick Wayne's DBS show 'Talk' last Thursday, where a small contractor Colin Lynch and leading engineer Gregory George explained the shortcomings of the tendering process and how it had discriminated against B&D's Joint Venture. During the show, St Lucia Labour Party chairman and consultant/engineer Tom Walcott called in by telephone and after identifying himself, defended the government's position, denying the charges of discrimination.
Walcott's words prompt Daher to state the following: "Mr Walcott indicated that B&D Construction was kicked off the Prison contract for non-performance. This is totally untrue. B&D walked off the job because of non-payment and the contract was subsequently determined by NIPDEC when B&D refused to return until it had been paid. At the time that B&D left the site the only item of infrastructural work not completed was the pond, for which only an incomplete design had been provided by the engineer. The original bill of quantities envisaged the removal of 3,000 cubic metres of rock, whereas the actual amount of rock to be moved was in excess of 50,000 cubic metres which made the original time allowed for completion of 3 months impossible to achieve. Mr Walcott should tell the public that NIPDEC issued a substantial cheque to B&D in excess of $400,000 that bounced, and that this was not an isolated incident. Mr Walcott should be very concerned about this pattern of behavior by one of Government's favored associates".
Meanwhile, the editor of the Thursday Voice also places the onus on the government. "For the Government of St Lucia to state [that] it has no intention of entering a process of litigation with B&D Construction and 'if' procedural errors were committed during the bidding process... is tantamount to entering a legal plea of nolo contendere - which in essence acknowledges the validity of the claim but not guilt. Any Government so challenged ought to leave no proverbial legal stone unturn[ed], to prove that its process was not tainted by preference or privilege. .. For the Government to state that is 'does not wish to contend' the case, is to leave a cloud of doubt hanging over its head and over the heads of all St Lucians who believe in a fair and equitable process".
[Read document:  invitation to tender – Road Development Project.]

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Three young people die in unrelated accidents

A 7-year-old boy and a 26-year-old woman died this week in two unrelated accidents in St. Lucia, and a third St. Lucian died overseas in a car crash. Sherrick Clement's body was discovered early on Monday morning in the sea near the Pigeon Island Causeway beach, after the child had gone missing on Sunday afternoon in the same area. Despite an extensive search immediately following his disappearance during a beach outing with his father, the boy was not found until the following morning. No foul play is suspected but the boy's death is being fully investigated. The Wednesday Star reports this.
Also dead is Elita Augustin, a 26-year-old resident of Mongiraud. Early on Wednesday morning, around 1:40 am, Ms Augustin's vehicle crashed into the rails of a bridge at Bois D'Orange. While passersby were attempting to free her from the vehicle, another car slammed into it. The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at Victoria Hospital. An investigation of the double accident is being carried out. The Thursday Voice and Star report this.
Finally, 18-year-old St. Lucian student Kiao Modeste died in a car crash in Canada earlier this week while on his way back from CARIBANA. He is the son of Director of Tourism Hilary Modeste and permanent secretary in the ministry of Communications and Works, Thecla Augustin. His body will be flown back to St. Lucia this weekend to be buried here.

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Orange Grove Hotel closes, 53 out of work

Fifty-three members of staff of the Orange Grove Hotel in Bois d'Orange were sent home on Friday morning after the bank closed down operations, transferring the few remaining guests to Club St Lucia by Splash. The hotel ran into problems last year, when it was taken over by its main creditor, the National Commercial Bank (now part of the Bank of St Lucia). But NCB's efforts to restore the fortunes of the Orange Grove Hotel also appear to have failed and on Friday morning, unsuspecting employees were told to return home until further notice. A meeting is supposed to be held this week to discuss the plight of the workers. The Star reports this. Low occupancy, high costs of operation and a poor global economy are cited as the reasons for the hotel's failure to sustain itself. Only one month ago, the Royal St Lucian and Papillon hotels decided to close down operations until mid-December, leaving 300 staff members without an income. With B&D this week reporting lay-offs of at least 500 employees, this means that some 850 people have lost their jobs over the past four weeks.

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Lorraine Williams leaves UWP, joins SLP

Lorraine Williams has joined the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP). The former attorney general and Women's Affairs minister under the United Workers Party (UWP) applied for membership and was accepted into the SLP with open arms, last week. Press secretary Earl Bousquet speaks of an "ear-to-ear grin on the faces of Labour supporters this past week". Williams' switch from the UWP to the SLP has taken many by surprise and has elicited much speculation about her motives and political future. Williams herself, however, has thus far refrained from making any kind of public statement on her decision to change her political allegiance. While some accuse her of political betrayal and of being power-hungry, SLP party secretary Leo Clarke lauds her "personal courage" and states that the "Granting of membership to Mrs. Williams is a clear indication of the party's readiness to embrace persons capable of making a contribution to the social, political and economic life of St Lucia, irrespective of historical associations".
The SLP leadership denies rumours that Lorraine Williams has her eyes set on running for the Castries North constituency (against UWP/Alliance candidate George Odlum). Although thus far Williams is reportedly just an ordinary party member, a call has already gone out claiming that her political work presents a conflict of interest with her presidency of the St Lucia Bar Association. Lawyer Mary Francis (a former SLP member who no longer associates herself with the current SLP administration) expresses her displeasure with William's move in The Star and says she expects Williams' resignation from the Bar Association "very soon". All papers report and speculate on the motives for Williams' change of political colour.
Meanwhile, Earl Bousquet reports in the Wednesday Star that prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony was reaffirmed last week as the endorsed candidate for the Vieux Fort South constituency seat in the upcoming general elections.

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Chris JnCharles returns home: 'Hi, I'm great!'

Chris JnCharles is back on St Lucian soil: alive and continuing to get better, after having received life-saving brain surgery in Barbados in March of this year, thanks to the generosity and compassion of dozens of St Lucians who responded positively to a call by a young woman not to let the child die. In February, doctors gave up hope for the 12-year-old girl from Anse la Raye unless she received immediate surgery costing some $16,000. After three operations paid for by the government, Chris' brain tumour had once again begun to grow. With the ministry of Health stating that it could provide no more money for the operation, Chris' fate seemed grim. The girl's plight was highlighted on Rick Wayne's DBS show 'Talk' as yet another cruel example of poverty when, to the shocked amazement of both host and viewers, a bank clerk called in to donate $500 to help save the child. She challenged thirty-two other St. Lucians to do the same, so that Chris Jn.Charles' life might be saved. Within twenty minutes, more than $23,000 was pledged in support of Chris' expenses. Donations continued to flow in and the Chris JnCharles fund collected some $42,000 for the child's operations and ancillary costs.
After extensive medical care in Barbados, Chris arrived at GFL Charles Airport last Saturday morning, calling out "Hi, I'm great!" to those waiting to greet her. With continued care and monitoring, Chris' prospects of a normal life are good, reports the Wednesday Star.

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Goverment opts out of Libya rapprochement

St Lucia has opted out of an agreement by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to enter into dialogue with the government of Libya, to explore whether a mutually beneficial relationship can be established. More precisely, according to The Mirror editor, the OECS countries are trying "to get money and other material assistance from Libya, a country rich in oil, but prevented from mingling with the family of nations because of the alleged violent political policies of its government".
In January of this year, then minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum met with two Libyan officials and announced that diplomatic relations with the North African country would soon be established. At the time, press secretary Earl Bousquet wrote in the Wednesday Star that the establishment of formal diplomatic ties with Libya stemmed from OECS countries' "continuing search to replace traditional aid sources that no longer prove reliable".
But with Odlum's departure from the SLP-led government and his having joined the UWP/Alliance, and in the light of a certain amount of revolutionary political intrigue during the 1970s involving Odlum and the Libyans, the government now appears to deem it wise to steer clear of Libyan relations. Differing views exist on this issue, with the Wednesday Star quoting "OECS political scholars" as stating that it would be "sheer folly for OECS heads to race off to Libya on a promise of aid". The editor of The Mirror, however, urges the government to "quickly exorcise the ghosts of the past and join the OECS-Libya dialogue", particularly now that OECS integration, including in its foreign policies, is experiencing renewed vigour. "In trying to show Odlum and the Libyans where real power lies in St Lucia, the present administration has weakened a joint overseas foreign policy initiative", judges The Mirror. "No doubt the efforts by Libya to clean up its pariah image are attracting interest from governments of poorer countries, who have been longing for a few petro-dollars from the Libyan strongman, but are mindful of the consequences of offending and angering the western industrialised countries, particularly the US". Yet despite this dilemma, reckons The Mirror editor, "A government has an obligation to act in its national interest, and no interest is greater than finding the resources to keep its people happy".

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Minister Julian Hunte: conflicting interests?

Foreign minister Julian Hunte has come under fire this week as former prime minister Sir John Compton alleges that his dual role as government minister and campaign manager of the St Lucia Labour Party poses a conflict of interest. Sir John claims that with Hunte acting in both capacities, "the public of St Lucia is in fact paying the salary of the SLP Campaign Manager". This, according to Sir John is "a violation of financial regulations and sets an unhealthy precedent". It has to be "one or the other, not both", urges Sir John. The Voice reports this.
Sir John also claims that minister Hunte continues to receive "allowances that are attached to his previous post as St Lucia's Ambassador to the United Nations". Although Sir John does not divulge details of these allowances, editor Rick Wayne in The Star does. According to The Star, and confirmed by permanent secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs Earl Huntley, Julian Hunte's family continues to occupy the official residence of the UN Ambassador in New York. Hunte was called back to St Lucia at short notice last April. Normally, persons are given a minimum of three months' notice of changes in overseas postings.
It is not yet clear who will succeed Hunte as Ambassador to the UN.

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National Trust debates wisdom of whaling vote

The recent commotion over St Lucia's government's pro-whaling vote at the International Whaling Commission in London refuses to die down, with the St Lucia National Trust this week having organised a panel discussion on the topic with representatives from the department of Fisheries, the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the Whale and Dolphin Watching Association, a whale watching operator, and members of the Trust itself. In a statement to the press, the Youth Club of the National Trust called on St Lucians to become involved in the debate which has resulted in the island's name being "splattered across the Internet with accusations of whale slaughtering cast upon the island". Therefore, says the statement, "The National Trust is appealing to all Saint Lucians to come out and have a say on the issue, as it will ultimately affect them. As citizens of this country we must have an understanding and an input in the international decisions our governments are taking to better deal with the consequences of these decisions". Both the Tuesday Voice and Wednesday Star report on this.

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St Lucia relaxes passport rules for Martiniquans again

After persistent lobbying from tourism officials and management of L'Express des Isles, the passport requirements for French nationals, which had been tightened up in 1999, are to be  relaxed again to create a situation where it is much easier for Martiniquans, Guadeloupans and other French nationals to enter St Lucia. Instead of requiring a passport, French nationals will once again be allowed to enter St Lucia with any form of picture ID. Many French West Indians do not have passports, since they can travel to other French territories and France without it. Small hoteliers especially are welcoming the move, as visitors from Martinique and Guadeloupe comprise seven percent of the stay-over arrivals in the islands (and thirty percent of the Caribbean market), with most of them staying at small, locally-owned hotels and guesthouses. Small hotels have in fact experienced a drop in room occupancy since 1999, when the regulations were changed. According to permanent secretary in the ministry of Tourism, McHale Andrew, 23,000 people from the French territories visited St Lucia, as compared with just 11,000 during 2000. Both The Voice and The Star report on the matter.

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Employers in financial agony, says Malcolm Charles

Introduction of the proposed new Labour Code is to be postponed by three to six months at the request of the St Lucia Employers Federation (SLEF).  The Federation had requested extra time to study the proposed changes in labour laws. Minister of Labour Velon John has acceded to the SLEF's request despite reportedly stating that the SLEF has had plenty time since 1998 to examine the proposed Labour Code. The Voice, Star and Mirror all report this. The president of the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, Berthia Parle, recently suggested that introduction of the Labour Code should be temporarily put on hold as it is expected to further increase the cost of doing business in St Lucia, at a time when many hotels are already struggling to stay afloat - or are going under. This pessimistic view of  the economy was supported by SLEF president Malcolm Charles on Friday, in his address to the 39th annual general meeting of SLEF members. "Fellow employers, the news is not good", Charles said. "The international economic decline is beginning to bite hard into the social and financial fabric of our small society". He further spoke of "financial agony being experienced by employers within the local private sector" and said that "as employers, we are currently also faced with the upsurge in trade union activity, with increasing demands on our employment costs, often well beyond the extent of what might be considered sustainable".

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Camp site at Anse La Liberté open in September

After several years of preparation, the St Lucia National Trust expects to open its first campsite on September 1st. The site is located at Anse La Liberté, just south of Canaries and some 25 kilometers south of Castries. The 133-acre site at Anse La Liberté was donated to the Trust in 1990 by its American owner, through the Nature Conservancy in the United States. The area sports a wide variety of flora and fauna, some 'Brigand' caves (named after the revolutionary fighters who liberated themselves from slavery in 1795/96) and a small beach. To prepare the area for campers, the National Trust has put in four miles of hiking trails, as well as a number of raised platforms where tents will be pitched. There are also picnic tables and a crude fireplace, communal bath and toilet facilities and viewing platforms. The Wednesday Star and Mirror report this. A contingent of rangers are to provide security and nature interpretation. In a radio interview, executive director of the National Trust Giles Romulus mentioned that campers will be charged US$40 per night. The development of a camp site is part of the National Trust's efforts to promote heritage and eco-tourism in St Lucia.

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St Lucia remembers Laurie Auguste (67)

Former national cricketer and founding member of the St Lucia Olympic Committee Laurie Emmanuel Auguste was buried last Friday, after passing away on the previous Saturday at the age of 67. Both The Star and Mirror devote space to eulogies on the man who proudly raised the St Lucia national flag at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Auguste was a career civil servant and a fervent organizer of sports. The St Lucia National Women's Cricket Association is his brainchild, having won four championship titles in the past four years. Laurie and his wife Acynta ('Popo') also established the Southerners Netball and Cricket Club in the 1960s and, later, the Out-Districts Cricket Club. Auguste was honoured by IOC president Juan Samaranch in 1998 and was also the recipient of the Les Piton Gold Medal and the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to social development in St Lucia. Laurie Auguste had been ill for some time.

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