CASTRIES, St Lucia – Prime Minister Stephenson King is likely to announce measures aimed at bringing relief to consumers from high fuel prices when he addresses the nation tonight.
A government statement said King “will examine the current global reality reflected in volatile fuel prices and the uncertainty and instability which has resulted in respect of the local economy”.
It said his address will “also address the review process undertaken over the past months and the considerations/options available to Government in responding to the trend of rising fuel prices”.
But the main opposition St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) has called on the government to heed the calls of citizens and outline measures to reduce the cost of fuel here.
The SLP, which is campaigning for a general election that will be held later this year, said that the fuel price issue will be the major issue when it holds a public meeting in the capital on Thursday night.
The opposition party said it speakers will also “ review the overall state of the economy, and the negative impact that the UWP (United Workers Party) government’s policies and behaviour, including the recently introduced airport tax, are having on real growth prospects of the country”.
During his recent budget presentation, Prime Minister King announced an additional subsidy on cooking gas, but could not offer relief to motorists, urging them to be more judicious in their use of fuel.
“There are several ways in which persons can reduce their consumption of fuel, such as carpooling, reducing the speed of travel, minimizing the use of air conditioning and as much as possible, driving only when it is absolutely necessary,” he said. (CMC)
