CASTRIES, St. Lucia--In an abrupt about-face to previous denials of the existence of a Cabinet conclusion, which authorised the “establishment of the St. Lucia Border Management Authority as a Statutory Corporation,” the prime minister’s office announced on Thursday that the Cabinet has now “taken the decision with immediate effect, to revoke Cabinet Conclusion 247 of April 16, 2018, which previously addressed the establishment of the entity,” and which the prime minister and two other government ministers had stated did not exist in the first place.
The government of St. Lucia had previously announced that the goal of the proposed new border control agency was to integrate immigration, customs, quarantine and the marine police to strengthen the country’s borders.
However, following vigorous pushback from the St. Lucia Civil Service Association (CSA) and a ‘sick-out’ by customs officers on Thursday and Friday last week to highlight concerns over the proposed Border Management Authority being set up as a statutory body, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and other government ministers initially tried to say that they had no idea where the concept of a statutory authority came from, apparently oblivious to the fact that the Cabinet conclusion in question had been leaked and was widely available online.
On August 20, in a written response to Claude Paul, general secretary of the CSA, attempting to address “concerns about the Border Control Management Authority,” Chastanet said: “Your members’ overwhelming rejection of the notion of creating a Statutory Corporation for the intended purpose is duly noted.
“However, I wish to remind you and your members that the authority and responsibility of making policy decision are within the remit of the government. Accordingly, my government rejects any attempts by the CSA of its members to overstep your remit in attempting to assume responsibility for making decision for the Cabinet of Ministers.”
Subsequently, minister for the public service in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Ubaldus Raymond, in admitting that the consultation process in this respect was flawed, said “So that clearly cannot be and will not be the policy of government to put the border control as a statutory organisation,” notwithstanding the explicit wording of the relevant Cabinet conclusion that it would in fact be created as a statutory corporation.
According to Thursday’s press release, “The Cabinet of ministers ... has appointed a team to undertake extensive and in depth dialogue on the establishment a single border control management entity.”
The members of the “team” have not been disclosed, neither has Chastanet explained how Cabinet conclusion 247 of April 16 that he claimed “never existed” could now be revoked.
Meanwhile, welcoming the new move by the government as “a good first step” and a “fresh start as far as the consultation process is concerned,” CSA president Paul said that he is “somewhat sceptical given the track record of government when it comes to consultation.”
“The CSA will only be a part of that process if it is going to be meaningful and not merely an exchange of information, but rather an opportunity for us to be able to take part in discussions which could influence a positive outcome for our own members at customs and for the country in general,” he added. ~ Caribbean News Now!
