CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Sept 29, CMC – Opposition Leader Allan Chastanet is calling on the St. Lucia government to use its relationships with Western partners to develop a strategy that works for St. Lucians.
“We should begin by taking our partners’ concerns seriously. Border security, the integrity of our citizenship programme and confidence in our institutions matter to countries whose visitors, airlines, banks and investors we hope to attract,” Chastanet said in a statement, adding “we will negotiate from a stronger position if we address those concerns openly and demonstrate that St. Lucia can be trusted.”
Chastanet questioned why should St. Lucia and its Caribbean neighbours not pursue a North American agreement focused on the services in which they can can compete including the hospitality, financial services and related investment sectors.
He said that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and St. Lucia “cannot simply join it.
“But the United States and CARICOM already have a trade and investment framework, including a commitment to work together on services. We should use it to pursue a more ambitious arrangement suited to Caribbean economies. ”
Chastanet said that tourism offers a strong case for mutual benefit, noting that when Americans visit St. Lucia, American airlines, tour operators, shipping companies and suppliers also earn business.
“A larger, more successful Sr. Lucian visitor economy can create opportunities on both sides. That gives us a basis to negotiate for investment, stronger air connections, training and better access for the services our people provide.”
The Opposition Leader, who served as prime minister between 2016-2021, said United States preclearance should be among the island’s longer-term ambitions.
He notes that travellers already clear US immigration and customs before departure from Aruba, Nassau and Bermuda and that St. Lucia should examine what it would take to offer the same convenience.
“It would require agreement with the United States, suitable airport facilities and a convincing case on cost and security. Those requirements are a reason to prepare and negotiate, rather than dismiss the idea.”
Chastanet said that St. Lucia should also think beyond the visitor who stays for a week, adding that The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda show how tourism and financial services can support one another.
“Places such as Aruba, Barbados and Costa Rica have also attracted people seeking second homes or longer stays. Sr. Lucia could compete for retirees and professionals who want to spend part of their lives here, provided we offer reliable infrastructure, healthcare, connectivity and clear rules for residence and investment.”
Chastanet said Panama offers one example of how a country can deliberately attract foreign residents and “we should be precise about the benefits we promise: Americans remain subject to U.S. tax rules even when they live abroad.”
He said St. Lucia has adapted before, recalling that in response to European concerns about international taxation, “we introduced a territorial corporate tax regime with economic substance requirements.
“That experience should inform our ambitions for genuine headquarters and financial services activity. It also raises a harder question about citizenship by investment: should the programme have been embedded in a wider strategy that brought lasting businesses, employment and investment to Saint Lucia? Any answer now must confront our partners’ security concerns directly. We cannot assume that changing the programme’s presentation will preserve visa access. ”
Chastanet argues that as tourism and longer-stay investment grow, more of their value must remain at home.
“Hotels, restaurants and residents create demand that Sr. Lucian farmers and manufacturers should be equipped to meet. That takes dependable supply, training, financing and attention to quality. Growth in arrivals alone will not deliver its full benefit if we fail to build those connections.”
Chastanet said that none of this requires St. Lucia to surrender its sovereignty or agree with every position taken by Washington, London or Brussels.
“It requires us to understand our size, our strengths and our dependence on relationships that are essential to our economy. In a world of competing powers, emotional arguments can carry a heavy cost for a small state.
“Pragmatism means earning our partners’ confidence, knowing what we can offer them, and negotiating for gains that help us fulfil our first responsibility: protecting and improving the lives of St. Lucians,’ the Opposition Leader added.
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