Chamber’s concerns over budget, traffic congestion and customs duties  

Published on Apr 7, 2025

The St. Lucia Chamber participated in pre-budget discussions with the Prime Minister and his team, consisting primarily of Officials from the Ministry of Finance.

The President of the Chamber Mr. Ross Gardner in November 2024 recommended a Na- tional Forum as part of the process of development of the National Budget where critical policy can be discussed and debated and synchronized prior to the “grand reveal”, so that Chamber members aren’t surprised by policy announcements.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants revisited a much often submitted call for the reduc- tion of the exorbitant fines and penalties for late filing suggesting that they be brought in line with more modern tax jurisdictions.

Additionally, the comment was made that there would be greater take up of the tax Amnesty if the IRD would respond and provide information to taxpayers on their liabilities in a timely fashion.

The Chamber members also raised the issue of the inexplicable inefficient use of Customs Officers time at the airports searching through travel- lers’ bags to collect minimal tax revenue, rather than investing their time in more productive activities.



The Chamber spoke to the issue of a high number of vehicles that made the road congestion worse and the impact on productivity that poor transport infrastructure was having on the economy. The Prime Minister spoke to the needs of the lower incomes who required access to low- cost vehicles.