Video summary
The Office of the Prime Minister held a pre-cabinet press briefing on August 3rd, 2026, led by Press Secretary Melissa Paul to announce several key government initiatives and personnel changes. The primary announcement concerned the implementation of the newborn grants program, which officially took effect on August 1st, fulfilling a commitment made in the previous year's budget address. Under this new scheme, mothers of eligible registered newborns will receive a one-time grant of $400 EC dollars to help cover immediate expenses associated with caring for an infant. To qualify, the child must be born on or after August 1st, and the birth registration must occur within six months; these requirements aim not only to provide financial relief but also to encourage timely legal registration, ensuring every child has a recognized identity necessary for accessing public services.
In significant news regarding national leadership, His Excellency Sir Errol Melchior Adz Charles GCMG retired from his office as Governor General on July 31st, 2026, following nearly five years of distinguished service during a period of major constitutional change in St. Lucia. He was succeeded by Mr. Felix Finistee, who has been appointed acting governor general with effect from August 1st, 2026. Sir Errol's tenure covered the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the accession of King Charles III, and the transition of the final court of appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice; he is being thanked for his dignity and respect in upholding constitutional traditions. Mr. Finistee brings decades of experience to this role, having served as a teacher for 18 years before becoming involved in community development, sustainable tourism, and public administration. His extensive career includes founding regional foundations like the Sufra Regional Development Foundation, creating marine management areas, and serving multiple terms in parliament where he held various ministerial portfolios until his retirement from active politics in 2005.
The briefing also addressed economic stability measures concerning fuel prices amidst rising global crude oil costs. Despite international benchmark crude oil prices increasing by 9.4% during the three-week period leading up to August, the government maintained retail prices for gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) unchanged for consumers in St. Lucia. Under a modified fuel pass-through mechanism reviewed every three weeks with the next review scheduled for August 24th, specific subsidies remain in place to cushion households from international market fluctuations; notably, kerosene continues to receive a subsidy of $35.20 per imperial gallon while cooking gas cylinders and bulk LPG are also heavily subsidized at varying rates depending on volume. These efforts ensure that despite global volatility, the cost of essential energy for transportation and cooking remains stable for the local population.
Finally, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced the official opening of a new courthouse specifically designed to tackle the severe backlog of criminal cases in the justice system. The court has already begun operations with over 30 cases disposed of since starting, addressing an alarming statistic where more than half of the pending cases had been waiting for over six years as of March 2021. Beyond this immediate judicial facility, the administration highlighted a commitment to long-term rehabilitation by beginning construction on a new center at the former George Charles Child Secondary School site next month; this facility will differ from traditional prisons by focusing on rehabilitating young men who have issues with the law rather than solely punishing them. The Prime Minister concluded his remarks by honoring the dedication of public servants in the fire service, border correctional institution, and police force, promising continued investment to improve their working conditions while reaffirming that true peace is achieved through justice.
Read the full video transcript
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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of
the press. The office of the prime
minister thanks you for your presence
here today for the pre-c cabinet press
briefing. My name is Melissa Paul and
I'm the press secretary to the prime
minister.
At this morning's briefing we have a few
announcements for you. The first being
is the announcement of the newborn
grants.
um the government's newborn grants
program took effect on August 1st, 2026,
fulfilling a commitment made by Prime
Minister Hornville JPE in his 2026 2027
budget address. Under the program,
mothers of eligible registered newborns
will receive a one-time grant of a,000
EC dollars. To qualify, the child must
be born on or after August 1st, 2026,
and the birth must be registered within
6 months of the child's date of birth.
Both requirements must be met. The
newborn grant is intended to help
mothers meet some of the immediate
expenses associated with caring for a
baby. It also encourages timely
registration which gives every child a
legal identity and is necessary for
accessing public services and obtaining
official documents.
The program forms part of the government
of St. Lucia's efforts to provide
practical support to families at the
important stage of their child's lives.
Further information on the newborn
grants program can be obtained at the
civil status registry.
In other news,
His Excellency Sir Sirill Errol Melchild
Adz Charles GSL
GCSL sorry GCMG dimmitted office as
governor general of St. Lucia on July
31st 2026
his majesty king Charles III acting on
advice of prime minister honorable
Philip J Pierre appointed his excellency
Mr. Felix Finstee as acting governor
general St. Lucia with effect from
August 1st 2026.
Sir Errol was appointed acting governor
general and sworn in on November 11,
2021 following the departure of Sir
Neville Snack who deitted office on
October 31st, 2021.
His majesty king Charles III acting on
advice of Prime Minister Pierre
subsequently appointed him governor
general of St. Lucia with effect from
November 1st 2024.
Sir Errol served during a period of
constitutional change in St. ution,
including the passing of her majesty
Queen Elizabeth II,
the accession and coronation of his
majesty King Charles III, and St.
Lucia's transition from the judicial
committee of the Privy Council to the
Caribbean Court of Justice
as its final court of appeal. Throughout
his tenure, he discharged the
responsibilities of the office of the
Governor General with dignity,
steadiness, and respect for the
country's constitutional traditions.
Prime Minister Honorable Philip J.
Pierre on behalf of the government and
people of St. Lucia expresses profound
gratitude to Sir Errol for his service.
The prime minister thanks him for
accepting the responsibility to serve at
an important time and for carrying out
his duties with dignity and respect for
the office of the governor general. He
wishes to Errol and his family good
health and God's continued blessings.
Mr. Finister has given decades of
service to St. ution in education,
community development, sustainable
tourism, public administration, and
regional development. He began his
professional career in education,
teaching for 18 years at every level of
St. Lucia's education system. After
completing his university studies in the
United Kingdom, he returned home and
lectured at the former St. Lucia
Teachers College, now S. Alpha Lewis
Community College.
Mr. Finister is widely recognized for
his pioneering work in community- based
development and sustainable tourism. He
played a leading role in establishing
the Sufra regional development
foundation and developing the Sulfur
Springs as one of St. Lucia's leading
tourism attractions.
He was also instrumental in creating the
Supra Marine Management Area, the first
integrated management marine management
area in the Eastern Caribbean.
He later conceptualized and managed St.
Lucia's first community-based heritage
tourism program.
In 2000, Mr. Finister was elected to the
House of Assembly and served as Minister
for Communications, Works, Transports,
Public Utilities until 2005.
Following his retirement from active
politics, he continued working with
communities and institutions across St.
Lucia, the OECS and Haiti.
Mr. Finister has served on several
national and regional boards and
advisory bodies including St. Lucia
National Trust, the UNP Global
Environment Facility Small Grants
Program and the Caribbean Natural
Resources Institute.
He also serves as the Eastern Caribbean
representative for Caraccom Canada
expert deployment mechanism
through which he contributes to regional
capacity building and institutional
strengthening.
Mr. Finister was recently presented with
the Jim's award in recognition of his
contribution to tourism development,
particularly in community-based tourism,
heritage conservation and sustainable
destination management. Prime Minister
Pierre congratulates his excellency Mr.
Philister on his appointment and wishes
him every success as he carries out the
responsibilities of acting governor
general. The government looks forward to
working with him in service to the
people of St. Lucia.
And our final announcements
on if you will and LPG prices.
The government of St. Lucia has
maintained the retail prices of fuel and
liquid petroleum gas LPG LPG or cooking
gas for the period August 1st to August
23rd 2026. Despite a rise in global
crude oil prices during the referenced
period,
international benchmark crude oil prices
increased by 9.4%. 4% during the 3-week
preference period, driving up the cost
of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene on the
international market.
Despite those increases, the government
has kept retail fuel and cooking prices
unchanged for consumers in St. Lucia.
Under the modified fuel pass through
mechanism, gasoline and diesel will
continue to retail at $16.75
per imperial gallon or $368
per liter, while kerosene will remain at
$10.31
per imperial gallon or $229
per liter.
The retail price of LPG product, the
retail price of LPG products or cooking
gas has also been maintained with the
20B cylinder remaining at $34, the 22lb
cylinder at 38 and the 100B cylinder at
$288.50
and bulk LPG at $2.76
per pound.
Government remains
>> [snorts]
>> Sorry. Government support remains in
place for all petroleum products to help
cushion the impact of fluctuations in
international energy prices on
households and businesses.
During the current pricing period,
kerosene continues to receive a subsidy
of $352
per imperial gallon.
The government will also continue to
subsidize gas by
The government will also continue to
subsidize cooking gas by $2427
per 20B cylinder, $2610
per 22lb cylinder, $2.87
per 100B cylinder, and 3 per pound of
bulk LPG.
These measures help to shield consumers
from movements in international energy
markets while keeping fuel and cooking
gas prices stable.
Under the modified fuel price pass
through mechanism, fuel prices are
reviewed every 3 weeks. The next fuel
price review is scheduled for August
24th, 2026.
Thank you.
Thank you for your presence here today.
This courthouse was established
especially to deal with the backlog of
criminal cases in the court system. The
court has already started operating and
is already yielding results with over 30
cases being disposed so far.
>> [music]
[music]
>> I am informed
that of the 138 of the 1,138 cases
pending
as at the 21st of March 2026,
587 of them. 51.6%
have been there for over 6 years.
By any measure, this is unacceptable
and justifies the saying that justice
delayed is justice denied. [music]
The administrators of justice will have
many reasons for this deficiency in our
system.
This mounting backlog of cases has been
a pressing issue for my administration
since assuming office in July 2021.
This morning, I'm pleased to say that
this long-standing issue is now being
addressed following my administration's
early declared intention and commitment
to do so.
So, I'm very happy that we can sort this
thing out. I'm very, very, very pleased.
It it's been the government's commitment
to deal with the justice system and I
can tell you we've made tremendous
investment in citizens and security in
this country. Tremendous investment
what's happening at Bodi doing doing
work at at at at Bodi. Tremendous
investment. And very soon we're going to
be opening or going to be begin the
construction at the former
George Charles child secondary school.
We're going to be beginning
the construction of
young men who have issues with the law.
Something which will be different from a
prison but we'll have with where young
men will be able to get some
rehabilitation that's going to be
pronounced next month. And as I declare
officially open
this court, I want to remind you
of the insightful words
of the civil rights leader Martin Luther
King Jr. and he said, "True peace is not
merely the absence of [music] tension is
the presence of justice." I thank you.
>> [music]
[music]
>> You see the
That's it.
[groaning and screaming]
>> [music]
>> We salute you. the government salutes
you.
We hope that the integrity and the
commitment and the professionalism
of members of
the fire service,
the borderly correctional institution
and the police force remains at the
highest level.
We will do our best
to improve your your conditions of work
and to make life more bearable for you.
Rest assured that you are important, you
very important and maintain your dignity
and your integrity. I thank you very
much.
>> [music]