Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia and Leader of the St. Lucia Labour Party, addressed the Second 2025 Political Forum hosted by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture on Tuesday September 30th at the Financial Center Point Seraphine.
The 2025 Political Forum Series was kicked off by Honorable Allen Chastanet in August 21, 2025, where Honourable Allen Chastanet engaged the Members of the Chamber of Commerce, setting out his party’s agenda if they were to be elected to lead the Government at the next general elections.
Prime Minister Pierre gave an overview of his government’s stewardship over the last four years and emphasized the area of Citizenship Security as a priority issue for his government if returned to Office. He also spoke passionately about his concern for the state of young men and the apparent challenges they were exposed to particularly the high Secondary School dropout rate, and their apparent marginalization, saying that this issue needs to be addressed by all of society.
Chamber members took the opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for giving of his time to dialogue and raised two critical issues which they enquired about his perspective and approach to resolving. The first being the experiences at Port Castries and the poor public transportation situation leading to congestion on the main thoroughfares.
The dialogue and exchange between the Prime Minister and Chamber Members were healthy and robust, with the Prime Minister providing context to his governing approach and dealing with issues affecting the economy and society. The Prime Minister called on the chamber to play a stronger advocacy role in matters related to politics and development that he thought would positively affect the national development, taking away the political edge to critical issues.
The Chamber President, in closing, thanked the Prime Minister for participating in the Political Forum, taking so many questions from attendees, and responding to the comments and concerns raised.
The Chamber takes this opportunity to thank Members for their active participation in the Forums and thanked the firms Renwick & Company and Carasco & Son for co-sponsoring the two Forums held. The Chamber will be seeking to host additional conversations with the Political Parties when they release their respective Manifestos shortly.
100+ Entries Mark Triumphant Return of the St. Lucia Business Awards
St. Lucia Business Awards 2025
December 15th, 2025
After a five-year hiatus, the Saint Lucia Business Awards are back — and the response has been nothing short of remarkable. More than 100 submissions poured in across 12 diverse categories, signaling a resounding show of confidence from the island’s business community.
From dynamic startups to long-standing enterprises, companies of every size stepped forward to celebrate innovation, resilience, and excellence in Saint Lucian business. The wide range of entries underscores a simple truth: in business, size does not matter — excellence does.
The deadline for submissions, which closed on Wednesday, September 24th, 2025, saw outstanding participation from across the private sector — a clear reflection of the continued strength and pride of Saint Lucian enterprise.
“We are thrilled to see such an enthusiastic response,” said Brian Louisy, Executive Director of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. “After five years away, these numbers prove that our business community remains vibrant, competitive, and proud to showcase its achievements.”
The Saint Lucia Business Awards celebrate outstanding performance, creativity, and leadership across sectors, recognizing those who drive economic growth and inspire others to push boundaries.
Award categories this year include Award for Service Excellence, Award for Environmental Stewardship, Entrepreneur of the Year, The Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation, and Business of the Year.
Adding to the excitement, will be the People’s Choice Award, giving the public the opportunity to have their say and vote for their favorite business. Nominees and full details on the voting process will be announced in the coming weeks.
The celebrations will culminate with the prestigious Awards Gala on December 15th, 2025, at the Royalton Saint Lucia, hosted by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and The Office of The Prime Minister. The Chamber is also proud to acknowledge the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs as a collaborating sponsor, and Sagicor Life as a Platinum Sponsor. Their partnership underscores a shared commitment to recognizing and advancing excellence within Saint Lucia’s business community.
Sincere gratitude goes out to all participating businesses and partners for reaffirming the strength, diversity, and potential of Saint Lucia’s economy.
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture, in partnership with Sagicor Life, launches CEO Ka Palé — An Exclusive Caribbean Business Leader Dialogue Series
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce industry and Agriculture, in collaboration with Sagicor Life, is proud to announce the inaugural edition of CEO Ka Palé, an exclusive and intimate panel discussion designed to convene Caribbean business leaders for high-level dialogue, strategic insights, and meaningful connection.
The inaugural edition of CEO Ka Palé, will be held on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Sky Terrace, Royalton Saint Lucia Resort. The evening will feature distinguished panelists:
The discussion will be moderated by Mr. Omari Frederick, Senior Manager at LUCELEC and Chairman of the Marketing and PR Sub-Committee of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce.
CEO Ka Palé is designed to bring together senior executives and thought leaders from across the sectors for a thought-provoking evening focused on the Caribbean business climate. The conversation will explore strategies for scaling operations, driving expansion, and competing on the global stage. Attendees will benefit from a rare opportunity to engage in strategic dialogue, exchange perspectives, and build powerful networks in a premium setting.
Participation in the event is EC $150 for Chamber members and EC $200 for non-members. With limited seating available, the Chamber encourages early registration to secure a place at this landmark event.
CEO Ka Palé is where leaders meet to exchange ideas, shape perspectives, and strengthen the foundations for regional growth.
Limited seating available. Register now. Contact the Chamber at info@stluciachamber.org or 452-3165.
Register Now: https://stluciachamber.wildapricot.org/event-6343969
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Chamber BPS
Small Businesses Struggling: Sales and Cashflow Under Pressure
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture is pleased to present a component of the disaggregated results of its Business Performance Survey (Take 14) related to the Small Business Sector, for the period January – March 2025. The Chamber BPS continues to provide outstanding and valuable insights into the evolving performance of local business, their outlook, confidence and their perspective on the various policy issues impacting the business environment.
Smaller Business Sector PBS (August 2025)
The BPS revealed that (53%) of Small Business Respondents have the primary business located in Castries, (16%) in Gros Islet and (14%) in Vieux Fort and Soufriere.
(92%) of respondents employ fewer than 10 people, while the balance employs between 10 and 19 people. (19%) of the small business respondents operate in Tourism Related Services, (13%) in Agriculture, (12%) in Professional Services 8% in Information Technology and 75 in Manufacturing, with over (26%) in non-defined Other Services.
For the Small Business Sector respondents who made up (78%) of total respondents to the survey, Sales performance was mixed, with (40%) reporting decreased sales (31%) reporting higher sales, (30%) remaining the same when comparing Q1’ 25 to Q1’ 24, a -9% net movement. At the same time when comparing Q1’25 with Q4’24 (34%) reported a decrease while (29%) reported an increase in sales resulting in a -5 net movement.
Cashflow also worsened for the Small Business respondents, with (38%) reporting cashflow decreasing and remaining the same while only (23%) reported an improvement a net movement of (-15%). (37%) of respondents also reported that Business was better in 2025 as compared to 2024, an equal percentage (38%) reported business was the same with a minority of respondents (25%) saying business was not doing as well.
Cost pressures also dominated the drivers of higher prices among Small Business respondents, with (33%) citing rising purchase prices, (18%) rising other operational costs, (14%) raw materials, and (13%) citing rising financing costs. The most pressing concern for the small business sector was Accessing Incentives and Concessions, followed by Crime, then Inflation, next Quality of Infrastructure and then Cost of Inputs. (67%) of the small business respondents also were not very optimistic regarding the budget initiatives positively impacting their business.
The Small Business Sector clearly continues to face challenges and requires some support that will impact on their ability to increase sales, keep costs low and continue to play a strong and positive role in the socio-economic fabric of the country.
Connect & Grow: Trade Opportunities with Martinique
Register now for tomorrow's event: https://stluciachamber.wildapricot.org/event-6367959
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The Chamber continued its important program to help its members be more aware and informed about the many critical issues in Trade, particularly International Trade, that daily affects the business. "Think Global and Act Local" is what Chamber Executive Director Brian Louisy advises and is aiming for with this series.
Conceived with the busy business person in mind Let's Talk Trade brings Trade Experts and persons involved in the red meat of trade negotiations and analysis to the Members in an easy laid back one-two hour dialogue type event.
Dr. Antoine, CEO of the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO), with Independent Consultant Dr. Alison Gajadhar-Foster, shared some most useful and important information on two current issues affecting business and likely to affect them into the near future.
Dr. Antoine focused on the work of CPSO and the wider regional private sector have been doing in areas of trade policy that are adjacent to the America First Policy of US President Trump. In particular the work done on the China Ship Policy, and now the IMO Carbon Levy. There has been some reprieve on the China Ship Policy as a direct result of the advocacy and lobbying work of the regions private sector that worked closely with regional Governments.
Work continued and is needed on the IMO Levy that also can inflict irreparable damage to Caribbean Economies and regions' short haul, sea transport intensive trade is not changed.
Meanwhile Dr. Gajadhar-Foster brought members up to speed on the work being done on the NCDs and Front of Label Packaging front, where the CPSO has again taken the lead to ensure a whole of society approach to tackling the bothersome issue of high levels of NCDs in the region.
Very shortly the Chamber will be circulating some work that will allow members to document their efforts at supporting and promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing NCDs, as too often the incorrect impression is promoted that the regions private sector are not good and responsible corporate citizens interested in the welfare of the society in which the live and operate.
2025 Inter- Commercial House Domino 2025
New Start Date: October 7th 2025
Time: from 5:00pm until
November 17th-23rd
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture is gearing up to host Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2025, scheduled for November 17th – 23rd. GEW is the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators, shining a spotlight on the people and organizations who bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human welfare.
Each year, the Chamber collaborates with partners across sectors to deliver a week of impactful activities aimed at inspiring, connecting, and equipping entrepreneurs. From panel discussions and workshops to showcases and networking sessions, GEW offers opportunities for businesses of all sizes to engage and contribute to building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in Saint Lucia.
As preparations get underway, the Chamber encourages businesses, agencies, and institutions to host their own events and activities during GEW 2025. By sharing knowledge, highlighting success stories, or providing training opportunities, the business community can play a key role in fostering innovation and supporting the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
We invite interested organizations to reach out to the Chamber to register you planned events and become part of this exciting and powerful global movement. Together, let’s showcase, encourage, mentor, support and engage Entrepreneurship as the fuel of innovation and creativity the dynamism of Saint Lucian entrepreneurship on the world stage.
For more information or to indicate your interest in hosting an event, please contact the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture at info@stluciachaber.org
Elevate – Fueling Growth and Resilience of Small Business Become a Sponsor
Please note Business continuity planning & Dale Carnegie has been postponed.
New dates to be announced.
Know Your Labour Act
The "Know Your Labour Act Workshop" is a unique opportunity for Saint Lucian businesses to strengthen their understanding of employment laws. By the end of the day, participants will gain not only clarity on legal nuances but also practical tools to foster fair and compliant employer-employee relations.
Facilitator:
Goddard-Dorville Legal, led by renowned attorney Cheryl Goddard-Dorville, brings extensive experience in Saint Lucia's legal landscape since 2005. Mrs. Goddard-Dorville has a proven track record of successfully guiding businesses through Labour Law issues, including those arising from the challenges of the COVID-19 era.
Workshop Highlights:
1. Legislation Demystified:
2. Practical Applications:
3. Interactive Sessions:
5. Empowerment Through Knowledge:
Insights into interpretation and compliance with local laws.
Target Audience:
All professionals with supervisory responsibilities for team members are encouraged to attend. Human Resource professionals, Team Leaders, and those responsible for implementing employment policies, managing employee relations and ensuring compliance with labour laws. Small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs will find this workshop particularly illuminating.
Important Notices!
Be Prepared for Hurricane Season!
Hurricane Season is upon us. Are you prepared? Have you taken the necessary precautions? Is your insurance up to date? Have you revisited your Hurricane Preparedness Plan? Is your staff familiar with it? Do they remember their role?
Now is a good time as ever to make sure your entire team is familiar and know what their roles are. Remember having a Business Continuity Plan is not sufficient, it needs to be reviewed regularly and even tested. Have you revisited your Business Continuity Plan? Do you have one? If you don't the Chamber suggests that your seriously consider developing one for your business.
Business Continuity is not just about hurricanes preparedness; it is about you doing all you can to ensure that in the event of some type of business disruption or interruption, disaster, natural or manmade, you have a clear, well thought out plan as to how you will recommence your operations, in the shortest possible time. Insurance is a mitigating measure yet thinking through and putting in place actions and approaches that make your business more resilient to all types of likely or possible disruptions is extremely useful. The Chamber reminds you to Complete Our Business Continuity Plan/Disaster Recovery Plan Check List to help. Also, remember the Chamber is offering a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Workshop that will help your firm develop a draft Business Continuity Plan. The Facilitator, Mr. Andrew George is also offering for a small additional fee for site visits to your main place of business to which your BCP refers to validate and review with you the appropriateness of the BCP. He is also able to work with you to get your Company's BCP Certified by NEMO, this certification, may help in you getting more attractive Insurance rates from your insurance provider.
Click here to access checklist.
Join the Chamber's WhatsApp Group
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