Prime Minister Philip J Pierre has confirmed that Cabinet has established a dedicated committee to examine alternative arrangements for the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO), as the utility continues to face severe financial and operational challenges.
Speaking during yesterday’s press briefing, the Prime Minister acknowledged that WASCO is in a critical state, describing the situation as unsustainable and requiring urgent but carefully planned intervention.
He revealed that the Cabinet committee, which includes technocrats, has been tasked with identifying a permanent solution to the long-standing issues affecting the company.
The Prime Minister pointed to earlier attempts to reform the utility under a previous Saint Lucia Labour Party administration, recalling that during that period, the government recognised that WASCO could not continue operating as it had been.
He stressed that the challenges facing WASCO have now reached a point where decisive action is unavoidable.
“Right now WASCO is in a situation where we have to find a solution for it,” Pierre said, confirming that several proposals are currently under consideration. He added that the newly formed Cabinet committee is working specifically “to deal with a permanent solution to the issues of WASCO.”
The Prime Minister did not downplay the severity of the company’s financial situation, stating that WASCO is in “dire debt” and “dire circumstances.” He further disclosed the extent of government support being provided to keep the utility afloat, revealing that government has “subsidised WASCO for the last year of $1.1 million every month through the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP),” he said.
In recent weeks, Prime Minister Pierre has also addressed the wider water challenges facing the country, calling on Saint Lucians to adopt practical measures to ease pressure on the national water supply. He has urged citizens to embrace water harvesting as an immediate and realistic response, while acknowledging that restoring WASCO’s infrastructure and operations will require both time and substantial financial investment.
At a recent pre-Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister revealed that the cost of fully rehabilitating WASCO is estimated at $200 million. He described this figure as unavoidable given the scale and depth of the problems affecting the utility.
He cautioned that the situation cannot be resolved overnight and emphasised that long-term institutional reform must be supported by individual and community action to manage water resources more effectively.
