Saint Lucia is taking meaningful steps to strengthen how it oversees its statutory bodies, following a recent high-level visit by the Parastatal Monitoring Department (PMD) to Jamaica.
The two-day engagement, hosted by Jamaica’s Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, brought together senior officials for in-depth discussions, technical exchanges and a corporate governance forum. The visit formed part of ongoing efforts to modernise Saint Lucia’s oversight framework and build stronger institutional capacity.
Saint Lucia’s Parastatal Monitoring Department, located within the Office of the Prime Minister is responsible for ensuring compliance across all levels of the parastatal sector. Parastatals, also referred to as statutory bodies, are organisations created by law to carry out specific functions or responsibilities on behalf of the government.
Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, says the goal is to ensure prudent fiscal management across the parastatal sector, “Saint Lucia’s engagement with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service reflects our Government’s clear commitment to strengthening accountability, transparency and prudent fiscal management across our statutory bodies. As we modernise our oversight framework, we are not simply adopting external models, but carefully shaping them to suit our national context, ensuring that our institutions operate with greater efficiency, integrity and responsiveness to the people of Saint Lucia. This collaboration is part of our broader agenda to build resilient public institutions that inspire confidence and support sustainable national development” said the Prime Minister.
The Saint Lucian delegation led by Permanent Secretary Ms. Josette Maxwell-Dalsou and including Senior Legal Officer Mrs. Gemyma Norville-Jules and Senior Information Officer Ms. Davina Lee, held extensive meetings with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, which has responsibility for the monitoring of public bodies.
Talks began with a high-level meeting involving Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, Hon. Fayval Williams along with senior government officials. The discussions set a clear tone, highlighting the importance of strong governance systems, particularly for small island developing states. Both countries agreed that effective oversight goes beyond compliance, it plays a vital role in strengthening public trust, ensuring fiscal responsibility and supporting national development.
Jamaica’s Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Ms Darlene Morrison, welcomed the engagement, noting the importance of regional collaboration in advancing public sector governance. “The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service welcomes the opportunity to engage in knowledge sharing with Saint Lucia’s Parastatal Monitoring Department in support of strengthening the governance framework for public bodies. We value this collaboration, which facilitates open regional dialogue and contributes to the continued advancement of corporate governance across the public sector. The Ministry expresses its appreciation for the opportunity to share its experience and remains available to providing continued support to the PMD, as required,” the Financial Secretary stated.
A major highlight of the visit was participation in a corporate governance sensitisation forum, where practical approaches to governance were brought to the forefront. Presentations explored statutory reporting requirements, compliance obligations and the real consequences of governance failures, offering valuable lessons for strengthening accountability systems.
The forum also featured a dynamic panel discussion on responsible, ethical and visionary leadership, with participation from Saint Lucia’s Permanent Secretary, Ms. Maxwell-Dalsou. The discussion reinforced that good governance is not only about systems and policies, but also about leadership, values and organisational culture.
Reflecting on the visit, Ms. Maxwell-Dalsou noted that while Jamaica’s model provides a strong example, Saint Lucia must tailor these approaches to fit its own context. “Jamaica’s model offers valuable lessons and a strong foundation for us to learn from. Saint Lucia can now shape these practices to reflect our own realities, priorities and institutional needs. Our focus is on building a practical and sustainable oversight framework that strengthens accountability, supports better decision-making and ultimately delivers greater confidence in our statutory bodies,” she said, emphasising the need for practical and sustainable reforms.
Senior Legal Officer Mrs. Gemyma Norville-Jules echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of strengthening the country’s legislative framework and building internal capacity. “Jamaica’s experience brought to life how a strong legislative framework truly supports effective oversight in practice. It reaffirmed for us at the PMD the importance of strengthening our legal structures while building internal capacity, so we can foster greater accountability, transparency and good governance across our statutory bodies for the overall benefit of the country as a whole,” she noted.
The visit represents a significant step forward as the department continues to refine its governance systems, with a clear focus on accountability, transparency and effectiveness. For more information on the work of the Parastatal Monitoring department visit https://pmd.govt.lc/
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