Key Projects of Saint Lucia

Airport modernisation

St Lucia is looking to modernise and expand its two airports – the Hewanorra International Airport (HIA) and the George FL Charles Airport (GFL). HIA is the country’s main airport, but, with passenger numbers projected to increase, the facility needs additional infrastructure in order to satisfy the requirements of the country’s growing tourism industry. The scope of GFL’s improvements has yet to be decided. The public–private partnership, which will be overseen by the St Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), is at a very early stage, with timescales not yet finalised. SLASPA is currently assessing bids from consultants that will advise on the structure of the PPP contract, including legal issues, environmental requirements, tax and labour implications, and a regulatory regime.

Public-Private Partnerships

St Lucia has been using public–private partnerships for the last two decades. Early examples include the building and operation of the Ministry of Communications Complex in 1997 and new police stations in 2000. The government tends to use a design–finance–construct model for its PPP agreement, with several road improvement projects currently under way using private sector partners.