A long period of business disruption for local vendors in Castries, Saint Lucia, took a step toward resolution on Tuesday, when 95 impacted sellers received compensation cheques for months of forced displacement from their regular workspaces. The disruption stemmed from the ongoing Castries Vendors Arcade redevelopment, a core component of the larger Saint Lucia Cruise Port Redevelopment Project along the city’s waterfront, which required vendors to vacate their permanent stalls for multiple months.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre first announced the government’s commitment to delivering financial relief to the displaced vendors, a promise fulfilled during Tuesday’s official cheque distribution ceremony hosted at Castries City Hall. In total, officials disbursed EC$433,143.30 in ex-gratia payments to eligible sellers, though payouts were not uniform across recipients.
Payments were structured around each vendor’s outstanding rent balance owed to the Castries City Council, with sellers split into three tiers: Low Balance, Medium Balance, and High Balance. Vendors in the Low Balance category, who owed little to no back rent, received the full standard payment of EC$5,263.16. For vendors in the Medium and High Balance groups, a portion of the compensation was automatically deducted to settle outstanding rent obligations. In a small number of cases, the total unpaid rent even exceeded the full value of the ex-gratia payment, leaving vendors with no net payout from the distribution.
Beyond delivering financial relief, senior government and port officials used the ceremony to share guidance and announce upcoming support programs for vendors as they prepare to move into the redeveloped arcade. Prime Minister Pierre encouraged vendors to adopt formal business management practices, emphasizing that daily sales revenue should not be confused with net profit.
“Sales are not profit… When you have a good day, and you see things looking nice, don’t push your hand in it. You have to pay rent, you have to pay for the goods that you sell… You must treat it [vending] as a business,” Pierre told attendees. He also stressed the value of continued skills development, noting, “You are never too old to learn.”
In line with that message, Saint Lucia Cruise Port has scheduled a specialized training program to help vendors maximize the benefits of their new, upgraded facilities once construction is complete. Lancelot Arnold, Director of Saint Lucia Cruise Port, also revealed that plans are in motion to form a new partnership with Export Saint Lucia after vendors relocate to the renovated space. This partnership will connect local vendors with domestic producers, expanding their access to a wider range of locally made goods tailored to the interests of the island’s cruise ship tourists.
Officials also used the event to issue a reminder about ongoing rent obligations, referencing a 2021 rent reprieve program designed to help vendors catch up on outstanding balances. With the current compensation already being used to clear back rent, authorities urged vendors to avoid falling behind on payments again. The government made clear that financial assistance should not become an enabler for persistent non-payment, particularly for vendors who have a history of falling behind on their financial commitments to the city council.