Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet, has defended the appointment of another cabinet minister, saying that he does not think it is a drain on the public purse.
Sarah Flood-Beaubrun was sworn yesterday as Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Growth, Job Creation, External Affairs and the Public Service with responsibility for External Affairs.
With the appointment, the current cabinet of ministers numbers sixteen.
The Prime Minister says his administration is aiming to curtail the cost of operating government by reducing the number of ministries to eight from fifteen.
Mr Chastanet said the current cabinet members are less than the number of ministers that the former Saint Lucia Labour Party administration had.
Sarah Flood Beaubrun along with Bradley Felix (commerce, industry, investment, enterprise development and consumer affairs); Dominic Fedee (tourism, information and broadcasting); and Senator Dr Ubaldus Raymond (minister in the ministry of finance)) brings the total number of ministers under the umbrella of the Office of the Prime Minister to five.
This comes at a cost of approximately EC$56,000 per month – four ministers at $10,815.75 each and the prime minister $12,728.17.
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