VZCZCXRO5232
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0773/01 3581504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241504Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0155
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 000773 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINT ECON PGOV KWMN XL
SUBJECT: St. Lucia Minister of Commerce Laments Government 
Inefficiencies, Lack of Responsiveness 
 
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Summary 
 
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¶1.  (SBU) St. Lucia Commerce Minister Tessa Mangal outlined 
challenges facing the government in St. Lucia from poor training 
and lack of professional standards among civil servants in a 
December 4 meeting with the ChargC).  Mangal expressed frustration 
over the lack of a customer service mentality, which she noted is a 
big obstacle to a country basing its development on tourism and 
foreign investment.  Mangal, the only female member of the Cabinet, 
is a plain-speaking and dynamic minister with prior experience in 
law and tourism.  She is a close confidant of PM King's.  End 
summary. 
 
 
 
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Lack of Standards in Government 
 
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¶2.  (SBU) St. Lucia Commerce Minister Tessa Mangal told the ChargC) 
that she is frustrated with the slow and unprofessional way in 
which public servants deal with requests from the public.  Mangal 
said she hopes to improve the systemization of government services 
to more quickly and efficiently deal with requests, but 
acknowledges that significant obstacles remain.  Comparing St. 
Lucia to Barbados, Mangal said her country had far to go to match 
the quality seen in Barbados.  The perception that customer service 
equates with subservience has prevented greater acceptance of a 
proper service mentality from taking root in St. Lucia, she 
maintained.  Mangal, fresh from the meeting of the Commonwealth 
Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad was hoping to organize an 
OECS Business Forum in St. Lucia during 2010.  She welcomed 
participation from the U.S. Embassy in providing a speaker, and the 
ChargC) agreed to look for ways to assist the program. 
 
 
 
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Expropriation and Re-export Duties 
 
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¶3.  (SBU) Poloffs raised the issue of the expropriation case in 
Anse Galet and the lack of responsiveness from Prime Minister King 
in responding to a personal letter from the ChargC) and numerous 
following interventions.  Mangal promised to look into the matter, 
and believed that the long-standing court case that had prevented 
development should have given greater leniency toward the Crown's 
compulsory expropriation.  American investors are not the only ones 
being targeted by expropriation rulings, she noted, claiming that 
numerous St. Lucians have also expressed anger at losing their 
land. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The ChargC) reiterated our strong support for the American 
Chamber of Commerce in St. Lucia and said we hoped it will play an 
important role in promoting dialogue on trade and investment in St. 
Lucia.  The AmCham in St. Lucia lists re-export duties as their top 
advocacy concern.  This 5 percent duty prevents the return of 
poorly selling merchandise as well as the holding of product shows 
that display a wide assortment of goods.  Mangal acknowledged the 
letter that the President of the AmCham had sent to PM King and had 
organized the legal staff to look into this customs issue and make 
recommendations on how to address the problems identified. 
 
 
 
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Comment 
 
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BRIDGETOWN 00000773  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Mangal has a difficult Ministerial Portfolio in a tough 
economy.  While she is making progress on her issues, her business 
background has led her to focus on improving customer relations, 
which she sees as a missing component that is integral for a 
tourist-dependent economy.  End Comment 
 
 
 
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Bio Note: Charlotte Tessa Mangal 
 
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¶6.  (SBU) Minister Mangal has a background in law and tourism, 
having worked her way up with local tourism providers.  Mangal's 
first stint in government was notable for her dismissal along with 
two other senators in 1997 by PM Kenny Anthony for refusing to 
guarantee a $1.5 million USD bank loan to soon to be bankrupt Helen 
Air.  She returned in 2007 as Minister of Human Services, Family 
Affairs and Gender Relations before moving to the Office of the 
Prime Minister, where she was tasked with handling the Independence 
Celebration.  Mangal was promoted to Minister of Commerce in 
February 2009, and is currently the only female serving in the 
Cabinet, where she takes the lead in promoting issues of gender 
equality.  She was the only Minister to attend a recent candlelit 
vigil for recognition of Global AIDS day.  Mangal, who is close to 
the PM, appears to be one of the more competent and capable 
ministers with the rare willingness to try new approaches to bring 
needed dynamism into the conduct of government business. 
HARDT