St. Lucia needs local manufacturing push, says columnist

A St. Lucia-based columnist has called for a fundamental shift in how the island approaches economic development, arguing that heavy reliance on imported goods is holding back local progress and opportunity.

In an opinion piece, Carlton Ishmael contends that St. Lucia and other Caribbean territories have become overly dependent on foreign products across nearly every sector, from clothing and furniture to food and packaging materials. He points out that even items with strong local demand, such as cannabis-related products, are imported rather than produced domestically.

Ishmael identifies brain drain as a persistent problem, with skilled workers leaving the island because overseas employment offers better financial returns. He argues that without new approaches to skills development and local manufacturing, many people remain trapped in low-wage work as waitstaff, store attendants, security guards, or informal economy participants.

The columnist highlights specific examples of missed opportunities. He notes that women import wigs and hairpieces rather than producing them locally, carnival costumes come from abroad, and the island once manufactured cigarettes but now imports them. Musicians, he adds, can only find steady work seasonally or within the tourism sector, while nurses must migrate to find better career prospects.

Ishmael calls on both government and opposition to prioritize local production and manufacturing as part of a broader development strategy. He argues that St. Lucia should follow the example of some African countries seeking to control their own resources rather than exporting raw materials and buying finished goods back at higher prices.

The piece emphasizes that cultural and psychological shifts are needed alongside policy changes, residents must value locally made products, businesses must invest in domestic manufacturing, and people must believe that "anything another can do, we can do it too."