Saint Lucia
Capital: Castries
HDI: 0.729 (89th)
Language: English
GDP (PPP): $2.078 billion
Currency: East Caribbean Dollar
Population: 184,999
Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 617 km2 (238.23 sq mi) and reported a population of 165,595 in the 2010 census. Its capital is Castries.
The French were the island’s first European settlers. They signed a treaty with the native Carib Indians in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667. In ensuing years, it was at war with France 14 times, and rule of the island changed frequently (it was seven times each ruled by the French and British). In 1814, the British took definitive control of the island. Because it switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the “Helen of the West Indies”.
Representative government came about in 1840 (with universal suffrage from 1953). From 1958 to 1962, the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom. Saint Lucia is a mixed jurisdiction, meaning that it has a legal system based in part on both the civil law and English common law. The Civil Code of St. Lucia of 1867 was based on the Quebec Civil Code of 1866, as supplemented by English common law-style legislation. It is also a member of La Francophone.
RESEARCH
Economic Overview
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Saint Lucia Economy 2016, CIA World Factbook
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/saint_lucia/saint_lucia_economy.html
The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is Saint Lucia’s main source of jobs and income – accounting for 65% of GDP
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Economy of Saint Lucia
https://infogalactic.com/info/Economy_of_Saint_Lucia
Due to its small size and relative lack of geological resources, its 2000s economy relies primarily on the sale ofbanana crops, and the income generated from tourism, with additional input from small-scale manufacturing.
Industry Trends & Business Climate
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Chamber Wants Better Business Climate
http://thevoiceslu.com/2016/04/chamber-wants-better-business-climate/
A commentary on the hope for an improved business climate in St. Lucia
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DOING BUSINESS WITH SAINT LUCIA
http://www.carib-export.com/login/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Doing%20Business%20with%20St%20Lucia.pdf
A comprehenisve study on the business enviroment in St. Lucia
Establishing a Presence
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Starting a Business in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/starting-a-business/
This site provides a detailed summary of the bureaucratic and legal hurdles faced by entrepreneurs wishing to incorporate and register a new firm in St Lucia.
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Doing Business in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/
This World bank site includes rankings, data for key regulations and comparisons with other economies.
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Starting a Business in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/starting-a-business/
This site provides a detailed summary of the bureaucratic and legal hurdles faced by entrepreneurs wishing to incorporate and register a new firm in St Lucia.
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Registration – irdstlucia.gov.lc
http://www.irdstlucia.gov.lc/index.php/businesses-corporations/registration?showall=&start=2
Company registration instructions from the Inland Revenue Department of St. Lucia
Taxes
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Paying Taxes in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/paying-taxes
This World Bank site provides a table on the corporate tax liabilities in St. Lucia
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Saint Lucia Individual – Taxes
http://taxsummaries.pwc.com/uk/taxsummaries/wwts.nsf/ID/Saint-Lucia-Individual-Taxes-on-personal-income
This site provides a table on the graduaded tax rate for individuals in St. Lucia
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Personal Income Tax – irdstlucia.gov.lc
http://www.irdstlucia.gov.lc/index.php/23-all-taxes/income-taxes/personal-income-tax/58-income-tax-personal-income-tax
The personal income tax is levied only on income over $18,400 per annum received by resident or non-resident individuals who earn income in St. Lucia, whether those income sources are located in or out of St. Lucia.
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St Lucia Sales Tax Rate | VAT | 2013-2016
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/st-lucia/sales-tax-rate
The Sales Tax Rate in St Lucia stands at 15 percent.
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St Lucia Sales Tax Rate | VAT Forecast 2016-2020
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/st-lucia/sales-tax-rate/forecast
In the long-term, the St Lucia Sales Tax Rate | VAT is projected to trend around 15.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.
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Corporate Tax – irdstlucia.gov.lc
http://www.irdstlucia.gov.lc/index.php/all-taxes/income-taxes/corporate-tax
Profits that accrue directly or indirectly to a non-resident company carrying on a business through a permanent establishment in St. Lucia are subject to corporation tax at 33.3%.
Visas
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St. Lucia – State
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/st-lucia.html
See “Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements” on this site
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Visa policy of Saint Lucia – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Saint_Lucia
Visitors to Saint Lucia must obtain a visa unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Infrastructure
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Saint Lucia Transportation – Taxi, Train, Bus & Airport Tips
https://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Caribbean_and_Central_America/Saint_Lucia/Transportation-Saint_Lucia-TG-C-1.html
77 tips on getting to and getting around Saint Lucia from real travelers and locals.
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The Best St. Lucia Transportation
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147342-Activities-c59-St_Lucia.html
See reviews and photos of transportation options in St.Lucia on TripAdvisor.
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St. Lucia Telecommunications – Caribbean Way
http://st-lucia.caribbeanway.com/telecommunications.asp
The island of St. Lucia is equipped with a modern and efficient system of telecommunications. St. Lucia’s phone system is run by Cable & Wireless, a company with branches across the island
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St. Lucia Telecommunications | CaribbeanDays
http://caribbeandays.com/caribbean-islands/st-lucia/st-lucia-telecommunications/
Brief commentary on phone service in St. Lucia
Employer Obligations
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Labor Market Regulation in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/labor-market-regulation
This site provides a detailed summary of some of the labor regulations that would apply to local entrepreneurs wishing to hire workers, organize working schedules, improve job quality for workers, or make workers redundant for economic reasons in St Lucia.
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Saint Lucia Labour Department – Labour Laws
http://www.labourdepartmentslu.com/labour-laws.html
This site provides links to the Labour Code of St. Lucia
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Library of Congress Guide to Law Online – Saint Lucia
http://loc.gov/law/help/guide/nations/stlucia.php
A guide to labor law in St. Lucia from the US Library of Congress
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Labor Market Regulation in St Lucia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/st-lucia/labor-market-regulation
This site provides a detailed summary of some of the labor regulations that would apply to local entrepreneurs wishing to hire workers, organize working schedules, improve job quality for workers, or make workers redundant for economic reasons in St Lucia.
Culture/Living
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Cost of Living in Saint Lucia – numbeo.com
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Saint+Lucia
Costs of everyday items in St Lucia
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Living in St. Lucia | Guide to Life on St Lucia
http://www.sugarbeachresidences.com/wp-news/living-st-lucia/
Generally, the cost of living is lower on St. Lucia than in America and is also lower than many of the other islands in the Caribbean.
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Saint Lucia – Culture, Customs & Etiquette
http://guide.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student.php?id=174
Guide to travel, doing business, and studying in Saint Lucia – culture, greetings, gestures,etiquette, taboos, negotiations, gift-giving, and more.
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St Lucia Climate Guide: Monthly Weather Charts
http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/st-lucia/
A monthly guide to temperature, rainfall and sunshine in St. Lucia
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Climate and Weather – Weather in St Lucia
http://www.climateandweather.com/weather-in-st-lucia
The weather in St Lucia is typical of weather in the Caribbean. St Lucia has a tropical climate with hot weather throughout the year.
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St Lucia travel advice – GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/st-lucia
Latest travel advice for St Lucia including safety and security, entry requirements, travel warnings and health
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Public Holidays – All About St Lucia
http://allaboutstlucia.com/public-holidays/
This site lists the holidays that are observed in St. Lucia
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Demographics of Saint Lucia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Saint_Lucia
This site discribesthe demographic features of the population of Saint Lucia, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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Saint Lucia – Population 2016 | countryeconomy.com
http://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/saint-lucia
Population statistics for St. Lucia
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St. Lucia Education System
http://www.classbase.com/Countries/St-Lucia/Education-System
Education on the Caribbean island of St Lucia (which is compulsory between ages 5 and 15) attempts to provide a meaningful preparation for its junior citizens through a network of private and public schools, of which the latter charge no fees.
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Education – All About St Lucia
http://allaboutstlucia.com/education/
Saint Lucia’s education system, based on the British model, has undergone significant changes in the past two decades and now assures that all children receive a progressive quality education to prepare them for the modern workplace or to pursue advanced studies.
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Saint Lucia Public Holidays 2016
http://holidayyear.com/holidays/Saint-Lucia
List of Saint Lucia public holidays, national holiday celebrations, bank holidays, official holiday calendar
Trade
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St. Lucia Customs & Excise Department – Imports
https://customs.gov.lc/import.php
Requiremtns for importation of goods from the St. Lucia Customs and Excise Department
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Customs: Regulations, Export-Import
https://saint-lucia.visahq.com/customs/
Saint Lucia Customs regulations and procedures for importing and exporting goods
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Customs: Regulations, Export-Import
https://cape-verde.visahq.com/customs/
A summary of import and export regulations
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Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) – St. Lucia
http://www.slideshare.net/testing123456/economic-partnership-agreement-epa-st-lucia
A commentary on the EPA and the impact on St. Lucia trade
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WTO | Saint Lucia – Member information
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/saint_lucia_e.htm
This site provides key information on Saint Lucia’s participation in the WTO. Saint Lucia has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 13 April 1993.
Housing and Rentals
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Apartments – St Lucia
http://www.stlucia.org/resorts/apartments/
A guide to apartment rentals in St. Lucia
Travel
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St. Lucia Travel Guide | Fodor’s Travel
http://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/st-lucia
Expert picks for your St. Lucia vacation, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment, shopping, top attractions, and more.
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St. Lucia 2016: Best of St. Lucia Tourism
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g147342-St_Lucia-Vacations.html
121,396 reviews of St. Lucia Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best St. Lucia resource.
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