COOPERATIVES & FRIENDS SOCIETY
Overview of the Department of Co-operatives
OUR MISSION
Co-operative Policy Objectives in St. Lucia
- Promote the civic society through democratic organizations and mutual self-help practices among ordinary citizens.
- Mobilize popular savings through non-traditional financial institutions.
- Penetrate the widest cross-section of the society in providing services to rural communities as well as the working class. Build entrepreneurship by creating self-reliance particularly in rural and deprived communities, resulting in the reduction of rural-urban drift, unemployment and poverty.
- Increase domestic income, foreign exchange earnings and employment through higher production and productivity levels.
- Provide vital developmental, institutional and regulatory support to the Co-operative Movement by the appointment, deployment and development of an adequate team of trained, capable and motivated professionals at the regulatory authorities.
- Maintain reliable, accurate and timely information, utilizing modernized information, education, organization and management processes fundamental the regulatory mandate.
- Regular consultation with the national co-operative bodies.
Mr. Egbert-Stevens
Registrar of Co-operatives
1 .Enforcement of Co-operative Law
2 .Registration of non-financial co-operatives
3 .Arbitration
4 .Inspection, Supervision and Monitoring
5 .Examinations and Audit
6 .Education and Training
7 .Research and Development
8 .Policy Promotion and Advice
9 .Resource Mobilization and Management
10 .Liquidation of non-financial co-operatives
11.Revival of non-financial co-operatives
12 .Facilitate co-operative endeavor
13 .Stabilize and strengthen the management and administrative capabilities, efficiency, delivery systems and growth of non-financial co-operatives.
The Registrar of Co-operatives shall regulate and supervise all primary, secondary and tertiary non-financial co-operative societies operating in St. Lucia.
- Government’s general policy is to encourage and assist registered co-operative societies by all such means which will not adversely affect their independence.
- A Co-operative Societies Bill has been prepared and discussed with the entire movement to encourage fullest participation in the development thrust.
- Fiscal incentives to Fishermen’s Co-operatives and their membership in the form of duty concessions of fuel, equipment and machinery necessary for operations.
- Co-operatives are exempted from the payment of income tax on realized surplus.
- Flexibility in the annual tax allowance for shares purchased from credit unions.
- Facilitating the creation of sub sectors within broader sectors such that there be a rejuvenation of the coconuts, cocoa sectors and a new formalized apiculture sub sector aiming to develop export potential.
- A number of agricultural projects such as the Youth in Agriculture Entrepreneurial, SABLE and the Bee City projects facilitated through the co-operative business structure.
The International Co-operative Alliance is the global steward of the Statement on the Cooperative Identity – the Values and Principles of the cooperative movement.
Co-operative Identity
The Statement on the Cooperative Identity states that a cooperative is an “autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
Cooperative Values
Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity.
In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
Definition of a Cooperative
A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
OUR TEAM
CONTACT US
- Egbert Stevens
- Phone:1758-468-5568
- Cell: 713-9031
- Email: egbert.stevens@govt.lc
- Askia AlcindorPhone:468-5569
- Luan Reno
- Phone: 1758-468-5571
- Samuel Chris Fred
- Phone: 1758–468-5573
- Prisca Desrivier
- Phone: 1758-468-5570
- Marcus Isidore
- Phone: 1758–468-5576
