Water & Utilities Costs: NURC approved phased WASCO water and sewerage tariff hikes starting June 2026, with households paying more based on usage and hotels/boats facing the steepest increases (about 76% for hotels and vessels). Tourism Planning Meets Infrastructure: NURC CEO Skeeta Gibbs warned tourism growth must not outpace utility planning, urging utilities to be built into investment and land-use decisions from the start. Tourism Marketing Deal: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority signed a multi-year global partnership with Arsenal FC, starting 2026/27, aiming to boost visibility in the UK and support a local youth academy hub. Food Security & Farming Skills: Farmers trained in advanced guava grafting under Taiwan-backed support to improve fruit quality and reduce reliance on imports. Regional Food Investment: SVG pushed eight agriculture and food-system projects into a Barbados “deal room,” including irrigation, poultry, agro-processing and youth agri-investment. Youth & Environment: The Green Champions Challenge launches islandwide e-waste and aluminum can collection with schools, backed by SLSWMA and IDB Lab. Business Ease Focus: Chamber of Commerce and partners ran sessions on strategy execution and easing business hurdles. Consumer Pressure: A consumer group renewed calls for economic relief as household costs soar, linking relief to stronger agriculture, food security and utility regulation.