The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted on Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic and import price increases due to the war in Ukraine had severely affected Saint Lucia. According to an IMF release, after a collapse in 2020, tourist arrivals have rebounded significantly in 2021–22. But the release, after the IMF Executive Board concluded Article IV consultation with Saint Lucia, observed that recovery remains incomplete. 'The public balance sheet remains under considerable strain, with a sizeable fiscal deficit and a significant increase in public debt since 2019,' it noted. According to the IMF, inflation has picked up with the surge in