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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 12, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – In his well-received 2020 Budget Address today (Thursday, December 12), delivered under the theme “Let’s Keep Building a Stronger and Safer Future for St. Kitts and Nevis,” Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris detailed plans by his Team Unity-led administration to further enrich and advance the lives of ordinary citizens and residents of the Federation.

In this regard, the prime minister stated that home construction will continue to be a priority for his administration, through initiatives such as the Unity Housing 300 Programme.

“As we look towards building a stronger and safer future for St. Kitts and Nevis, we commit to provide more support for our housing programmes,” Prime Minister Harris said, while noting that the Team Unity administration has done “very well in a short space of time” and it is now ready to do more to move St. Kitts and Nevis forward.

The prime minister said, “Already, 562 persons have benefited from the First Time Homeowners Programme over the past five years or so of Team Unity. We recognize decent and affordable housing as one of the felt needs of our people and we will continue to create innovative avenues to fulfil this need. Under this programme, persons who are going to build for the first time will get a full range of concessions that reduces the cost of their construction activity.”

Additionally, the St. Kitts and Nevis Government intends to make available next year $30 million to spur housing construction at a low cost interest.

Prime Minister Harris stressed that building a stronger and safer St. Kitts and Nevis also requires sustained support for small and medium sized enterprise development.

“This is an area where we will continue to provide the much needed support so that our young persons can be given the opportunity to start new businesses or expand their existing small business. Building on the experience of the Fresh Start Programme, my Government will launch another low cost financing programme,” Dr. Harris said. 

The Team Unity Government introduced the Fresh Start Programme in 2015 and it has since helped hundreds of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses either start or expand operations by enabling access to concessionary funding, as well as technical assistance, provided primarily by the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.