Tweet

The Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris led Team Unity administration without a doubt had one of the most successful record of acheivments for any  7 short year stretch of any government in St.Kitts-Nevis and the rest of the region . PM Harris proved that he was indeed a worthy and productive leader both of the Team Unity administration and the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis . The Achievements of the PM Harris leadership of the country and Team Unity over the last seven years(2015-2022), saw drastically improved and safer safer streets, a reduction in the cost of living, and an improvement in the quality of life for its citizens and residents.

Some of PM Harris’ key achievements in government as Prime Minister and Leader of Team Unity includes:

• Paying off the Douglas’ regime  $117 Million IMF Debt in 2016 and restoring our country’s international reputation;
• Delivering safer streets by reducing the rate of homicides and violent crimes through the Alternative Lifestyle Programme (also known as  the Peace Programme);
• PM Harris administration implemented a Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP), which sought to provide low-income households with financial support of  $500 monthly payment. Over 5000 households benefit from this programme
• Helping over  3,000 homeowners  recover from hurricane damage through the  Roof Repair Programme;
• Constructing  bigger and better homes  across the Federation;
• Ensuring  essential skills training  of our young people through the  STEP Programme;
• Redeeming over 800 acres  of land from the Land for Debt Swap arrangement for use by the residents in Cayon, Lodge, Lamberts and Sandy Point;
• Delivering  justice to over 2,400 former Sugar Workers  and their beneficiaries through payments from the Sugar Workers Restoration Fund;
• Substantially increasing the  Monthly Budgetary Support to the Nevis Island Administration to over $6million montly:
• First administration ever to deliver  four consecutive years  of payment of an  extra month’s salary  to Civil Servants and employees at statutory corporations;
• Generating more money in Peoples pocket by removing VAT  from all food and medical supplies and funeral expenses;
• Looking after Government Auxiliary Employees (GAEs) by reinstating the annual honorarium; •  Upgrading the  Mary Charles Hospital  and introducing the  Oncology Wing  at the JNF General Hospital; •  Modernising the nation’s infrastructure through the rehabilitation of  Old Road Bay, resurfacing of the  Island Main Road  and the construction of the second cruise pier;
• St.Kitts-Nevis performed consistently well on top of the OECS and among the leaders in the Caricom and even Western Hemisphere in the management and strength of the economy. The World Bank data for 2019 showed that, setting aside the United States of America and Canada which are not in our peer group, St. Kitts and Nevis ranked third among the remaining 32 OAS sovereign states in per capita GDP. Only the Bahamas and Panama were higher
• Job Creation . The largest number of jobs ever created in this country was under PM Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris and his Team Unity administration .  No longer are young people being denied the opportunities they need to make a life for themselves. Many are setting up businesses. 

• Delivered on the Good Governance Agenda by passing the  Freedom of Information Act, commencing the operationalisation of the Integrity in Public Life Act, and passing legislation to establish a timeline on when a Motion of No Confidence should be brought to Parliament. Delivering a Secure Future  
• PM Harris led administration  demonstrated leadership and resilience by delivering three stimulus packages in 2020, 2021 and 2022.  They were able to do this because PM Harris  managed the country well building up the strongest fiscal buffers in the hemisphere, in spite of paying double salaries many times, in spite of paying off the IMF debt, in spite of paying $200 million to reclaim, for the people, lands at Ottleys, Cayon, Sandy Point and Lamberts which were “poofed away” in the land for debt swap.
• PM Harris and his Team Unity admin clarified the role of the Public Accounts Committee, making it possible for its work to be done by an industrious Committee of Parliamentarians led by the Leader of the Opposition. They strengthened the judiciary so justice can be swift and certain.  They  met the people regularly and via innovations like Working for You, Leadership Matters, Press Conferences, and regular sittings of Parliament. They  accounted regularly to the people.   Independent entities hailed their  strengthening of democracy as evidenced by the country’s high ranking in independent publications such as the World Justice Report Rule of Law Index. 
• Reinstatement of the annual honorarium to Government Auxiliary Employees (GAEs) and regularization of STEP Workers making them eligible for Pension .
• Five years of positive economic growth.
• No new taxes and yet in surplus, year after year.
• Expanded the number and sizes of lands distributed to farmers for
• cultivation and livestock;
• Improved crop planning to better meet local demand with an aim of becoming self-sufficient in key produce;
• Expanded subsidies and other concessions to farmers and fishers;
• Facilitated opportunities for fishers with the establishment of fish aggregation devices (FADS) at strategic locations in our waters, so more fish like marlin, tuna and mahi-mahi can be caught;
• Continued the technical assistance programme with Taiwan;
• Provided training for farmers and fishers; Reduced the cost of various agricultural products and services; Improved farming technologies such as shade and green houses; Introduced a new farmer registration system with lower fees;
• Provided debt forgiveness for farmers owing land rent up to the launch of new the registration mechanism;

• Improved the environment for the start-up and survival of more micro, small and medium sized businesses;
• Transformed NEDD into the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) with support of the US
• Department of Commerce to better meet the needs of the MSME sector;
• Provided new financial capital for MSMEs;
• Improved the general investment climate; Implemented the National Manufacturing Strategy;
• Granted concessions to new and existing manufacturers; and Improved the capacity of the Bureau of Standards & the Multi-Purpose Laboratory;

• Established the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Governance Board in 2015, to
• provide oversight on matters relating to the integration of ICT development in various aspects of
• government;
• Secured two international awards for major improvements in the ICT sector during the 14th World
• Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS) held in Botswana in 2016;
• Enhanced the delivery, quality, adoption and usage of government e-services;
• Passed the Data Protection Bill 2018;
• Hosted the State of the Caribbean Internet Symposium 2019, in collaboration with the American
• Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) and the OECS;
• Completed a comprehensive Digital Strategy and Roadmap to guide the transformation in the Public Sector; and Consulted with Deloitte to explore the development of a new digitally based payments system for the Central Government, to make it easier to make and receive payments.
• Strengthened the regulations governing the operations within the Financial Sector;
• Rationalised the system of issuing fiscal incentives to local and foreign-owned investors; and Passed necessary legislation to facilitate adherence to, and compliance with, our international obligations.

• Completed work on the East Street Condominiums;
• Constructed 12 housing units within the East Street environs;
• Constructed two 12-unit townhouses in Stapleton Village and one 8-unit duplex in Conaree; and Reduced mortgage payments on NHC houses.
• Provided over 3000 families with improved housing solutions; Undertook a social enquiry to fairly determine housing and land needs;
• Provided suitable and affordable housing to current residents at Wellington Rd; Constructed homes for the differently-abled in the Sandy Point, Cayon and Stapleton areas;
• Expanded and upgraded housing developments at Phillip’s and Belle Vue;
• Completed work on the East Street Condominiums;  Constructed 12 housing units within the East Street environs;
• Constructed two 12-unit townhouses in Stapleton Village and one 8-unit duplex in Conaree; and
• Reduced mortgage payments on NHC houses.
• Implemented initiatives which led to the reduction of crime, especially homicides;
• Provided police with the resources and training they need to take on criminal elements;
•  Installed over 345 CCTV cameras throughout Basseterre; and Expanded and increased the number of police officers who undertake training in the Forensics Laboratory.
• Refurbishing the dental clinic at the Newtown Health Centre;
• Making cancer care available through the establishment of an
• oncology wing at the JNF General Hospital;
• Building a brand-new Tabernacle Health Centre; Building the brand-new Mary Charles Hospital for all the people in the Canada Estate to Parsons Medical District; Providing a new Dental Clinic at Mary Charles Hospital;
• Started the first 24-hour EMT/Ambulance Service dispatch point based permanently at Mary Charles Hospital; and
• Opened a mental health day treatment centre at Lime Kiln which allow greater support to people who need such care and attention, and respite to the families and those who look after people with mental illness.
• Refurbished the Day Care Centre at the Industrial Site;
• Provided computers and furniture for the computer laboratories at the Violet Petty, Newton Ground, Sandy Point, and Estridge & Edgar T. Morris Primary Schools;
• Delivered a new primary school at Mansion and Lodge Project; Renovated the primary schools at Tabernacle and Molyneux; Continued the Annual Help-a-Child Primary School Scholarship Award, which celebrated 18 years in 2021;
• Provided resources for the rehabilitation of Washington Archibald High
• School; Rehabilitated Saddlers Secondary School;
• Invested in the construction of a workshop extension at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College; Rehabilitated the Verchilds High, Charles E. Mills Secondary and Cayon High Schools;
• Delivered resources for the multi-purpose centre at the Charlestown Secondary School; Enhanced the laboratories workshops at the Gingerland Secondary School;
• Installing lighting at the Tabernacle play field and Sandy Point Recreation Ground;
• Constructing sidewalks east from the RLB International Airport round-about to Saddlers/Parsons Villages;
• Constructing the Lodge Multipurpose Community Centre;
• Constructing sidewalks extending west from the Camps round-about
• to Challengers; Building a pedestrian sidewalk along Bird Rock Road;
• Relocating the bus stop on Branch and Johnson Streets; and Providing lighting upgrades at the Warner Park Stadium.

TOP 7 Major Infrastructural Development Projects which the PM Harris led Team Unity Government delivered:

1. Built the second cruise pier at Port Zante;
2. Completed the East Line Bus Terminal;
3. Commenced the Old Road Bay Re-Alignment Project;
4. Commenced the West Line Bus Terminal;
5. Implemented capital projects such as the South Friars Bay Beach Enhancement Project and work on the second phase of De Strip Development Project;
6. Constructed a fully air-conditioned Basseterre Ferry Terminal;
7. Conducted airport work on the taxiway and the installation of new runway lighting.

To ensure an adherence to “good governance” the PM Harris led Team Unity Government:

• Passed a “Freedom of Information Act”;

• Complied with the legislation that required the tabling of accounts of statutory bodies;

• Commenced in 2018 the operationalisation of the “Integrity in Public Life Act” which was passed since 2013;

• Limited the number of Boards upon which any one individual may serve;

• Passed legislation to ensure the proper functioning of the Public Accounts Committee;

• Passed legislation establishing a timeline on when a Motion of No Confidence should be brought to Parliament;

• The introduction of the Constitution of Saint Christopher and Nevis (Tenure of Office of Prime Minister) (Amendment) Bill 2019 as a check on democratic power and to encourage succession planning in the interest of national development;

• Appointed a Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly – a requirement which the previous administration ignored for their entire last term in office.

• Facilitated the move to establish a Mediation Centre; Increased the resources for court-related expenses including stenography;

• Increased the number of Prosecutors (Crown Counsels) to facilitate the clearing of backlog cases and increase efficiency in the system;

• Increased the number of Magistrates; Secured the appointment of a second High Court Judge;

• Established a second High Court; Established a new Land Registry; and constructed  a third

• Increased visa-free access and visa-upon-arrival privileges for citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis to over 150 countries and territories;

• Secured diplomatic relations with over 20 countries, and for the first time, some countries such as Nicaragua, Indonesia and Ghana have accredited ambassadors to the Federation;

• Normalised the diplomatic relations between St. Kitts and Nevis and Canada; Established and opened the St. Kitts and Nevis High Commission in Canada;

• Hosted Diplomatic Week in 2019, which saw the participation of diplomats and consular officers, and our nation’s development partners, from over 30 countries.