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PLP Press Release
17th October, 2024

Like most citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) and third Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Hon Timothy Harris, is appalled by the excessive overseas travelling by the ministers of the Terrance Drew-led Federal Cabinet, labeling it as “highly irregular”.

“I don’t believe in any other Cabinet across the Caribbean Ministers of Government travelled so frequently and for such frivolous reasons,” Dr Harris said in response to a question at the Peoples Labour Party’s press conference on Thursday 17th October, 2024.

“It is unacceptable and there can’t be any rational explanation for the frequency of these travels and the burden on the public purse arising from that.”

Under this administration, up to five elected Ministers of Government have left the island at the same time purporting to attend meetings that can be held virtually or conferences which their permanent secretaries or other senior officials can competently represent the Federation.

Dr Harris said, “Instead of government dealing with our harsh living conditions, we continue to witness the luxury living for ministers and we pay EC$1000 per diem that ministers pocket every day they are off island, with no verifiable positive outcomes for the people.”

And yet, there is no end in sight to this unacceptable trend, mainly due to what Dr Harris described as a serious void in leadership in this government.

“If Dr Drew is travelling so fast, taking his family with him, how will he say to Samal ‘I think you shouldn’t go, you can’t travel’. Samal would respond, ‘well you just went’ and so you see the dilemma. There is no example. Dr Drew needs to lead by example,” said Dr Harris.

Dr Harris said there was an established policy under his Team Unity administration which ensured that at all times there must be a certain number of ministers available for service in the country.

“We determined that any time a Parliament is called the government must have enough members to ensure that the Parliament is quorate—that is you have your quorum without having to depend on the opposition. All of these factors then placed a limit on the number of persons who could be out of the country at any one time,” said Dr Harris.

END