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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – The long-debated issue of revenue sharing between St. Kitts and Nevis has finally seen movement—but not without raising eyebrows and questions about transparency, fairness, and federal respect.

At his monthly press conference on July 22, Nevis Premier Mark Brantley dropped a bombshell: while the “Fair Share” issue is finally making some progress, his government was completely sidelined in the preparation of the World Bank’s crucial revenue-sharing report. That’s right—no consultation, no collaboration, just a surprise report dumped in their lap with questionable figures and unexplained deductions.

Yet despite the snub, Premier Brantley struck a diplomatic tone, stating, “We are, I think, now making good progress,” while cautiously noting that the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Cabinet has reviewed the report’s four revenue-sharing scenarios and reached consensus on a preferred model.

Still, he raised major red flags:

• Discrepancies in how Citizenship by Investment (CBI) revenue allocated to Nevis is reflected in the World Bank report versus the NIA’s own records.
• Vague Deductions such as “national obligations” that are as opaque as they are suspicious.
• No Consultation with the NIA in crafting a report meant to solve a historic inequity between the two islands.

In a twist of political irony, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew—the man now seen as a partner in dialogue—presided over a process that critics say resembles a closed-door audit rather than cooperative federalism.

Brantley, who also serves as Nevis’ Minister of Finance, reiterated that this issue must be settled through mature, deliberate discussion, not media theatrics—though some may argue the public deserves to know why Nevis was once again left out of its own financial destiny.

And here’s the kicker: While Montserrat, Anguilla, BVI, and Turks & Caicos—many with smaller populations—have more elected representatives and clearer fiscal frameworks, the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis remains entangled in bureaucratic inertia and political turf wars.

So what’s next?
Premier Brantley says the NIA will soon submit their preferred proposal to the federal government. Whether that proposal gets real traction—or ends up shelved like so many before it—remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: the people of Nevis are watching. And waiting.
Because “fair share” shouldn’t be a slogan. It should be the law of the land.

Stay tuned. The revenue reckoning has just begun.