Bishop Dr. Kelvin Jones, who is the Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, was presented on January 1 of this year with the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the community in the field of religion for over 50 years, helping to establish the first Baptist Church in St. Kitts.

Bishop Jones CBE and his church community will be joined by supporters and well-wishers of the Government as it celebrates its first year anniversary under the theme “Working Together to Ensure the People’s Prosperity.

The Government of National Unity has kept several of its campaign promises and accomplished many achievements in just one year.

In a recent edition of the Government’s weekly radio and television programme “Working for You”, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said “what we have been able to do over the short expanse of an eleven month window and what I am most pleased about is that we have been able not only to transition from a government that had been in place for twenty years or thereabout and take charge of the government, but most importantly we are in a delivery mode.”

“The formal contract between Team Unity and the people of St Kitts and Nevis and every element of that manifesto, every promise on which we are able to deliver brings gladness to my heart—It means we are keeping our word and we are looking out for the people because this was the basis of the good life,” Prime Minister Harris added.

Some of the accomplishments of the Government to date include the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from food, medicines and funeral expenses; EC$ 16 million payout to former sugar workers; loan support provided under the Fresh Start Programme for those with small to medium size businesses and those desirous of setting up businesses; restructuring of the Citizenship-by-Investment Programme; the ongoing reforms of the People’s Empowerment Programme (PEP); the tabling of several pieces of legislation to usher in a new era of democracy including the Office of Tenure of Prime Minister Bill 2015 and Freedom of Information Bill 2015; budgetary support provided to the Nevis Island Administration; the appointment of a new Police High Command and Superintendent of Prisons; the building of a temporary Basseterre High School (BHS) until the new BHS is built; and the appointment of a Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

There are several plans afoot for this year including the building of an Oncology Unit at the Joseph N. France Hospital and a second cruise pier at Port Zante to accommodate two mega cruise ships.

Other activities for the one year anniversary include A Unity Women’s Forum at OJ’s at 4pm on Saturday, February 13; One-on-One Consultations in each Constituency at 5pm on Tuesday, February 16; Constituency 2 Town Hall Meeting at St. George’s Anglican Church Hall at 7pm on Wednesday, February 17; Launch of New Government Portal and / E-Government Network at the Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI) at 9:30 am on Thursday, February 18; Town Hall Meeting at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Nevis at 7 pm on Thursday, February 18;Sounds of Peace Anti-Crime Concert from 5pm until at the Circus on Friday, February 19; Team Unity Fresh Start Breakfast at Ferry Terminal at 6am on Saturday, February 20; and Constituency Day on Sunday, February 21.