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Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 17, 2020 (SKNIS): Despite the extremely devastating impact on the tourism and transport sector by the dreaded COVID-19 Pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism, Transport and Ports remains committed to all stakeholders.This was according to the Honourable Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism Transport and Ports while lending his support to the Budget Debate on day three, December 17, 2020.“This industry Mr. Speaker has been severely affected and I dare say it may have been the most hard-hit industries by this global pandemic. But despite the turbulent times, and the setbacks, however, the Ministry of Tourism, Transport and Ports remains steadfast in our commitments to our various stakeholders who remain our top priority,” said Minister Grant.Minister Grant reflected on a quote by the late Robert Nesta Marley – ‘You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have’ and the adage by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato – ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions.’“These two quotations sum up the essence of what the Ministry of Tourism, Transport and Ports… exemplifies and epitomizes in the face of the unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said the minister.He noted that the ministry continues to live up to the theme for this year’s Budget deliberations ‘Fortitude During the Pandemic: Resilience, Recovery and Transformation.’“Our visionary and bold projects and programmes for the year ahead Mr. Speaker, will be realized through our unrelenting fortitude and resilience and will testify to the fact that we are indeed planning for recovery and for the transformation that will characterize the tourism sector – an industry for the foreseeable future,” said Minister Grant.The minister expressed profound thanks to all stakeholders in St. Kitts and Nevis who ‘worked tirelessly with such diligence to be approved to operate for phase one and allowing us to open up our borders on October 31.”Special mention was also made of the National COVID-19 Task Force, the management and staff of the Ministry of Tourism, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority and the Nevis Tourism Authority, as well as the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority, all the frontline workers in the hospitality sector and other key stakeholders.“Without their dogged determination, their resolve, and abiding spirit of patriotism we simply would not have opened on October 31,” he added.