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Drew Administration Still Under Fire for Prioritizing Foreign Developers Over Local Businesses

Basseterre, St. Kitts – September 21, 2025 — The Drew-led government may have dodged a bullet tomorrow, but the bigger showdown is only days away. Reports confirm that Regiwell Francis, owner of St. Kitts Marine Works (SKMW), has cancelled his planned one-man demonstration scheduled for Monday, September 22nd outside of Government Headquarters.

Instead, Francis has now shifted focus to a full-scale protest march set for Friday, September 26th, after negotiations with Prime Minister Drew’s special advisor, Austin Edinborough, failed to resolve the longstanding dispute.

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A Government Under Fire

The administration remains cornered in controversy. At the center of the storm is Francis’ claim that the government owes SKMW over EC$10 million in unpaid monies for works completed, while simultaneously threatening his eviction from SKMW’s New Guinea boatyard lands — lands Francis has developed and operated on for over 21 years.

The government, according to Francis, is attempting to transfer the New Guinea property to foreign developers from Nigeria who plan to build a commercial dock and pier. Even more damning, Francis claims the government has pressured him to drop his legal claims against them if he wishes to retain any rights to the land.

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Foreigners Over Locals: A Pattern of Betrayal

The SKMW dispute has reignited public outrage over what many view as a governmental culture of betrayal, where foreign developers are consistently favored over locals.

• Christophe Harbour land giveaways sidelined local stakeholders.
• Friars Bay beach bar demolitions cleared locals for foreign-backed projects.
• The Ritz-Carlton development controversy saw foreign interests advanced while locals lost out.
• The Nevis SEZ private city scandal ceded massive swathes of land to outsiders, leaving Nevisians deeply unsettled.

Now, the SKMW saga has become the latest flashpoint, symbolizing what critics call a foreign-first, locals-last policy entrenched under Prime Minister Drew’s leadership.

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The Build-Up to September 26th

While tomorrow’s one-man protest is no longer happening, Francis has made it clear that the fight is not over. Instead, all energies are being poured into the September 26th protest march — a larger, organized demonstration that is expected to attract strong public support.

Observers note that this march could become a major political embarrassment for the government, especially given the growing wave of discontent across the country.

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Pressure Mounts on Drew Administration

The administration is already battered by criticism over crime, the economy, and healthcare. Now, with the SKMW standoff, it finds itself accused of not only neglecting a vital local business but of actively seeking to destroy it in favor of foreign money.

“This is about justice, fairness, and respect for our own people,” one supporter of Francis told SKN Times. “If they can do this to SKMW, they can do it to any one of us.”

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What’s Next?

The countdown is on: Friday, September 26th could see a wave of angry citizens rallying outside Government Headquarters, united behind Francis and SKMW. Unless the government makes a decisive and transparent move before then, the Drew administration risks turning Church Street into the stage for one of the most damaging public protests of its tenure.

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