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PM HARRIS DROPS A BUDGET BOMBSHELL: DREW GOVERNMENT EXPOSED OVER SECRET $27 MILLION INTEREST-FREE LOAN TO ST. KITTS MARRIOTT

By SKN TIMES | Budget 2026 Fallout

The 2026 Budget Debate erupted into outright political shock and national alarm on Thursday as Former Prime Minister and Leader of the People’s Labour Party, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, made a stunning, documented revelation that has sent tremors through Parliament and the wider country.

In a fiery and methodical response to the Budget, PM Harris exposed that the Drew-led administration quietly approved and disbursed a $27 MILLION NON-INTEREST-BEARING LOAN to the St. Kitts Marriott Resort—the single largest hotel in the Federation—without public disclosure, debate, or transparency.

Not 1 percent.
Not 2 percent.
ZERO interest.

And the evidence, Harris made clear, comes straight from the Government’s own official records.

“I AM READING FROM THE GOVERNMENT’S DOCUMENT”

As government MPs scrambled to object and challenge his statements, Harris stood firm, citing the Director of Audit’s Report, page 28, tabled before Parliament.

According to the National Audit Office:

“The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis entered into a loan agreement with Royal St. Kitts Beach Resort Limited for the issuance of a non-interest-bearing loan in the amount of $27 million to aid in the stabilization and long-term viability of the Marriott’s operations.”

The report further reveals that:

• $18 million was disbursed in 2023
• A further $8 million was disbursed in 2024

A total of $27 million in taxpayer funds, quietly handed out interest-free.

WHY DOES THE COUNTRY NOT KNOW?

Dr. Harris did not mince words.

If, as the government repeatedly boasts, tourism is “booming” and hotels are thriving, why does the largest, most internationally branded hotel in the country require secret stabilization funds?

And more troubling still:

• Why was no announcement made to the public?
• Why was Parliament not properly informed?
• Why are ordinary citizens paying higher taxes, water rates, and living costs while a mega-resort receives a special, interest-free bailout?

“This is not just a loan,” Harris stressed.
“This is a special loan—a bailout by another name.”

A DANGEROUS SIGNAL FOR TOURISM?

The revelation raises disturbing questions about the true state of the tourism sector, the financial health of flagship properties, and the credibility of the government’s economic narrative.

If the Marriott—marketed as a pillar of national tourism success—requires emergency, interest-free support for “stabilization and long-term viability,” what does that say about the rest of the sector?

TRANSPARENCY IN CRISIS

What unfolded in Parliament was not just a heated exchange—it was a moment of exposure.

A government already grappling with ballooning debt, fiscal pressure, and public distrust now faces serious questions about secret deals, selective generosity, and economic truthfulness.

Dr. Harris’ intervention has ripped the veil off what many are now calling one of the most troubling financial disclosures of the Budget 2026 debate.

The country is watching.
The questions are multiplying.
And the silence from the government side is deafening.

SKN TIMES will continue to investigate.