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Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 16, 2020 (SKNIS): The Government of National Unity has redeemed a total of 400 acres of land that was sold under the Denzil Douglas Administration’s Land-for-Debt Swap arrangement, said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris at his monthly press conference at Government Headquarters on January 15.

“This year, we have redeemed another 200 acres of land from Labour’s Land for Debt Swap.  This brings to 400 acres the quantity of lands redeemed for ordinary people at a cost of EC $200 million,” Prime Minister Harris said.  

The move by the Government comes as a result of the commitment made in December of 2018 when it promised the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis that it would gradually repurchase portions of lands sold under the controversial Land-for-Debt Swap arrangement, which was originated by the previous administration. 

“We cannot provide more homes if we do not have more land on which to build these homes. Labour’s high IMF debt meant land was ‘poofed’ away – land which should have gone to our citizens instead,” he said.  “Your Team Unity Government is working to reverse this terrible mistake.”

“My Government will make hundreds of lots available to the ordinary people of Lodge/Ottley’s, Cayon, Sandy Point and Lamberts in particular, and to our citizens and residents of our Country in general. These lands will be used for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes,” he added.

Prime Minister Harris promised citizens that his administration would never return to the past of astronomical high debt because of prudent fiscal management.

“We must never go back to that dark period of free-for-all and fiscal mismanagement that led to the shameless surrender of our land, our patrimony and Country. Should our beloved Federation incur high debt like we had under Labour, all our achievements would be killed stone dead,” Prime Minister Harris said.