TEAM UNITY ADMINISTRATION -2 YEARS OF 50+ ACCOMPLISHMENTS
TO PROSPERITY CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF 50+ ACCOMPLISHMENTS ADMINISTRATION
Dear Fellow Citizens & Residents of St. Kitts & Nevis,
I am indeed honoured and privileged to pen these lines as Leader of our
Team Unity Administration that was ushered into office on February 16,
2015 following a historic victory at the polls. Our tripartite Government,
consisting of membership from the People’s Action Movement (PAM), the
Concerned Citizens’ Movement (CCM), and the People’s Labour Party
(PLP) represents the first time in our Country’s history that three political
parties have been able to subjugate partisan politics in favour of National
Unity. “To God be the Glory, Great Things He Has Done!”
It is an indisputable fact that the Team Unity Government came to office through intercessory prayer and supplication, and a deep-seated desire to fulfil our motto: “Country Above Self”. We campaigned on a
platform for meaningful, demonstrative change; a desire to put our people first; and an urgency to safeguard democracy and decorum within our Parliament and, by extension, in all forms of public life. The Federal Cabinet views with respect and seriousness the task and assigned mandate given to us by the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
After two short years in office, our Team Unity Administration remains firm in the execution of our political charge. We are busy delivering on the promises made in our Inaugural Manifesto entitled “Prosperity for All:
2015-2020”. We operate as a team as we continue to design, build, implement and establish all of our projects
and programmes with our people in mind. Such activities span the gamut of improvements in infrastructure;
healthcare; national and citizens’ security; foreign relations; recalibration of our Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme that is now a platinum brand; community development; social services; tourism and the allied services sectors; education; improved relations with our sister island of Nevis; record‑setting fiscal management and performance; information and communications technology (ICT); and the strengthening of alliances with key international agencies, social partners at the local level, and non-governmentalorganisations.
Fellow citizens and residents: On this 2nd Anniversary of our Team Unity Government I wish to remind us all that national development requires truly national effort on the part of everyone. None of us can independently take this Country forward and upward. Yet, together we can can! We certainly can! Please continue with us on the path to national development with God at the helm. Let us give thanks to God for all He has done.
To God be the glory!
Sincerely
Dr the Hon Timothy Harris
PRIME MINISTER
1- Removal of VAT from the Cost of Food, Medicine & Funeral Expenses
2-Payment of EC$16 million in Past Due Gratuities to Former Sugar Workers
3-Discontinuation of the Shift System at Basseterre High School and the
Construction of Temporary Campus for the School :
Start of Plans to Construct a Brand New High School
4-Establishment of Oncology Unit at JNF General Hospital for Treatment
of Cancer, via Chemotherapy
5-Restoring Democracy to St. Kitts and Nevis after the Travesty Meted
out on our Country and our People on that infamous day of January 16, 2016
6-Return of Order and Decorum to the Federal Parliament; meeting
Constitutional Obligation re: Appointment of a Deputy Speaker
7- Repairs, Renovation and Re-opening of the Mary Charles
Hospital in Molineux
8-Strong Economic Growth, manifested by significant increase
in the number
of jobs, particularly in the construction sector
9-Surpassing 2015 Tax Revenue Targets by the End of November
2015; Recording the Best Ever “VAT Day” Revenue in the
History of the Country in 2015, and further exceeding these
figures in 2016
10-Construction and Dedication of the Mental Health Day
Treatment Centre at Lime Kiln
11- Recalibration and Resuscitation of our Citizenship By Investment
(CBI) Programme that was on the verge of collapse, and elevating
it to a platinum standard
12-Budgetary Support for Nevis in the amount of $62.5 million
(SIDF contribution), and another $52 million from the Federal
Government for various infrastructure and developmental
initiatives – as a result of closer ties between the Federal
Government and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA)
13-SIDF Funding for Infrastructure Projects in Nevis, through a
share of the CBI revenue to finance the cost of the development
of a state of the art, 400 meter Mondo Athletic Track; urgent
resurfacing of the runway at Vance Amory International Airport;
advancement of the Geothermal Project; and establishment of
a modern diagnostic wing at Alexandra Hospital
14-First-time Appointments of Nevisians to Diplomatic Posts such
as Ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS),
and Consul General at the St. Kitts-Nevis Consulate in Dubai, UAE
15-Nevisians’ Appointment to Key Federal Posts, including those
of the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Supervisor of
Elections
16-Establishment of the Criminal Justice Strategic Board
17-Appointment of an additional prosecutor to handle court
backlog inherited from the previous administration
18-Establishing 2nd High Court Chamber at Sir Lee L Moore Judicial
Complex and request for appointment of 2nd High Court Judge
for St. Kitts Circuit to address backlog of Court cases
19-Ongoing development of 3rd Magistrate Court in District ‘A’,
Basseterre to address summary Court backlogs
20-Legislation to begin establishment of dedicated Land Registry to
improve ease of doing business
21-Established Official Portal for St. Kitts and Nevis providing
platform for information, E-Citizen Services and Nation‑Branding
22-Establishment of the National ICT Governance Board
23- Received two (2) prestigious international awards as the
most dynamic country worldwide for major improvements in
the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector for
2015/2016
24- Director of IT in the NIA appointed Federation’s representative
Director on ECTEL Board, OECS’ telecommunications regulatory
commission
25- Launched five (5) mobile applications – SKN Shopper, Crime Reporter,
SKNIS News, Government Directory, and Events – to enhance E-Citizen
services
26- Ongoing development and deployment of Government Wide Area
Network (GWAN) to connect all Government Offices in St. Kitts and
Nevis
27- Refurbishing of the National ICT Centre that has been closed since 2012
28- Expanded Fiscal Incentives Programme for SMEs and Entrepreneurs
under the FRESH Start Programme that is now in its second incarnation;
tangible assistance has been given to small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), to the tune of $30 million
29- Improvement in Investment Climate and Investor Confidence
30- Increase in the number of small businesses
31- Significantly high growth rate of 5%; job creation and increase in the
number of self-employed persons registered with Social Security
32- Improved Workplace Monitoring to Eliminate Illegal and Unfair Labour
Market Practices, thereby protecting the interests of our citizens
33- Re-Tooling and Revamping of the RSCN Police Force, and providing the
largest ever allocation of resources in our Country’s history
34- Provided a 20% increase in Risk Pay for Security Forces
35- CCTV Programme being built to improve public safety and security, and
enhance evidentiary and investigative capabilities in solving crime
36- Advanced-staged planning for Geothermal Development in the
Federation
37- Passage of New Legislation for Renewable Energy
38- Upgrade and reform of the People’s Employment Programme (PEP),
and most recent graduation of the programme to the Skills Training
and Empowerment Programme (STEP)
39- Establishment of farms for PEP workers in Cayon and Phillips Village
Ottleys Housing Development, Ottleys Village
40- Visa Waiver Agreements completed with Brazil and Chile
41- New Diplomatic Relations with 14 new countries such as Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Belarus, Bolivia, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius and Cyprus. Other Strategic
Alliances pending with a number of new States
42- Facilitation of code-sharing arrangement between JetBlue Airlines and Seaborne Airways
43- Launch of United Airlines’ weekly flights between St. Kitts and Newark, N.J.
44- Facilitation of membership in the International Organisation on Migration (IOM), in order
to protect the rights of migrants in St. Kitts and Nevis
45- Provision of affordable housing for 134 families, by the National Housing
Corporation (NHC); this figure includes 41 homes that were constructed by
NHC through partnership with various lending institutions – for clients who had
already purchased land
46- Assistance to 192 households for home repairs and renovations re: bathrooms,
roofs and the establishment of new water connections under the HELP
programme.
47- Relief to livestock farmers by reducing the cost of animal feed, fertilizer, seeds
and fencing materials, thereby enabling better security and protection of crops
and livestock.
48- Ascension to international fisheries agreements re: UN Fish Stocks, and Port
State Measures
49- Advanced planning for construction of East Line Bus Terminal
50- Declaration and Investiture of Dr the Right Excellent and Right Honourable
Sir Kennedy Simmonds as the Country’s first living National Hero
51- Completion of the Upgrade of Dr Sir Kennedy Simmonds Highway
52- Re-introduction of refresher courses for all certified taxi drivers following
a hiatus since 2009; between 2015/2016 some 62 drivers were trained while
71 individuals were trained to become taxi operators;over the past year
an additional 652 persons were certified in various service specialties within the
tourism industry
53- First ever distribution of scholarships from the St. Kitts and Nevis National
Education Foundation (SKNNEF); additionally, over the past two years a
total of 128 scholarships were awarded for tertiary education, representing a
170% increase over the academic year 2014/2015
54- Heightened interface between Government and the various religious
organisations in the Nation; a collaborative framework has been
articulated and advanced re: joint response to social challenges such as
crime, poor parenting, youth attracted to gang culture, etc.
55- Renaming of national athletic stadium in honour of Kim Collins
56- Hosting of CPL and Carifta Games
57- Appointment of Director of Culture after the post was vacated for approximately
three years
58-Successive record breaking years in Cruise Visitor
Arrivals
59-Frigate Bay Strip Upgrade well underway
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