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47 of Near 200 Promises Kept in Just First Year of New Administration

 

Basseterre, St.Kitts (February 22nd 2016):- The first year of the Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris led government of National UNITY on St.Kitts-Nevis can be described as nothing short of impressive or simply remarkable.
12 Months after ousting a 20 year Old Regime led by former Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas the new St.Kitts-Nevis Administration boasts a long list of major accomplishments and promises fulfilled . The ongoing mantra of the administration is Promises Made, Promises Kept and after one year they are well on their way to fulfilling every Promise outlined in their 2015 Manifesto.
Some almost 200 Promises were made and outlined in the Team UNITY’s Prosperity Agenda. In a document issued during the administration’s recent 1st Anniversary Celebrations labeled a “Report Card” of the new government’s first year in office some 47 initiatives , policies and accomplishments were listed. 47 Promises Kept as outlined in the manifesto. 47 of some almost 200 Promises were fulfilled in just the Administrations first 12 months of Office. This suggests that the Team UNITY Government is well on track to keeping every single promise made and outlined in their contract with the people. The list of accomplishments of YEAR 1 are listed below. They range from major policy initiatives including the Removal of VAT from Food, Medicine and Funeral Expenses , the Paymenr of some $16 million in Gratuities to Former Sugar Workers to the distribution of Educational Scholarships under the newly formed St.Kitts-Nevis National Education Fund. The list is quite impressive to say the least and it can be easily concluded that the new Team UNITY Administration on St.Kitts-NEVIS is off to an exceptional start.

 

Listed below are the Accomplishments of the Team UNITY Administration’s First Year in Office

•Removal of VAT from the Cost of Food,
Medicine and Funeral Expenses
•Payment of EC$16 million in Past Due
Gratuities to Former Sugar Workers
•Discontinuation of the Shift System at
Basseterre High School and the Construcon
of Temporary Campus for the School at
Taylor’s in Basseterre; Start of Plans to
Construct a Brand New High School
• Surpassing 2015 Tax Revenue Targets by the
End of November 2015; Recording the Best
Ever “VAT Day” Revenue in the History of the
Country
•Restoring Democracy to St. Kitts and Nevis
After the Travesty Meted out on our Country
and Its People on That Infamous Day of
January 16, 2016
• Return of Order and Decorum to the Federal
Parliament; Meeting Constitutional Obligation
re: Appointment of a Deputy Speaker
• Significantly high growth rate of 5%; job
creation and increase in the number of selfemployed
persons registered with Social
Security
•Declaration of Dr Sir Kennedy Simmonds as
a National Hero
•Upgrade and reform of the People’s
Employment Programme (PEP)
• Hosting of CPL and Carifta Games
•Renaming of national athletic stadium in
honour of Kim Collins
•First ever distribution of scholarships from
the St. Kitts and Nevis National Educaon
Foundation (SKNNEF)
• Appointment of Director of Culture after the
post was vacated for approximately three
years
•Heightened interface between Government
and the various religious organisations in
the Nation; modalities of a collaborative
framework being finalized re: joint response
to social challenges
• Re‐introduction of refresher courses for all
certified taxi drivers following a hiatus since
2009; 62 drivers trained to date. A total of
71 individuals trained to become taxi
operators; last of such training was in 2009

Recalibration and Resuscitation of our
Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Programme
that was on the verge of collapse
• Improvement in Diplomatic Relations
between St. Kitts and Nevis and the
Governments of Canada and the USA
•New Diplomatic Relations with Ukraine;
Other Strategic Alliances pending with a
number of new States
• Repairs and Renovation of the Mary Charles
Hospital in Molineux
• Construction of the Mental Health Day
Treatment Centre at Lime Kiln, St. Kitts
• Re‐Tooling and Revamping of the RSCN Police
Force
• Improved Workplace Monitoring to Eliminate
Illegal and Unfair Labour Market Pracces
•Commitment from Petrocaribe /PDV Re:
Improved Housing and Urban Zoning in East
Basseterre and Conaree
• Expanded Fiscal Incentives Programme for
SMEs and Entrepreneurs
•Finalised Construction Agreement re: New
Fisheries Complex for Nevis
•Improvement in Investment Climate and
Investor Confidence
•Geothermal Development on St Kis
• Passage of New Legislation for Renewable Energy
•Substantial completion of the Upgrade of Dr Sir
Kennedy Simmonds Highway
• Upgrading of Vehicle Fleet of the Water Services
Department
•Initial Designs for East Line Bus Terminal
• Relief to livestock farms by (a) reducing the cost of
animal feed from $45.00 per bag to $35.00 per bag;
(b) cutting the price of fertilizer from $140.00 per
bag to $75.00 per bag; (c) reducing the average cost
of seeds by 50%; (d) discounting the cost of fencing
wire from $600.00 per roll to $400.00 per roll, and
fencing poles from $23.00 to $12.00
•Establishment of farms for PEP workers in Cayon
and Phillips Village
•Sourced funding and completed 84 housing units
which are now available for distribution.
•Establishment of special assistance programme for
homeowners without water, restrooms, or proper
roofing protection; 31 persons have already received
grant funding of up to $10,000.00 each
•Ascension to international fisheries agreements re:
UN Fish Stocks, and Port State Measures
Establishment of diplomac relaons with the
Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Rwanda
•Visa Waiver Agreements completed with Brazil
and Chile
•Facilitation of code‐sharing arrangement
between JetBlue Airlines and Seaborne Airways
• Facilitation of membership in the Internaonal
Organisation on Migration (IOM)
•Launch of United Airlines’ weekly flights
between St. Kitts and Newark, NJ.
•Establishment of the Criminal Justice Strategic
Board
• Appointment of an additional prosecutor to
handle court backlog inherited from the
previous administration
• Launch of innovative and groundbreaking EGovernment
Platform to facilitate execution of
the Government’s business; improve investors’
access to business and trade information on our
jurisdiction; and expedite citizens’ and residents’
access to essential services and products such as
taxation, Civil Registry, etc.
•Establishment of the National ICT Governance
Board
• $25 million in Budgetary Support to the Nevis
Island Administration (NIA)
• Increase in the number of small businesses