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THE TRUTH BEHIND BHS PROJECT: $30 MILLION “PR STUNT” , $270 MILLION PRICE TAG AND NEAR-ZERO LOCAL WORKERS CAUSES CONCERN AND CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND FULL ACCOUNTABILITY

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — The new Basseterre High School is supposed to represent one of the biggest investments in education in the history of St. Kitts and Nevis. But behind the cranes, concrete and official photo opportunities, serious questions continue to follow the reported EC$270 million project.

And the biggest question is simple: How much of this massive national investment is actually benefiting Kittitians and Nevisians?

The Government has promoted the new BHS as a modern educational facility supported through the Citizenship by Investment Programme’s Public Benefit Option. The Citizenship by Investment Unit itself identifies Basseterre High School as a project receiving support through that mechanism.

However, major structural components are being manufactured in Barbados by Preconco Ltd. Barbados media reported earlier this year that Preconco was awarded the contract in 2024 and is producing wall panels, floor slabs, columns and other components at its Barbados facility.

Previous reports have also placed the overall value of the project at approximately EC$270 million, while Times Caribbean previously reported claims that roughly US$10 million — about EC$27 million — had already been paid in connection with the manufacture of structural components overseas. That specific payment figure has not been independently confirmed by Times Caribbean through an officially published government contract.

That lack of complete public documentation is exactly why calls for transparency are growing.

WHERE ARE THE LOCAL JOBS?

The Government insists the project is generating employment locally.

During a July 1 visit, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew said local workers and technical personnel were actively engaged at the construction site.

But photographs, site observations and concerns raised publicly in recent weeks have fueled a very different debate.

Critics have questioned why a project carrying such an enormous price tag appears, at certain stages, to have relatively limited numbers of workers physically present on site, with several specialist workers reportedly coming from Barbados.

Times Caribbean has previously reported concerns from PLP Deputy Leader Dameon Lawrence about whether enough local contractors, tradespeople and construction workers are benefiting from the development.

Claims that fewer than 15 workers are presently active at the site, or that approximately 90 percent are foreign nationals, have not been independently verified through official employment records and should therefore be treated as allegations unless the Government releases detailed workforce figures.

And that is information the public deserves.

How many workers are employed?

How many are citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis?

How many contracts have been awarded locally?

How much of the EC$270 million will ultimately remain within the Federation?

Those are reasonable accountability questions.

CBI REVENUE HAS FALLEN SHARPLY

There is also a much wider financial issue hanging over the project.

The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that Citizenship by Investment revenue has fallen dramatically from its recent peak.

CBI revenue represented approximately 25.8 percent of GDP in 2022, but declined to 8.6 percent in 2024 and 5.3 percent in 2025, according to the IMF’s 2026 Article IV report.

That does not mean the CBI programme has “dissolved,” but it does confirm that revenue has contracted substantially.

And that matters when a project reportedly costing some EC$270 million is linked to CBI financing.

The obvious question becomes: Is the funding necessary to complete the school fully secured?

Government officials say construction is progressing and have publicly projected completion of the educational superstructure within approximately 14 months. Project Manager Luis Martinez of Preconco St. Kitts Limited outlined that timetable during a July stakeholder visit.

The administration therefore deserves the opportunity to deliver on that commitment.

But taxpayers also deserve proof.

NOT JUST A SCHOOL — A TEST OF TRANSPARENCY

Critics increasingly argue that the early phases of the BHS project risk becoming more about political presentation than measurable economic benefit if substantial sums are transferred overseas while local participation remains limited.

Calling the project simply a “$30 million PR stunt” would go beyond what has presently been established by publicly verified evidence.

But asking whether the Government rushed visible construction activity ahead of an approaching electoral period, whether sufficient financing exists for uninterrupted completion, and whether citizens are receiving a fair share of the employment generated by the project are legitimate questions of public interest.

Minister of Education Dr. Geoffrey Hanley has repeatedly expressed confidence in the project, describing the school as a transformative investment for future generations.

Now the Government has to demonstrate that transformation not merely through renderings and site visits, but through transparency.

Publish the contracts.

Publish the financing structure.

Publish the payments made.

Publish the local employment numbers.

Publish the timetable and milestones.

Because with approximately EC$270 million reportedly at stake, the Basseterre High School cannot simply be treated as another government construction announcement.

It belongs to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

And they have every right to know exactly where their money — and their opportunities — are going.