BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 20th December 2019) – The historic operation of a newly-constructed second cruise ship pier at Port Zante on Monday this week (16th December 2019) has been tainted by controversy for what has been described by the Opposition St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) as an “incomplete project.”
The Opposition Leader Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, in a written statement issued that day expressed: “The SKN government, without the agreement of the Contractors, captured the new cruise ship pier this morning to facilitate a mock opening ceremony because of serious criticism that “the Second Cruise Ship Pier is Spoiled” during the Parliamentary Debate of the 2020 Budget last week Friday.”
“$160 million and it spoil; that is a lot of money to spoil. What it is Mr. Speaker that has gone wrong here? A whole song and dance that it is going to change tourism in St. Kitts; a whole pier built, $160 million spent and still can’t use de pier. De pier spoil they say”, commented Dr. Douglas in part during his budget response address in the National Assembly session on Friday 13th December 2019.
He is calling on the Dr. Timothy Harris –led administration to operate in the interests of our national image and international best practices.
“Since this government has created a crisis and has acted without any disciplinary limits in order to promote an incomplete project with millions of dollars of unpaid bills still outstanding, just to meet its political agenda for upcoming general elections due early next year, I call upon PM Harris and Minister Liburd to abolish their outrageous crisis-creating behaviour immediately.”
Dr. Douglas added: “I urge in the interests of our national image and international best practices, that both governments continue to operate within the framework of their signed Agreements and that the Contractors and SCASPA [St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority] be guided by the arbitration guidelines and await the outcome of the arbitration process and hearing scheduled for July 2020. Please stop the chaos and shut down this escalating catastrophe!”
As gathered from the government’s media outlet SKNIS (St.Kitts-Nevis Information Services), that day, with an article regarding a ceremony to welcome to second pier construction, highlighted a comment by Minister of Public Infrastructure and Transport, the Honourable Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd in addressing criticism received.
“The only sad part to this is that those who aspire for leadership in this country are the ones who are influencing and trying to damage the potential of those who will benefit most from the pier,” he is quoted as saying.
As shared by SKNIS, the second cruise pier welcomed its first two cruise ships, the Celebrity Summit, with a maximum capacity of 2,450 passengers and the Seabourn Odyssey, with a total capacity of 450 passengers, on December 16, 2019.
Also reported: Two other cruise ships berthed at the first cruise pier—the Britannia with an overall capacity of 4, 372 passengers and the Anthem of the Seas with a maximum capacity of 4,905 passengers.