The Budget allocation to manage water resources in St. Kitts has increased dramatically as the government tackles water shortages resulting from the negative impacts of climate change.

During the Budget Debate on December 19, 2022, Minister with responsibility for water, the Honourable Konris Maynard, said that there is a 260 percent increase in the budget for 2023 over the number budgeted for the fiscal year of 2022 by the previous administration. He remarked that the then government, which faced a similar water crisis last year was negligent in meeting the challenges of water scarcity that has gripped St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Caribbean over recent years.

“In 2021, the Budget estimate for water supply and management was $9.5 million – that’s 2021. In 2022, the Budget allocation for water was reduced by nearly 10 percent to $8.7 million. This was in the face of a water crisis,” Honourable Maynard told the Federal Parliament. “However, Madam Deputy Speaker, under this Government, we have increased the Budget allocation for water … by a whopping 260 percent.”

“Under this new day, under this better way, the Budget allocation is now $22.7 million. That is a $14 million increase in water alone. We will solve the water problem,” Minister Maynard emphasized.

Currently, the Water Services Department is repairing faulty pumps and pipes to address the water crises. Additionally, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the St. Kitts Marriott Resort are finalizing an agreement for the supply of up to 300,000 gallons of water per day to the Frigate Bay area by February 2023.

Drilling new water wells and constructing two solar-powered desalination plants are a part of the medium to long-term strategy to enhance water security.

Ticketing for marijuana offenses is expected to increase for persons smoking in public spaces, especially during the Christmas and Carnival Seasons.

This was highlighted by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Garth Wilkin, during his Budget presentation on day four (December 19), where he cleared up the misconception in the public domain as it relates to smoking marijuana in public.

“You are not allowed to smoke in public. If you are caught smoking marijuana in public, you would get a ticket of EC $1000 and the marijuana, ganja or cannabis will be confiscated by the police,” said Minister Wilkin. “I want people to know this because Carnival is upon us, smoke is injuring people, and there are many asthmatic people in our Federation and simply put, there are many people who do not want to smell marijuana which takes over the scent of your whole body while they are enjoying themselves in public.”

Attorney-General Wilkin explained the laws of St. Kitts and Nevis with respect to smoking.

“Our laws provide for you to smoke in the privacy of your home; it is your constitutional right to do so, but when you come into the public domain, I implore you, young men, young women, smokers, do not smoke marijuana in public, especially during Carnival,” said Attorney-General Wilkin. “The Police will confiscate your blunt and you will be given a $1000 ticket because we are a nation of laws and that is the law in this nation. It is not my law; it is the law of the country, and we must be a country that abides by our laws. So, if you want to smoke and get your high or whatever you get from marijuana… do it in the privacy of your home before you go out.”

The Attorney-General added: “It is unlawful to smoke marijuana, cannabis, ganja… in public. The Police have spoken to me, (and) they have clarified the law and what the law is. If you possess a certain amount – less than five grams of finished product and less than 15 grams of the plant in public – the police cannot take it away from you, but they can give you a ticket. You keep your marijuana, but you get a ticket,” he said.

The Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Act was enacted in July 2019. The Act states that “a person found smoking cannabis or cannabis resin in any public place, not including a registered place of worship of the Rastafarian faith, or any place authorized by this Act and any Regulations made under this Act, shall be issued with a fixed penalty notice for one thousand dollars or in default of payment, shall be liable to up to twenty hours of community service, or in default to a term of five days imprisonment”

As outlined in the Act, a “public place” includes an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public has access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not, including (a) all commercial, agricultural and industrial zoned lands and properties; (b) bars, drinking places, restaurants and clubs; (c) tourist establishments, hotels, and guesthouses; (d) schools and all other educational institutions; (e) hospitals whether publicly or privately operated; (f) churches or other religious establishments except as is permitted under the Act or any other law; (g) correctional facilities whether publicly or privately operated (h) public transportation; (i) community centers; (j) roads, highways and thoroughfares; (k) Government offices; and (l) other places or buildings of all types, accessible to the public.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, in wrapping up the debate on the 2023 Budget, said the Government has introduced a comprehensive and innovative National Budget that will allow St. Kitts and Nevis to boldly face the varying challenges the country will likely face in the upcoming year.

“2023 will present its own challenges but we will step up to these challenges with innovation, hard work and commitment,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said in the National Assembly on Monday (December 19) evening, shortly before the passage of the Appropriation Bill (2023), 2022, of approximately EC$1.02 billion, was passed into law.

The honourable Prime Minister said provisions have been made in the Budget to help St. Kitts and Nevis build towards resiliency, particularly in the face of growing threats because of climate change.

The Prime Minister said, “We are facing an existential threat because of climate change and we are expecting the temperature to reach and possibly surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius and with that, we expect significant changes in the climate including stronger hurricanes which we are prone to that we expect can cause significant damage and therefore we have to prepare ourselves for the changes that are to come, and so we have prepared a Budget in response to all of that.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew said the 2023 Budget was prepared in a relatively short period of time by a competent Government and in consultation with relevant stakeholders across St. Kitts and Nevis.

Dr. Drew added, “You quickly recognize that on this side [of the House] we have people who are youthful, yes, but also who have demonstrated competence in the various fields, and that is why in such a short time we were able to put such a Budget together—a transformative Budget, a Budget that will change St. Kitts and Nevis.”

The 2023 Budget, which was presented under the theme “Towards Our Transformation as a Sustainable Small Island State”, was unanimously passed on Monday, December 19, 2022, after four days of presentations and debates.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, through the Ministry of Tourism, intends to inject additional funding into the St. Kitts Music Festival so that the 25^th edition of the annual event will truly be an experience like no other.
 
While making her presentation on the 2023 National Budget on Thursday, December 15, Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Marsha Henderson said plans are already being made for the staging of next year’s event.
 
“Today, the St. Kitts Music Festival is a world-class event anticipated by many around the world. Plans are already afoot for the 25^th anniversary for the St. Kitts Music Festival in 2023,” the Honourable Minister said.
 
Minister Henderson added, “You would see in the Estimates an additional allocation of $500,000 to support the Music Festival…which we know, as a matter of fact, would bring visitors to our destination. Over the years, the festival has grown from modest to a truly world-renowned event, attracting music lovers from around the world.”
 
The tourism minister further noted that it is the intention of the Government to also guarantee that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis benefit from the hosting of the annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which she described as a feature of the tourism industry.
 
Minister Henderson said, “One of the strategic objectives of the festival involves the empowerment of local artistes and local businesses who are employed as micro-enterprises, often run and operated by young business owners, to manage various aspects of the event. Over the last few years, the festival has maintained its high-quality production, which is a testament to the talent that abounds here in our country, and we intend to partner with the Ministry of the Creative Economy to push our local artistes.”
 
The three-night event is traditionally staged on the last weekend in June of every year.

Businesses, agencies, groups and individuals across St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to support the prisoner Rehabilitation Programme at His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in light of several successes within the life-changing programme.

Vincent Fahie and Antwan Thompson were singled out as examples of inmates who entered the programme and have turned their lives around. Both men became positive role models during their time in HMP, teaching academic subjects to other inmates and also to civilians who attended classes for free. The duo excelled in HMP and became the first inmates to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree with the University of the West Indies (UWI) while incarcerated. In 2021, the government provided financial support for their continuing online university studies.

The pair have since been released. Fahie was pardoned in 2020, while Thompson completed his sentence and exited  HMP in 2021. Both men are now productive citizens, are employed and have successfully reintegrated into society.

HMP’s Rehabilitation Officer, Virgil Hodge, said that there are many other successes in educational programmes, as well as in music, art, agriculture, construction, baking, mentorship, and training, among others. This has helped to significantly reduce cases of recidivism.

“We have not had any individual who would have taken part in the rehabilitation programme who really would have come back into the prison. There’s none that I can think of,” she stated.

Officer Hodge commended Pastor Lincoln Connor and the Antioch Baptist Church for the tremendous support offered to the HMP Rehabilitation Programme.

“I would put him number one. From the moment the prison opened after the coronavirus and I said to him we are able to have visitors back in, he made sure he called me and said Ms. Hodge we are coming back in, the church is going to come back and we are going to do some programmes in there on Sundays with the prisoners and he makes sure he does not come empty-handed,” she said, noting that the support extends to males and females.

Appreciation was also extended to Michael Morton, who makes financial contributions and donates books to the programme, as well as TDC, which has donated several appliances and supplies.

Officer Hodge noted that the Department of Culture is also introducing a new programme that will see inmates learning to play steel pan and African drums.

To learn more about the HMP Rehabilitation Programme, interested individuals can telephone 465-1616 or 465-2241 ext 4386.

Minister of Agriculture et al. the Honourable Samal Duggins, while lending his support to the Appropriation Bill (2023), 2022 on day two (2) of the debate (December 15), pledged St. Kitts and Nevis’ commitment to CARICOM’s 25 percent by 2025 Agenda which is aimed at reducing the regional food bill.

“Madam Speaker, we have adopted a more measurable goal, a goal that we have not adopted alone. As members of CARICOM, we have bought into the 25 by 25 Agenda where we have agreed across CARICOM to invest in our people so that they more adequately be able to participate in reducing our food import bill by 25 percent by the year 2025,” said the Honourable Duggins. “In St. Kitts and Nevis, that means cutting the approximate $140 million dollar annual food import bill by 25 percent which is some $35 million dollars per year.”

A proposed $25, 143, 820 was allocated for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources and Cooperatives for 2023 operations.

“The Budget for 2023, which stands at $25, 143, 820, is designed to ensure that St. Kitts and Nevis will be a part of CARICOM’s conversation when they speak to the successes of their 25 by 25 Agenda,” he said. “And as your Minister of Agriculture, I stand committed to ensuring that when that conversation is had, St. Kitts and Nevis would be a glowing example.”

The honourable Minister said that St. Kitts and Nevis is ready for an “agricultural revolution and a transformation.” He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture is ready for action, especially as they pave the way to further enhance food security and food safety in the Federation.

According to www.caricom.org, the implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy in its Member States is expected to help achieve the 25 by 25 target by giving special attention to priority crops and products such as poultry, corn, soya, meat (goat, sheep, beef), rice and niche vegetables which are highly imported products in the region.

The Appropriation Bill (2023), 2022, of approximately EC$1.02 Billion is being held under the theme: “Towards Our Transformation as a Sustainable Small Island State.”

 In an effort to secure both the present and future economic prospects for the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Terrance Drew said that the Government plans to develop a Sovereign Wealth Fund.
 
“The Government’s goal is to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund which will be responsibly managed by high-level professionals. This Fund will be used to safely invest in international markets and industries over the long term and we will ensure by legislation that the fund can only be tapped into for rainy days and used with prudent financial practices. We are serious when we say that we must now introduce our people into a new realm, the realm of building wealth. We also intend to use Citizenship By Investment (CBI) revenues to fuel our plans to implement a diversified economy. We can no longer put all of our eggs in one basket. It is disheartening to see how reliant we are on this one industry when this industry afforded us the opportunity to diversify our economy,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew introduced the Appropriation Bill (2023), 2022, of approximately EC$1.02 Billion under the theme: “Towards Our Transformation as a Sustainable Small Island State”. The Government through various initiatives will strengthen the economic pillars in an effort to ensure citizens and residents benefit from sustainable economic growth.
 
“This St. Kitts – Nevis Labour Party Administration will use our CBI profits to empower our people through entrepreneurship, sustainable work opportunities and home ownership. No longer will CBI be used mainly as a prop to boast about surpluses… Our prudent Government will use CBI revenues to improve our healthcare, social services, energy infrastructure and water security. In 2023 and beyond, our CBI programmes profit will work for all Kittitians and Nevisians, not just for one set of people, but for all of our people,” he said.
 
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has earmarked six key sectors for diversification and growth opportunities. Among the six key sectors are agriculture; the medicinal cannabis industry; construction; tourism; manufacturing and the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.

 Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and his Administration fully understand and appreciate that a healthy population is one of the country’s most important assets. Because of this, the Government will invest more in healthcare “as this is an important standard that a sustainable state must meet.”
 
“The 2023 Estimates, therefore propose that provisions be made for Recurrent Expenditure totaling $73.3 million, reflecting a 28.7 percent increase when compared to the 2022 Estimates. The Ministry of Health will utilize these resources to improve the quality of services across the various programmes under its remit including immunization, non-communicable disease prevention and treatment, and district health access,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew when he presented the 2023 National Budget on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.
 
During the upcoming year, priority will be given to the recruitment of highly qualified medical personnel including specialists trained in neurology, pulmonology and internal medicine.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew noted also that resources will also be provided to ensure that essential items, tools and equipment are available and operational for the benefit of persons in need of medical care.
 
The Prime Minister added, “A proposal of $20.6 million is presented to facilitate Capital Expenditure by the Ministry for the coming year. These funds will support investment in essential infrastructural and equipment upgrades, most vital being the construction of the new hospital; the purchase of critical equipment; and the advancement of the Health Sector Improvement, Institutional Enhancement Projects.”
 
Importantly also, Prime Minister Dr. Drew said steps will be taken to develop a practical framework to enable the operationalization of a National Health Insurance Scheme which will be supported by an extensive consultative process with the people.

The St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party Administration has made the reconstruction of the Basseterre High School a major priority. In a recent statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Geoffrey Hanley spoke about the current status of the Basseterre High School reconstruction.

“As you look around you will realize that I am on the grounds of the Basseterre High School, still quite emotional when I visit this site, but as the Minister responsible for Education I was charged with the responsibility of delivering the real deal in education. And as such, we have started immediately on ensuring that we rebuild the Basseterre High School. As you realize work has begun and this can be considered phase one, where contractors will be taking off the roofs and our next phase will be the actual demolition,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.

Dr. Hanley indicated that the construction will take place at the existing location.

“I give you the assurance that the New Basseterre High School will be built right here at the old Basseterre High School site. What is real hearty warming for me when I look around this morning is the many small contractors that are onsite with everyone getting an opportunity to get a piece of the pie. And that is exactly what I intend to do with this project and other projects going forward. I will deliver the real deal in education,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.