Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 08, 2025 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has significantly increased the national budget allocation for education, reflecting its steadfast commitment to making education accessible at all levels. From preschool to tertiary education, the government continues to invest heavily to ensure the country’s young people are well-equipped to succeed.

In 2023, the budget allocation for education was EC $93 million, which increased to $97 million in 2024. For 2025, the allocation has surged to an unprecedented $120 million. Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, during the RoundTable on Tuesday, January 07, 2025, reaffirmed the government’s dedication to education as a fundamental pillar of national development.

“Secondary education is free. College education is free. Preschool is free for some and heavily subsidized for others. St. Kitts and Nevis can boast that education is accessible for our young people,” stated Dr. Drew.

Prime Minister Dr. Drew

The increased budget also supports initiatives that help citizens and residents access tertiary education. These include expanded financial assistance for economic costs and a commitment to ensuring the St. Kitts and Nevis Development Bank provides positive support for education.

The government has also announced new initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, recognising the critical link between education and economic empowerment. The Small Business Facility, funded by the central government through the St. Kitts and Nevis Development Bank, is designed to provide financial support and opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs.

“We are expanding small businesses so that more of our people can have access,” said Dr. Drew. “This initiative has already benefited many and will continue to create opportunities for our citizens to thrive.”

Additionally, the government launched the ASPIRE Programme in November 2024, an innovative initiative focused on educating young people about financial literacy. The programme teaches essential skills such as money management, budgeting, and starting a small business, while also helping participants to build wealth from an early age.

“There is money allocated for this ASPIRE Programme that would benefit 10.5 million young people. The only place in the Caribbean, and I think in the Western Hemisphere…you will realise that we have this programme as a programme that is only in Saint Kitts and Nevis, where young people get an account where they save and they will be able to buy shares into companies,” he said. “So even before they leave school, they are accumulating wealth with the education that goes with it,” Dr. Drew explained.

Prime Minister Drew said that these investments and initiatives underscore the government’s vision for a future where education and entrepreneurship empower every citizen to reach their fullest potential. The combined efforts are paving the way for a more educated, financially literate, and economically vibrant St. Kitts and Nevis.

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 08, 2025 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is advancing its renewable energy strategy with Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, offering new updates on Tuesday (January 07, 2025).

At the Roundtable media engagement, the prime minister shared that the government has reached an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) to spearhead the development of a 50-megawatt solar farm. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

This development is particularly significant following the failure of a previous agreement with a private partner to meet critical contractual obligations, requirements, and deadlines, to facilitate a Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Project. The failure of the agreement was announced by the St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd on December 09, 2024.

Photo: PM Drew outlined renewable energy projects on Tuesday

Prime Minister Drew also delivered important news on the development of geothermal in the Federation.

“We have sourced the funding for the drilling of geothermal, so based on where we are at right now, geothermal drilling of those initial wells is on track,” he stated.

The development of renewable sources are important to fuel the government’s transformation of the Federation to a Sustainable Island State and power economic development.

“We have to drive down the cost of energy to attract additional industry,” Dr. Drew stated, noting that manufacturing companies and technology businesses are generally energy-intensive. “Even in the tourism industry. The cruise ships are asking for onshore power. The country that can provide onshore power sooner will have the advantage in tourism, … so energy will have direct and indirect benefits for our country and that is why we are pushing so heavily on the solar plant and geothermal.”

Households are also included in the renewable energy strategy as some housing projects are expected to feature solar panels. This will help to drive down the cost of electricity for residents and reduce the demand on the national power grid. A feed-in tariff is being developed to determine an appropriate rate that guarantees a fixed price for renewable electricity sold to the electric grid by households and companies.

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 08, 2025 (SKNIS): The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, used the opportunity during his first RoundTable for 2025, on Tuesday, January 07, to commend key stakeholders for their outstanding contributions to the success and security of the recent Sugar Mas 53 Carnival celebrations. The annual festivities, widely regarded as the largest and most vibrant in the nation’s history, were made possible through the collective efforts of dedicated individuals and organisations.

Prime Minister Drew extended heartfelt congratulations to the Honourable Samal Duggins, Minister responsible for Carnival, Director of Carnival Clement O’Garro, Chair of Carnival Shannon Hawley, and their respective teams. He noted that their exceptional coordination and visionary leadership were instrumental in orchestrating the Carnival, which has been hailed as a hallmark of cultural pride and unity.

The prime minister, who also serves as the Minister of National Security, also highlighted the vital contributions of the security forces and frontline workers who safeguarded the festivities. He expressed his sincere appreciation to Commissioner of Police James Sutton and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), as well as Acting Commander Major Kayode Sutton and the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF), for ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens, residents, and visitors.

Prime Minister Dr. Drew also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis in fostering a safe and secure environment during the festivities.

“I want to also thank our people for being a part of the whole thrust of making sure that the season was a safe season, a season that, of course, was marked by a sense of security, which of course extended after our 90-day campaign,” he said.

Reflecting on the nation’s continued commitment to public safety, Dr. Drew highlighted ongoing efforts to address citizen security with a renewed focus on public health.

“And now we are in the season of what we call our citizen security and dealing with the issues from a public health perspective. And I want to say that this is very much welcomed,” he stated.

He added that the government of St. Kitts and Nevis remains committed to ensuring that cultural celebrations like Sugar Mas continue to thrive in a safe and secure environment, fostering national pride and unity for generations to come.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 18, 2024 (SKNIS) – With a growing demand for residential land acquisition, the Ministry of Sustainable Development is strongly urging aspiring landowners to consider applying for properties in rural St. Kitts as part of a strategic move to develop these communities, while at the same time decentralising the densely populated urban area.

Minister of Sustainable Development, the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, said the ministry remains resolute in ensuring that land distribution and management practices are sustainable and can work to meet the country’s development needs, while still preserving the integrity and visibility of natural resources. Her comments were made at the National Assembly during the second day of the Budget Debate.

“St. Kitts and Nevis, in our transition to a sustainable island state, must shift from traditional building practices to methods that can be sustained and enhanced over time. So we implore you to embrace rural living and vertical communities. We have to build upward instead of outward, maximise space efficiency, reduce urban sprawl and shift our focus to the rural communities,” Dr. Clarke said.

Minister Clarke said this shift would in turn lead to the development and full transformation of the rural part of the country with the addition of key infrastructure necessary for daily life and living.

“We appreciate that a move to rural living requires that our government provides drivable roads, reliable infrastructure (utilities and telecoms) and we understand that no one wants to be in a community that doesn’t have a corner shop, an ATM or a supermarket, and that’s why we are working with our partners to encourage decentralised development in the rural areas,” the minister said, while emphasising that lands in the rural communities are traditionally sold at lower prices.

Minister Clarke said her ministry welcomes the partnership of the business community to make use of commercial and industrial zones already located in the rural areas.

“There are the same amount of commercial and industrial zones in the countryside that are here in Basseterre,” Dr. Clarke explained, as she made a final plea to citizens and residents to “develop and grow rural communities.”

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 18, 2024 (SKNIS) – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Honourable Samal Duggins, said the numerous interventions and assistance provided by the ministry to the farming community, from land preparation to the final stage of consumption, has resulted in a significant increase in agricultural production to the point where retailers in St. Kitts and Nevis are now purchasing greater quantities of local produce—putting more money in the hands of local farmers.

“We have gone to every single supermarket in this country and they are now buying more local produce,” said Minister Duggins. “RAMS is buying more local produce, Valu Mart is buying more local produce, Best Buy is buying more local produce, even some of the Chinese supermarkets we have here are buying more local produce.”

While the farmers are now producing more, the Ministry of Agriculture took several strategic steps to prevent or limit post-production losses through training and improving storage capacity. In this regard, the ministry procured and installed two new walk-in chillers at the Tabernacle Outreach Center.

Recognising that St. Kitts and Nevis is now producing an abundance of food, Minister Duggins said he has held fruitful discussions with relevant authorities in neighbouring islands to facilitate the export of excess locally grown produce.

“The minister of agriculture for Saint Martin was here on a mission and said that they are ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis. The commissioner from Sint Eustatius [Statia] was here on a mission and said it herself that they are ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis. The Premier of the BVI was here, who happens to be the minister of agriculture in the BVI, also said it himself that he’s ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis,” the honourable minister stated. “The commissioner of agriculture in the USVI has said that he’s ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla is ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis and other countries around the region are ready to trade with St. Kitts and Nevis.”.

A total of $19.4 million is proposed for the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Fisheries to facilitate Recurrent Expenditure, representing a 4.8 percent increase when compared to 2024. In addition, Capital Expenditure totalling $14.9 million is proposed for 2025, representing a 58.7 percent increase when compared to the resources allocated in 2024.

Minister Duggins said these Budgetary allocations will allow the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources to continue its support of the farming community, enabling them to produce even more and thereby moving St. Kitts and Nevis closer to food security which is a strategic pillar of the government’s Sustainable Island State Agenda.

Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 17, 2024 (SKNIS): During the first day of the 2025 Budget Debate in the St. Kitts and Nevis Federal Parliament, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the Honourable Attorney General, Garth Wilkin, delivered a resolute address, highlighting his ministry’s dedication to modernising the justice system, fostering accountability, and protecting public funds.

In support of the Appropriation (2025) Bill, 2024, Attorney General Wilkin emphasised the significant strides made by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs and the Attorney General’s Office. With a proposed allocation of EC$12.4 million for recurrent expenditure and EC$2.7 million for capital projects in 2025, the Ministry is poised to strengthen legal and judicial systems.

Addressing fiscal management, Attorney General Wilkin noted a 17 percent reduction in the Attorney General’s Office’s budget to EC$10.1 million, attributing this to operational efficiency rather than a reduction in workload.

“We are doing more with less – and doing it effectively,” he stated.

Highlighting achievements, the attorney general announced the passage of 33 laws in 2024, spanning public health, economic development, and criminal justice reform. The ministry also developed 25 regulations to improve governance and transparency. Notably, EC$3.6 million was saved in claims against the State this year, reflecting a culture of diligence and accountability.

Attorney General Wilkin introduced the nation to “VoiceIt,” during his presentation. VoiceIt is the first AI-powered legal resource in the Western Hemisphere tailored to St. Kitts and Nevis. This innovative platform, he said, empowers citizens and residents to easily access legal information and better understand their rights and responsibilities.

Honourable Wilkin made a historical reference to the importance of the Gibraltar of the West Indies back in the 18th Century, and said that the Attorney General’s Office’s performance in 2024 was like Brimstone Hill at its prime – we protect the public purse for the benefit of the people,” he said.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 17, 2024 (SKNIS) – Throughout the upcoming year 2025, the Department of Youth Empowerment will look to expand its mental health awareness campaign among the nation’s youth, building on the momentum of Youth Month 2024, that was observed under the theme “Mental Health Matters for Youth Development and Sustainability.”

During her contribution to the 2025 Budget Debate on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, Minister of State for Youth Empowerment, Senator the Honourable Isalean Phillip, reflected on the month-long celebration and its broad-based focus on prioritising one’s mental health. She noted that the issue of mental health is one that young people themselves are now very interested in.

“It’s an area that they bring up in conversations, and I think that we should be concerned because they are concerned about it,” Minister of State Phillip said.

The minister of state raised the alarm at the number of young people in St. Kitts and Nevis who are traumatised, angry and depressed about their life circumstances. Others are anxious about their future, their independence and their own ability to generate money.

In addition, Senator Phillip said today’s youth are growing up in an increasingly unstable and confusing world filled with international conflicts, instability, rising prices, and violence and crime.

“Our young people are not isolated, they know what’s happening and they are also experiencing their own bouts of depression, their own bouts of anxiety, their own fears, they are also angry … but despite all the challenges they face we do have some very positive young people who are being role models, who are taking on leadership roles and who are doing great things,” said Minister of State Phillip, while underscoring her ministry’s commitment to fostering these positive attributes.

The minister of state presented some staggering statistics from the Department of Probation and Child Protection Services up to the third quarter of 2024, that showed a total of one hundred and seventy-seven (177) cases of issues surrounding child protection. These issues include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, inappropriate touching, sexual harassment, unlawful carnal knowledge, and suicide ideation, among others.

In light of this troubling trend, Minister Phillip called for an all-of-society approach to addressing these issues and protecting the nation’s youth.

“We have traumatised children become angry adolescents, angry adolescents becoming delinquent juveniles and delinquent juveniles becoming adult criminals and I see it because I work in the ministries where the pipeline is very clear, and so there really is a need for us as a government and as a people to come together in partnership to address the issue of violence and crime and the social problems that we are seeing bubbling up … because it really does take a village [to raise a child],” the minister said.

Honourable Senator Phillip assured that her ministry will continue to do its part to actively and positively engage the nation’s youth in meaningful activities throughout the upcoming year.