The financial health of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Fund, the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis (DBSKN), and the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB) Group of Companies, is strong and getting stronger.

The declaration was made by the Federation’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, during a Sitting of the National Assembly.

“Social security is roaring, the National Bank is roaring, and the Development Bank has a smaller roar,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.

A closer look at the data, per institution, gives greater insight into the financial standing. Reading from a report from social security, Dr. Drew said, “At the end of April 2023, the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Fund stood at $1.73 billion. There was a surplus of income over expenditure of $5.1 million for the year to date compared to a deficit of $7.5 million at the same time in 2022.”

It was also reported that contribution income increased by 12 percent standing at $35.7 million compared to $31.9 million last year. A 180 percent increase in investment income also was registered as well as a 10 percent increase in benefits expenditure and a six percent increase in administrative expenses compared to figures in 2022.

As it relates to the SKNANB Group of Companies, a deficit was registered during its last fiscal year, which ended in June 2022. However, the prime minister said that the numbers for the current fiscal year are positive.

“The National Bank is on a trajectory to rebound this year. The fiscal year comes to an end in June and as we are seeing the numbers now, [the] national bank will once again be turned green and is expected to once again pay dividends,” the Minister of Finance stated, noting that the bank is very healthy.

Prime Minister Dr. Drew added that the development bank is also “roaring back” after corrective actions were taken following the number of irregularities discovered last year, including the absence of an independent financial audit since 2018.

“We have set a path to make sure that we get the development bank back on the road of integrity, good governance, and to serve its purpose in serving the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” he indicated.

“… Unlike the few years recently passed, we are now able to keep up with our loan payment to the government, to National Bank, these were in big default, and we had to make sure that the bank came back into alignment,” PM Dr. Drew expressed.

The prime minister stressed that the government has been “extremely responsible” with these three institutions in recognition that they are “critical to our development.”

The Honourable Konris Maynard, Member of Parliament for St. Christopher Three, while lending his support to the Smoking (Designated Areas) Bill, 2023, has said that one of the important aspects of the Bill is that it brings about protection for non-smokers from the harmful effects associated with being exposed to secondhand smoke.
 
“If people are aware of the consequences of their actions and they wish to pursue whatever those consequences are, they must do so while not infringing upon the rights and freedoms of others. And so, secondhand smoke is a consequence of someone enjoying their own right to partake in smoking, but the science is very well proven and accepted that there are serious consequences and health problems associated with secondhand smoke,” Minister Maynard said during the debate on the Bill in the National Assembly today, Tuesday, June 20. 
 
The honourable minister reinforced his point by citing the findings of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report which states that “there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke”.
 
“Even brief exposure can cause immediate harm. Health problems caused by secondhand in adults who do not smoke include coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, as well as adverse reproductive health effects in women, including low birth weight. Secondhand smoke can cause sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS, respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in infants and children,” the minister said in quoting the CDC.
 
He added, “Importantly since they have started tracking secondhand smoke, they have recorded at least 2.5 million people who did not smoke at all who died from health problems caused by secondhand smoke exposure. And so it is a serious public health concern for secondhand smoke and what this bit of legislation does is to protect the general public from secondhand smoke while giving those who wish to smoke an opportunity to do so.”
 
Importantly, Minister Maynard said it must be noted that the Smoking (Designated Areas) Bill, 2023 now prohibits smoking in public places, unless such a place is licensed as a designated smoking area.
 
“When this Bill is passed I would like everyone to know that smoking is now prohibited in public. That’s the first thing that this piece of legislation does, and if a person contravenes this act you can be issued with a fixed penalty notice for five hundred dollars,” the minister said.

Progress in promoting biodiversity agricultural efforts in St. Kitts and Nevis’ St. Mary’s Man & Biosphere Reserve, was highlighted this week at the UNESCO 35th Session of the International Coordinating Council (ICC) of the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) held in Paris.   A short video demonstrating the successful launch of the UNESCO Earth Network initiative at the St. Mary’s MAB reserve in Cayon was presented to an audience of ambassadors, biodiversity and science experts, and, FAO, WHO, and UNESCO officials.

The video contained some compelling pictures of the St. Mary’s Reserve, commentaries by farmers, young people, and Ms. Telca Wallace – the MAB activity coordinator –  all living in the Cayon area. On the agenda of the MAB Council for 12^th June, 2023, the video presentation formed part of a discussion of four pilot Earth Network biodiversity schemes launched in Bulgaria, Ghana, Zambia and St. Kitts and Nevis. The Federation is the first country and only small island state to benefit from the Earth Network initiative, financed entirely by the Government of Italy.

The UNESCO MAB Council, comprising 34 UN Member States, including Japan, Russian Federation, France, Spain, China, Egypt and Italy, heard presentations made by the UNESCO MAB Secretariat on progress made in launching the Earth Network project in St. Mary’s MAB site. The project, launched on the site in February this year was overseen by a UNESCO-accredited ecological and biodiversity expert from Surinam, Dr. Haydi Berrenstein. The project seeks to address specific challenges associated with agricultural practices, tools, methods of cultivation, preservation, and monetization of biodiversity-led sustainable agriculture processes on the reserve. The overall aim is to embrace better use of tropical forests, enhance the cultivation of new fruits, and combat soil erosion, explore introducing seed varieties more tolerant to heat and drought.

The video showcasing the Earth Network project in St. Mary’s MAB site contained interviews with Mr. Otis Jeffers, a St. Mary’s farmer, who extolled the virtues of the initiative as a means of strengthening the Cayon area capacity to introduce more biodiversity-friendly and sustainable farming practices.  Ms. Telca Wallace, the lead coordinator of the UNESCO MAB reserve commented on the video: “My relationship with the biosphere character of the Cayon area goes back since I was a child”. 

Encapsulating in a few words her personal commitment to the St. Mary’s MAB reserve since the site was inscribed on the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve List in 2013, she noted: “It’s about life!”


As the UNESCO-designated ambassador of the Earth Network Initiative in 2022, the Federation’s envoy to UNESCO in Paris, H.E. David P. Doyle, made an intervention at the MAB Council to emphasize the tangible benefits to be derived for residents in the Cayon area in terms of what he described as “cultivation, preservation and monetization of biodiversity-led sustainable agriculture processes in the reserve”.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, et al. joins with UNESCO MAB in supporting the steps towards addressing tropical forest restoration. According to Dr. Clarke, “This speaks to biodiversity conservation and stems from climate crises through creating more carbon sinks. We must protect the very resources which allow us to thrive in our small island state.  Our people must always be equal partners in the steps to protect our planet. This is one integral step that the Ministry is happy to support.”
Referring to Dr. Berrenstein’s mid-term report following her study visit to St. Mary’s MAB site in February last, Ambassador Doyle noted, “There are a number of longer-term prospects, all linked to further data collection needs, such as an ESIA study into water sources, mangrove cultivation, the extent of fauna and different species of birds, bees and other pollinators, etc as part of the SMMAB biodiversity profile, and the longer-term trends of climatological conditions”.

However, he stated that a number of immediate initiatives could be envisaged in terms of scaling up the biodiversity attributes in the MAB reserve, which include certain agroforestry projects, better waste management, the establishment of agricultural nursery and seed bank structures for new fruit and vegetable, improved rainwater collection from higher ground and use of bio-waste as fertilizer.

“In consultation with Dr. Berrenstein the St. Mary’s MAB Committee, and the National Commission for UNESCO, the most immediate initiative with substantial impact appears to be exploring agroforestry applications”

Ms. Dorothy Warner, Secretary-General of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO added, “The Government of Italy and the UNESCO MAB Secretariat are to be highly commended for selecting St. Kitts and Nevis for this innovative biodiversity-strengthening and preservation project”

The UNESCO Earth Network is a global inter-sectoral programme aimed at addressing issues related to biodiversity loss, ocean and land degradation, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. This programme, which opens the door to transformative actions within territories to regenerate human-nature relationships by exploring the links between the several components of the Earth’s system, contributes to the implementation of the UNESCO inter-sectoral biodiversity strategy and to internationally agreed commitments of Member States, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework.

Nineteen exemplary nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis were invested with the 2022 National Honours Awards for their exceptional contribution to the development of the Federation at an investiture ceremony held by Her Excellency the Governor-General, Dame Marcella Liburd GCMG, JP, on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Government House.

The recipients of the Companion of the Star of Merit, who were first honoured on National Heroes Day on September 16, 2022, include Eileen Grey for her contribution to Education, Culture and Sports; Dennis Leroy Delaney for Education, Arts and Culture; Lorraine Agatha Browne, Wayland Vaughan, Violet Jones-Mawnlawde and Dr. Lincoln Leroy Carty for their contribution to Education; Captain Sylvester Granville Charles for Education, Music, Sports and Volunteerism; Maxwell Bass Senior for Music and Security Services, while  Nathan Esdaille and Elsie ‘Teacher Elsie’ Mills were recognized for their contribution to  Education and Religion.

Shirley Kelly was awarded for her contribution to Nursing; Lorna Ava Henry for Culture and the Arts; Pastor Lincoln Connor for Nation-Building and Youth Development, and Clement ‘Juni’ Liburd for Broadcasting. The late Lloyd Lazar and Kenrick Georges were awarded posthumously for their contributions to Education and Sports and Music respectively.

The Companion of the Star of Merit is awarded for long and meritorious service, or for loyal and devoted service to the nation.

The Medal of Honour was awarded to Mable Morton for Community Service and Entrepreneurship; Clyde Richardson for Music and the Arts, and James ‘Mickey’ Frederick for Performing Arts and Culture. This award is given to nationals for their outstanding and meritorious service to the nation.

Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew congratulated the recipients, noting that their contribution would leave a lasting positive impression on the lives of many.

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew

“As I look across at all of the awardees and honourees today, I can clearly say that each of you would have had an impact on my life and I can only imagine the lives that you would have touched in St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “I can almost give a story about each of you and that says a lot – it means that you have contributed significantly.”

 Prime Minister Dr. Drew said that the diversity among the group is quite notable.

“Gender, age, area of specialization, are of origin in St. Kitts and Nevis and varying physical abilities [are all notable]. I am sure there are more differences – maybe religion, politics – but the common themes that run through all of you are the themes of selflessness, service to others and country and the willingness to sacrifice for the greater good,” said the honourable prime minister. “This tells us a story that it doesn’t matter any difference that you may have, that your contribution is needed for nation-building.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew thanked the awardees for their meritorious contributions to nation-building.

The honourees were awarded in keeping with the National Honours Act No.19 of 96. The National Honours Act provides for the Star of Merit, the Medal of Honour and the Order of National Hero to be awarded to any citizen of St. Christopher and Nevis, who renders distinguished and outstanding service to the nation.

Present at the ceremony were members of the Cabinet, as well as other senior government officials, family members of the honourees, and other specially invited guests.

Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Marsha Henderson, said that this year’s St. Kitts Music Festival will be a 420-friendly festival if the second reading of the Smoking (Designated Areas) Bill, 2023 is passed in the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 20.
 
“We will have an Act once it is passed for designation of certain public areas as smoking areas for which the Warner Park stadium on the mound will be what we call the smokers’ lounge,” she said at a press conference on June 19 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.  
 
This will be a groundbreaking initiative for the Federation as new barriers surrounding the live music industry will be set.
 
“Preparing of course in the Ministry of Tourism as the music festival is a part of the overall tourism product as we prepare for the market of cannabis tourism which has the potential to stimulate the local tourism economy and create a niche in the tourism industry,” said Minister Henderson.  
 
“Of course, the first major music festival in the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) is our music festival here in St. Kitts and we are happy to embrace a cannabis-friendly festival environment,” she said.
 
The Minister stated, however, that the cannabis should be pre-rolled before the event.
 
She said, “More and more of the world’s top festivals are now cannabis friendly and the time is right for us to work towards normalizing the use of cannabis so that it is no longer seen as taboo or unacceptable.”
 
She added that on June 20, the government will champion the Bill and would be passing legislation to give effect to the Ras Sankofa Maccabbee case where the local courts recognized the freedom of conscience and belief for the citizens of the Federation.
 
“It is in fact enshrined in the Constitution and as a government, we have a responsibility to put mechanisms in place whereby we can acknowledge the rights of our citizens,” said Minister Henderson.

The Order Paper has been issued for a sitting of the National Assembly to be held at the National Assembly Chambers, Government Headquarters, Basseterre, on Tuesday 20^th June, 2023, at 11:00 am and of which notice has been given.

Four Bills will receive their second reading. The government’s good governance legislative agenda continues as the government commits itself to transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law.

The Honourable Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Finance, National Security, Citizenship and Immigration, Health and Social Security, Dr. Terrance Drew, will move the second reading of the Bills entitled Smoking (designated Areas) Bill, 2023, which had its first reading on 25^th May, 2023, and Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which had its first reading on 25^th May, 2023.  

 Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew

Additionally, The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Education, Youth Empowerment, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Aging and Disabilities, Ecclesiastical and Faith-Based Affairs, Housing and Human Settlement, Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, will move the second reading of the Bills entitled Rastafari Rights Recognition Bill, 2023, which had its first reading on 25^th May, 2023, and Freedom of Conscience (Cannabis) Bill, 2023, which had its first reading on 12^th June, 2023.  

 Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley

The National Assembly will be carried live on ZIZ Radio (96 FM) and participating radio stations. It can also be viewed live on TV Channel 5 in St. Kitts and Channel 98 in Nevis. It will also be streamed live at www.zizonline.com

Copies of Bills, as soon as they are made available, can be found on the website (www.sknis.gov.kn) of the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service under the section titled Bills.  

 Members of the Conaree community were given a comprehensive look at the plans to refurbish the football area of the Conaree Playing Field, transforming it into a home for premier league football games.

The plans were presented at a town hall meeting on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the Conaree Community Centre. Members of the sporting fraternity and other interested individuals turned out for discussion that featured presentations by officials from the Public Works Department, the Minister of Sports, the Honourable Samal Duggins, and Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew. Dr. Drew is the Parliamentary Representative for the area.

Public Works Official presents the plans

George Gilbert, Director of the Public Works Department (PWD), informed that the main stadium will be a two-storey structure featuring covered seating areas, bars, commentary and media booth, change rooms with showers, bathrooms and storage areas. The installation of ramps, special access seating spaces, and differently-abled stalls in the restrooms ensure that the new facility will cater to persons with disabilities.

“If you are physically challenged you shouldn’t be disadvantaged from going to a sporting facility or getting a job,” said Director Gilbert stated, noting that thrust by the government to improve access for differently-abled individuals is commendable and has been embraced by PWD.

Minister of Sports Duggins noted that upgrades to the football section, which also includes the playing surface, will begin in earnest following the completion of the necessary tender bidding and procurement process. He added that work will also be executed on other sections of the facility including the netball and basketball areas following the completion of the football section.

“We are doing this because we believe that sport is a viable means for our young people to move forward in life,” he stated, noting that professional careers are not limited to working in a jacket and tie.

Minister Duggins referred to the success of local iconic athletes such as Kim Collins in track and field and Atiba Harris in football and made mention of their global success.

“We want to have 100 more Atiba Harrises and 100 Kim Collins and 100 more in every other discipline. But how can we get there?” asked the minister. “You have to have the facilities, training, and the basics of what it takes so that you can improve upon yourselves. We recognize that, and so we want to put every effort into offering you what we can as a government so that you can in turn apply your craft and be the best that you can be.”

Community Member Gives Feedback

Prime Minister Drew assured that the project is fully funded and will be completed.

“I wanted this meeting to happen tonight … because I wanted the community to see it and to have some input,” said Dr. Drew. “This is part of the first phase of building out the whole stadium, getting this done, the field, and the lighting because as I said, we want in 2024 [to have SKNFA] Premier Games in Conaree.”

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Cooperatives, is moving forward with the development of the poultry sector in the Federation, as part of its overall goal of significantly reducing the food import bill.
 
This is being facilitated through St. Kitts and Nevis Layer Chicken Industry Sustainable Development Project, which is being jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Cooperatives and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).
 
The project agreement was signed by Minister of Agriculture et al., the Honourable Samal Duggins and His Excellency Michael Lin, Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Kitts and Nevis during a ceremony held today, Friday, June 16, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
 
The St. Kitts and Nevis Layer Chicken Industry Sustainable Development Project will see the establishment of a hatchery on St. Kitts and one on Nevis, which, according to Minister Duggins will greatly benefit poultry farmers in the Federation.
 
“I am sure that our poultry farmers can all agree that there are several challenges when it comes to importing day-old chicks. Challenges such as the cost to purchase, flight stress, mortality, Customs and many more, but I want to say with pride that this new hatchery will produce over twenty thousand (20,000) day-old chicks per year for both meat and egg production,” Minister Duggins said.
 
The focus on reducing the importation of poultry falls directly in line with St. Kitts and Nevis’ pursuit of achieving CARICOM’s 25 percent by 2025 Agenda which is aimed at reducing the high regional food import bill. The implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy in the Member States is expected to help achieve the 25 by 2025 target by giving special attention to priority crops and products such as poultry, which is highly imported in the region.
 
In his remarks, Ambassador Lin said the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to be able to partner with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in its efforts to strengthen food security in the country.
 
He said, “This project aligns with the Ministry of Agriculture’s strategy for the transformation and the growth of agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis 2022-2031 which focuses on priority areas for improvement. Moreover, it is also in line with the 25 by 25 reduction in the regional food bill of CARICOM to reduce the amount of imported food by 25 percent by 2025. With Taiwan’s expertise and experience, key objectives of this project include the establishment of breeding technology, as well as egg laying technology, ensuring the Federation’s ability to meet the production needs of chicken farmers in a self-sufficient and sustainable manner.”
 
Friday’s signing ceremony was also attended by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture on St. Kitts, Mr. Miguel Flemming and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis, Mr. Huey Sargeant.