The Inland Revenue Department of St. Kitts and Nevis would like to remind all property owners that the deadline for payment of Property Tax is fast approaching.  Property owners of both commercial and residential properties are urged to take note of this important deadline and make a special effort to pay their taxes on time to avoid unnecessary penalties and interest.

The property tax payment for the fiscal year 2023 is due on June 30, 2023. Failure to pay the tax by the specified due date will result in a late payment penalty of ten percent as well as an additional interest charge of one percent for each month or part of the month that the payment remains outstanding. 

To ensure a seamless payment process, property owners are encouraged to review their tax assessments and promptly settle any outstanding amounts.   Please ensure that all the details assessed on your property tax bill are valid while submitting payment. Kindly note that property owners can make payments online using the Inland Revenue’s QuickPay feature via www.sknird.com.  Property owners can also visit the IRD office to make payments using cash, cheques, debit, or credit cards. Cheques and money orders may also be submitted via the mail service. Property owners may also choose to conveniently make payments directly by transferring money electronically from their bank account to the Inland Revenue Department’s account.

Paying property taxes on time is crucial for maintaining the smooth operation of essential public services, such as schools, hospitals, infrastructure development and emergency services, which benefit both commercial and residential property owners alike.  By fulfilling your tax obligation promptly, you contribute to our community.


The Inland Revenue Department thanks all property owners in advance for their prompt attention to this matter and encourages everyone to make the necessary arrangements to meet the June 30, 2023, deadline.

Taxpayers are also encouraged to contact the Inland Revenue Department for any additional information.

The Inland Revenue Department, Building our Nation Through Responsible Tax Administration

St. Kitts and Nevis Inland Revenue Department, Bay Road, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Tel: (869) 465-8485, Ext: 3431
Email:  inlandrevenue@ird.gov.kn
Website:  www.sknird.com
Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn: St. Kitts and Nevis Inland Revenue Department
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The Inland Revenue Department is charged with administering the tax laws of the Federation in an efficient and equitable manner, to promote voluntary compliance to maximize Revenue for the development of the Federation at the least cost to the public and in a manner that warrants the highest degree of Public confidence in our integrity, efficiency and fairness. The Inland Revenue Department is the prime revenue collections agency for the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis within the Ministry of Finance, located at Bay Road, Basseterre, and Charlestown, St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.

Prime Minister and Minister of National Security of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, in an address to the Nation on Tuesday, June 06, assured the nation of his government’s resolve to curb the recent spate of gun-related crimes and said that the solution must be an all of society approach.  
 
“We have to work together at all levels of governance, as well as throughout all communities and households, to do more to stop the destruction of human lives in our beautiful twin-island nation,” he said.
 
Dr. Drew outlined several crime prevention measures that are being implemented by the security forces.
 
“Crime reduction requires the input and efforts of all of us. I, therefore, appeal to the general public to cooperate with the security forces. Immediately, the security forces will implement the following: (1) increased security presence in our communities through various methods, (2) further engagement of regional and international security experts to work along with our forces, (3)strengthening of the intelligence capabilities of the security forces, (4) expansion of the CCTV infrastructure island-wide, and (5) enhancement of evidence gathering capabilities to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice,” he said.
 
The Honourable Prime Minister also stated that legislative changes will be made to introduce tougher penalties for offences related to illegal firearms.
 
“The Cabinet has also agreed to table legislation in the National Assembly to increase the penalty for illegal firearms offences from 15 to 25 years in prison,” Dr. Drew stated.
 
Moreover, the Dr. Drew administration has since commissioned a National Security Task Force that will lead a behavior-changing initiative, “Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue”.
 
“This is a more scientific, sustainable and holistic approach to crime fighting, which includes dealing with the issue of violence from a public health perspective,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “This multi-pronged approach is built on several pillars that draw on the knowledge and expertise of stakeholders from multiple disciplines to implement a plan of action designed to sustain a culture of non-violence throughout the Federation.”
 
“I reassure you that our security forces will be unrelenting in working collaboratively in their obligation to preserve law and order in our Federation. Our streets must remain safe so that the law-abiding citizens and residents of our Federation can enjoy their peace and tranquility,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew stated.

 Azariah Eddy is the beneficiary of the Horsfords’ Project Viola Teen Mothers Educational Scholarship Initiative that provides financial support to Project Viola students pursuing tertiary education.

The initiative was highlighted during a ceremony on Tuesday, June 06, 2023, at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities. The annual commitment of $4,400 from S. L. Horsfords Co. Ltd. was highlighted by the company’s Supervisor and Marketing Consultant Adelia Browne-Lewis.

“The financial support offered covers students’ uniforms and books not covered by the SELF programme, registration fees and lunch and transportation allowances. In addition, participants are provided temporary job assignments during the school break, and several students have taken advantage of the advice and mentoring programmes of the management and senior personnel,” Ms. Browne-Lewis stated. “Horsfords is proud of its rich history in partnership of nation building and pledges towards a continuation to execute corporate responsibility in the years ahead.”

Minister of State responsible for Social Development and Gender Affairs, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, thanked S. L. Horsfords Co. Ltd. for its contribution to the Project Viola initiative noting that the type of support the ministry receives from non-governmental, private partners can benefit persons who need it most.

“We are really appreciative of any kind of partnership and support that really helps to support our teen mothers,” the Honourable Phillip stated. “I hope that [upon] seeing the impact this scholarship can have on (Ms. Eddy) that Horsfords would in the future say, ‘Oh we want to give you more’ because more is always welcome,” the minister added.

Minister Phillip also expressed appreciation to the ministry’s staff for working with the teen mothers in Project Viola over the years. This support has led to many teen mothers completing their mainstream education and leading successful careers in healthcare, education, culinary arts, accounting, law, banking, fraud, banking, and more.

Project Viola was established by the Department of Gender Affairs (St. Kitts) following a policy decision of the St. Kitts and Nevis Federal Cabinet in 1997 that reiterated the right of teenage mothers to complete their mainstream education.

The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs welcomes Horsford’s involvement as the main partner and corporate supporter of the long-standing Project Viola Teen Mothers Programme. This new initiative, known as ‘The Horsfords’s Project Viola Teen Mothers Educational Scholarship Initiative’ will provide financial support to Project Viola students pursuing tertiary education.

Teen mothers are one of the most vulnerable groups in society who face many challenges, including social stigma, poverty, and exclusion. Project Viola was established by the Department of Gender Affairs (St. Kitts), following a policy decision of the St. Kitts and Nevis Federal Cabinet in 1997 that reiterated the right of teenage mothers to complete their mainstream education. The programme provides essential support services to teen mothers, including access to counselling, childcare, social support, education, and economic empowerment initiatives.

Over the past 25 years, with assistance from the public and private sectors, the project has produced many successes and demonstrated its effectiveness as a poverty reduction strategy with former students employed in a variety of professional occupations, including banking, healthcare and entrepreneurship. The daughter of one former beneficiary is a university student and refers to herself as a “Cycle Breaker”; as a family member from two generations of teen mothers, she acknowledges that “the programme makes cycle breaking possible.”

During the period 2017 to 2022, Project Viola served 51 teen mothers, with 71% successfully completing their secondary education. However, data reveals that students enrolled in tertiary-level programmes require additional support. Over the same timeframe, 35% of students dropped out of tertiary education citing financial difficulty or the need to pursue employment as reasons.

The Ministry is delighted to receive an annual commitment of EC$4,400.00 (four thousand four hundred Eastern Caribbean Dollars) from Horsfords. This sponsorship will make a significant impact on our efforts to provide better support to programme participants in St. Kitts. The Project Viola Teen Mothers Educational Scholarship Initiative will enhance access to tertiary education by making provisions for transportation, school supplies, and lunch subsidy. We recognize that education can serve as a catalyst for social change which better equips persons to secure better-paying jobs, thus combatting the risk of social and economic exclusion; with the added benefits of empowering teen mothers to improve their economic status while contributing to the economy and well-being of their own families.

The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs thanks S. L. Horsford & Co. Ltd for their partnership in our social protection programme, and looks forward to many more years of continued success of programme participants developing the tools to create a fulfilling life for themselves and their children.

The Ministry of Health has initiated training for its nurses and other staff in neonatal care, as part of its mandate to further strengthen the various healthcare services administered at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.

Neonatal care refers to the type of treatment given to babies that were born prematurely or with an illness.

The training workshop is being facilitated by Neonatology Physician, Dr. Komalpreet Brar, who works with the World Pediatric Project (WPP). The World Pediatric Project provides direct advanced care to thousands of children each year and assists countries globally by developing in-country healthcare resources through training and capacity building.  

Dr. Brar stated, “We’ve come down to St. Kitts to help the Neonatology Unit and the nurses be better prepared for doing neonatal resuscitations down here and being able to manage infants during their course throughout the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] as they deliver early or if they need any type of support because they are ill.”

Assistant Nurse Manager of the Neonatal Unit at the JNF General Hospital, Naomi Brownbill described this week’s training in neonatal care as extremely important and timely.

She said, “Throughout my years here at the hospital, we have seen many babies needing assistance. We have been assisting but this [training workshop] will help to sharpen our skills. We’re getting some training on how to care for our newborns, including neonatal resuscitation which is very important because sometimes babies are born and need help to breathe, so in this workshop, we are being taught exactly what to do to help our babies breathe properly.”

Mary Fairchild is a Respiratory Therapist who is working alongside Dr. Brar during the workshop. She explained how respiratory therapy fits into the scope of providing comprehensive neonatal care for newborn babies.

“Premature babies have a lot of breathing issues. The lung is one of the last organs to develop in the body, so when they are born prematurely, they need a lot of respiratory support. So, I’m here to support [Dr. Brar] and to help teach how to resuscitate the babies, how to keep them breathing and healthy while they grow,” Ms. Fairchild said.

She added, “For the individual nurses, they will learn more about something we call ‘bubble CPAP’ which helps to keep the lung open. They will learn how to run ventilators and understand what the ventilators are doing for the babies in their care. We will also be talking about oxygen saturation and how much oxygen to give newborn babies.”

Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew made a brief stop by the training workshop on Monday, June 05, where he offered words of encouragement to the participants and expressed his appreciation to the World Pediatric Project.

“I had the opportunity along with the leadership of the ministry and staff here to welcome the World Pediatric Project for the first time to St. Kitts and Nevis where they would be concentrating on training for neonatology. Neonatology is really taking care of newborns. This would help of course to make sure that our little ones are well taken care of and given the best chance of surviving, especially if they were born with some sort of illness. And so I want to thank them for coming to St. Kitts and Nevis and we look forward to having them here more so that our people can receive that advanced type of training,” Dr. Drew said, noting that, “This is all part of our thrust to make healthcare better here in St. Kitts and Nevis for all of our people.”

The neonatal care training for nurses is the latest in a series of training programmes being rolled out for medical personnel in St. Kitts and Nevis under the Dr. Terrance Drew-led administration.

It follows the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care training course for staff of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department at JNF General Hospital and the comprehensive customer service training programme for hospital staff.

 Mrs. Sonia Boddie-Thompson, Counsellor and Interim Representative of St. Kitts and Nevis to the Organization of American States (OAS), presented a gift of EC$1000.00 dollars via cheque, to her alma mater the Edgar T. Morris Primary School (formerly the Tabernacle Primary School), in her hometown village of Tabernacle. The cheque which was presented as “a token of love, appreciation, commitment and dedication to what the school is doing”, was presented to Principal, Mr. Dale Phipps in front of the entire student body on Thursday 1, June 2023. An ardent supporter of the school, Mrs. Boddie-Thompson also donated over $1000.00 EC dollars worth of kitchen appliances to the school in 2021.

Prior to making the surprise donation to the school, Mrs. Boddie-Thompson, shared, “I continue to monitor and observe what is being done here at the Edgar T. Morris Primary School, and I remain very pleased with the tremendous work that the principal and the staff continue to do here… They are using creative ways to enhance the learning environment, and to stimulate the development of our children.”

Mrs. Boddie-Thompson also shared a reflection of her time at the school stating, “ I recall as a child coming through [the] door in my sister’s dress, performing as the ‘Flattered Flying Fish’ and when I reflect on that and so many other experiences I’ve had here at this school, they have given me the confidence to now speak publicly in front of a global audience as a diplomat. So, the Edgar T. Morris Primary School, then the Tabernacle Primary School played a tremendous role in the young woman I have become. And I can stand here and say that this school has produced greatness and it is my prayer that it will continue to produce greatness.  Although we are a small school, we continue to punch well above our weight. And I want to ensure that I make my contribution to the furtherance and development of this institution.”

Principal, Mr. Dale Phipps accepted the cheque on behalf of the institution. He thanked Mrs. Boddie-Thompson for her generosity stating, “We say thank you very much Mrs. Boddie, we know that you are ever with us…We are indeed grateful for this gesture. Thank you very much for all you have done for the school over the years, and we even thank you for what you will do in[the] future.”

An illustrious alumna, Mrs. Sonia Boddie-Thompson formerly served as a Primary School Teacher, Senior Tax Inspector at the Inland Revenue Department, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassador, Clerk of the National Assembly, and a Senior Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prior to her current posting in Washington, D.C., USA.

Notice has been given for a sitting of the National Assembly to be held at the National Assembly Chambers, Government Headquarters, Basseterre, on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 10:00 am. The Order Paper and other Papers will be issued at a later date.

The National Assembly will be broadcast 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 are posted when they become available on the website (sknis.gov.kn) of the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service under the section: Bills.   

In their first in-person meeting since the Covid-19 pandemic, Trade Ministers from across the Commonwealth are meeting from June 5-6 at Marlborough House in London. Their meeting follows closely on the meeting of the Senior Trade Officials that took place on June 3- 4. The discussions were a follow-up to the virtual meeting held in January this year. The meeting covered topics important to all member states but had particular relevance for developing countries, SIDS and SVEs. They focused on bridging the digital divide and digital infrastructure, climate change, fish subsidies, trade and investment, supporting the multilateral trading system, and inclusive and sustainable trade.

In his intervention, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Foreign Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, who also holds the Trade portfolio, thanked the Secretary-General and congratulated the Commonwealth Secretariat for its technical assistance in trade facilitation and capacity building for Saint Kitts and Nevis. He called on the Secretariat and larger countries to support small states in addressing the trade imbalances and in bridging the digital divide as a means of encouraging investment and greater intra-Commonwealth trade.


Foreign Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas (first Row, Far Left)

The Trade Minister emphasised the importance for small states to be able to access appropriate levels of finance for development. He further stressed the imperative of adopting an approach that prioritises the use of a multidimensional vulnerability index in any meaningful discourse on trade, especially in light of challenges such as natural disasters, climate change, structural vulnerabilities of small states and the continued use of GDP per capita as a criterion for assessing a country’s eligibility to access concessionary financing.

Dr Douglas is accompanied by St. Kitts and Nevis’ High Commissioner to the United Kingdom H.E. Dr. Kevin Isaac and Mr Kevin Arthurton, Project/Research Officer in the Ministry of International Trade et al.

The Cabinet Ministers met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, The Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, on Monday, May 22^nd, 2023, and made several important decisions to improve the welfare of our people.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Legislative Enactment of Smoking (Designated Areas) Bill, 2023, which seeks to promote public health by reducing exposure to tobacco and other smoke in certain public places, by designating certain specified public places as smoking areas and to prohibit smoking outside of a designated area in public places.

The Legislative Proposal Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act, 2023, whose main objective is to amend the definition of “tainted property”, was also approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. The correction of this definition is intended to facilitate the work of investigators and prosecutors.

The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Geoffrey Hanley, updated the Cabinet on the ongoing work to renovate the Edgar T Morris Primary School for the official merger with the Estridge Primary School. Roof and fencing rehabilitation, as well as carpentry work, will be done in preparation for the opening of the new school year in September. Dr Hanley noted that the refurbishments will enable the Edgar T Morris Primary to improve school safety and security measures in keeping with the National Safe School Programme coordinated by the Ministry of Education with support from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

During this week the Honourable Minister of Employment and Labour, Marsha Henderson, is attending the Twelfth Subregional International Labour Organization (ILO) Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers in Georgetown, Guyana. The Meeting, being held under the theme “Social Justice – The Foundation for Sustainable Caribbean Transformation,” will address global, regional, and national actions required to accelerate the mainstreaming of social justice for transformative socio-economic development in the current multi-crisis context.

The government’s Seniors’ Day Programme continues to meaningfully engage older persons in the East Basseterre, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s communities, offering rewarding experiences that make retirement more enjoyable.

For the past six weeks, the seniors have engaged in art classes, learning to draw and paint and making origami flowers. Each senior used their flowers in designing Mother’s Day cards for the popular celebration of moms.

Veraline Edwards of Stapleton Village said that she is having “fun” in the programme working with others, sharing stories and making new memories. She flashed a smile and chuckled as she recalled the previous weeks making a kite and going out to fly it on April 11, 2023, as part of the programme’s inaugural activity.

“We learn something from each other, and it is great,” Ms. Edwards stated.

Minister of State responsible for Ageing, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, dropped in on the seniors at St. Peter’s on Tuesday, May 23, 2022, to get a first-hand account of the positive stories from the programme. She was thoroughly surprised as the seniors gifted her an abstract portrait of herself, taken from the programme’s launch on March 21, 2023. Each senior in the St. Peter’s group had a task in producing the paint and mix-media portrait, which involved drawing, shading, and painting.

Hon. Isalean Phillip (second from right) was impressed with artwork depicting her

“I was very impressed to see one of the collective artwork pieces that they did, which is a painting of myself,” she stated. “And then they also have been doing other individual arts and crafts like painting and drawings, making cards and paper art, and that really has been impressive too, so it is a really good way to keep older persons engaged, and they are also very creative.”

Participant Winston Walwyn was assigned to work on the face section of the portrait of Minister Phillip. He said that he was extremely proud of the “masterpiece” created and the teamwork that produced it.

“It encouraged us, and it shows people no matter how old you are, as long as you try, you can do something beneficial,” Mr. Walwyn expressed. He encouraged other seniors in the community to “come out” to the Seniors’ Day Programme.

“There are many things you can learn. Not because you are old, you never stop learning until you die. It (the programme) is very beneficial,” Mr. Walwyn indicated.


Artwork done by the seniors

The group meets on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Peter’s Church of God.