Joshua Williams, Cornerback for the reigning NFL (National Football League) Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs, is visiting St. Kitts and Nevis to meet his extended family and explore his roots to the twin-island Federation.

Joshua Williams is the son of George Williams, a national who resided in Molineux before migrating to the United States to live. Williams arrived on Tuesday (March 21, 2023). He was welcomed by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and greeted by Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley and the Ambassador in the Ministry of Sports, His Excellency Kenneth Douglas, at the KayanJet Lounge at the R. L. Bradshaw International Airport.

In welcoming Mr. Williams and his travelling companions, which included his sister, mother and aunt, Prime Minister Dr. Drew congratulated the 23-year-old NFL player for his success during the 2023 season and gifted him local souvenirs from Caribelle Batik and other popular brands. The Prime Minister told the young man that all of St. Kitts and Nevis were routing for the Chiefs during Super Bowl LVII, which was viewed by 113 million people in the United States and 56 million outside of the US according to www.NFL.com.

Mr. Williams thanked the government officials for the sincere welcome.

“It was the best welcome that I could imagine,” Williams stated. “I appreciate that everybody feels so excited for me and is so excited about me. It really is a blessing.”

Mr. Williams said that he was overwhelmed by the support received from Kittitians and Nevisians during the 2023 NFL season. The support grew significantly after Williams showcased his roots to the Federation by wearing a decal of the national flag on his helmet during Weeks 4 and 5 as part of the league’s international diversity initiative.

“It was a too easy decision being able to represent that part of me on the football field and kind of just bring a little [publicity] to the island. It didn’t take any thinking at all. As soon as I had the opportunity, I told them I wanted to,” the cornerback expressed. “Just being able to do that, … just wearing the flag proudly, it felt good. And winning the Super Bowl with it was kind of just doubling down on it. It felt amazing.”

Williams’ last visit to St. Kitts was in 2005, when he was six years old, for his grandmother’s funeral. He noted that school and financial obligations prevented him from returning sooner. Now that he is gainfully employed and the NFL is in its offseason, visiting again was a no-brainer.

“As soon as I had the opportunity to come down here, I took it,” he added, noting that his aunt planned his entire schedule while here. Mr. Williams said he is looking forward to “just enjoying the people here, enjoying his family and enjoying the beautiful island. I’m just happy to be here,” he expressed.

Going forward, Joshua Williams said that he will continue to represent and promote St. Kitts and Nevis on and off the football field and will explore additional ways how this can be done as he pursues another championship ring behind the creative brilliance of Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid and the mastery of Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in its efforts to continue to provide and grow the water services within the Federation has elected to invest 200 million dollars into the Water Services Department over the span of 5 to 10 years.
 
During his World Water Day 2023 address on March 18, Minister of Public Infrastructure and Utilities et al Honourable Konris Maynard said “The experts at the Water Services Department have indicated that over the past ten (10) years we have seen about an 18% decrease in the average annual rainfall.”
 
He added, “While we cannot predict the future, we have to be prepared for various scenarios including, longer dry periods and shorter, more intense wet seasons.” He also stated that as the climate continues to change the availability of freshwater in the Federation will change as well and hence the country needs to adapt.”
 
To adjust for the changes, the 200 million dollar investment into the Federation’s water services will include the following: drilling of additional wells, investment in desalinated water, replacement and upgrading of pipelines, construction of new and expansion of existing reservoirs and the introduction of modern technology to improve efficiency.
 
Minister Maynard also said, “Even though climatic changes are slow, they are nonetheless a real and serious threat.” He added that the response as the Minister of Public Infrastructure must begin with the necessary investments to allow for the careful monitoring of climatic and environmental parameters.
 
The theme of this year’s World Water Day is “Accelerating Change”.

Why World Water Day?

Fellow citizens, I am honoured to address you on the occasion of the celebration of World Water Day 2023. The United Nations General Assembly in 1993 decided that the 22^nd of March each year shall be set aside as World Water Day. On this day, we all should pause to reflect and focus our attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate for the sustainable management of our freshwater resources.

The Theme:

Each year a different theme is chosen; this year the theme is “Accelerating Change.” To accelerate is to increase the rate of change. So, not only should we be making changes in relation to how we govern water, but we need to step up our pace!

Globally:

Do you know that 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water? Of all the water on Earth 97% is salt water, 2% is in the form of ice caps, glaciers or in the atmosphere. Only 1% can be used for drinking or potable water. Our survival as humans depends to a large extent on how we utilize this 1%, especially in light of climate change. In some parts of the world, millions of persons do not have access to safe drinking water due to drought.

Locally:

Here in St. Kitts-Nevis, this must be a time of reckoning for us. For the past few decades, our local water experts have been sending out the message, but few of us have been taking heed. The message is simple for all of us to understand. We live on a small island of 68 square miles; all of our freshwater comes from the rain that falls on the island. It does not rain every day and sometimes it goes for weeks without raining; but we expect to use water every day. If we do not use the little water we have conservatively; we will run out.

Let me pause here to acknowledge and to say thank you to the Team at the Water Services Department (including past workers) for their Herculean effort and sacrifice in going out every day to ensure that when you open your taps, there is water.

Remember that the theme for this year’s World Water Day is “Accelerating Change;” indeed the only thing constant in life is change. Today all we hear about is ‘Climate Change.’ Is climate change real and is it a concern for us here in St. Kitts-Nevis? Again, the experts at the Water Services Department has indicated that over the past ten (10) years we have seen about an 18% decrease in the average annual rainfall. This is serious. While we cannot predict the future, we have to be prepared for various scenarios including, longer dry periods and shorter, more intense wet seasons.

The bottom line is that as the climate changes, our availability of freshwater will change and hence we have to adapt. The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is taking our responsibility of providing a reliable supply of water seriously. This means that we have to change how we ‘have been doing water in the past.’

The growing threat of climate change means that rainfall patterns are changing and that sea levels are rising. Even though climatic changes are slow, they are nonetheless a real and serious threat. Our response to this threat must begin with the necessary investments to allow us to carefully monitor such climatic and environmental parameters.

We are going to invest over $200 million over the next 5 to 10 years to build a resilient and sustainable water infrastructure. Water is too important for us to get it wrong. As I often say, because of our small size, it is easier for us to transform our sectors than other larger countries.

Some of the investments in our Water Infrastructure will include of course:

1. Drilling of additional wells
2. Investment in Desalinated Water
3. Replacement and upgrading of Pipelines
4. Construction of New and expansion of existing storage reservoirs
5. The introduction of modern technology to improve efficiency and to optimize the use of our resources.

Of course, we will also invest in our people and ensure that the institutional capacity and structure of the Water Services Department is also modernized.

A Shared Responsibility:

The transformation of our water sector and ensuring the sustainability of our water resources is not just up to the government; the reliability of your water supply also depends on how you use it. There are still hundreds of consumers who have leaks and refuse to address them. Most times these leaks are due to faulty toilets.

As we embark on augmenting our water supplies with desalination which is much more expensive than surface and groundwater, we cannot afford this level of wastage. Our message of conservation and the economical use of water becomes more urgent. In St. Kitts only about 55% of the water which we produce becomes revenue. This is unacceptable. The Water Services Department will be focusing on ensuring that every connection to the water distribution system is metered and that all customers are paying their bills. We will always make provisions for those who have special socio-economic challenges.

The fact that the last time our water rates were increased was over 22 years ago, means that our rates must be affordable; the government, therefore, expects every customer to willingly pay for the service so that we can continue to invest in the maintenance and improvement of the service. I want to stress however that as we build out a more resilient water infrastructure the Government will do what it must to encourage conservation and strongly and boldly discourage wastage.

Week of Activities:

Every year the Water Services Department uses the occasion of World Water Day to heighten the public’s awareness of the issues affecting the sector and to reach out to all of our stakeholders. Allow me to mention some of the Activities that we have put together this year and invite you to join with us in celebrating Water:

1. Tomorrow Sunday, March 19^th, staff of the Water Services Department will fellowship at the Rivers of Living Water Christian Centre.
2. On Monday and Tuesday, we would have our Open Day at the La Guerite Water Treatment Plant; the general public is invited to come and learn about how your water gets to your tap and also, what you can do to help conserve it.
3. Wednesday, March 22^nd is World Water Day and we would be showing our appreciation to you our customers. Visitors to our offices would receive tokens, and we hope that you would be paying your bill in full!
4. Of course, on that day we also have our regular program “The Water Line” on ZIZ Radio from 10:30 to 11:00 am.
5. Other activities for the week include competitions among schools, a staff retreat and a raffle.

In closing, let me take this opportunity to again thank the staff of the Water Services Department who every day work hard to ensure that we have water when we open our taps. Several of these workers get out of their beds at 4 in the morning while most of us are still enjoying the comfort of our beds. We know that there is still room for improvement, and let me assure you that we are committed to accelerating change toward making our water sector in St. Kitts the envy of the region.

It, therefore, gives me great pleasure as the Minister with responsibility for Water Services to declare open Water Week and to wish you a happy World Water Day on Wednesday, March 22^nd.

May God continue to bless us with an abundance of clean freshwater in our beloved Federation.

Thank you.

Seniors in three communities across St. Kitts will be busy on select days each week following the launch of a pilot initiative by the government on Monday (March 20, 2023).

The Seniors’ Day Programme officially began today following a ceremony at the Newtown Community Centre. The programme will be piloted in East Basseterre, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays respectively. During the 9 am to 2 pm scheduled hours, the participants will engage in various fun and educational activities. Discussions on topics such as proper foot care for diabetics, healthy eating, financial management and disaster preparedness will be held. However, this month’s core activity is kite making. This is in preparation for a Kite Flying Festival that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities intends to introduce during the Easter holidays.

At the opening ceremony, the Minister of State responsible for Social Development and Ageing, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, welcomed the older persons.

“I want you to just embrace the opportunity,” she said. “Of course, feel free to also give feedback as to what you would like to see and things that you would like to do, but I really hope that this is a programme that you can feel proud of, … that you are excited to come to every Monday here in your community and to also bring a friend as we grow.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Social Development and Ageing, the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, noted that as a teen, his mother encouraged him to assist older persons in the community by running errands, delivering lunches and helping to clean around the house. He indicated that even as a minister of government, he continues to assist today.
“I want to turn our community centres into active centres, specifically to bring our seniors out of their homes, in an environment where they can mingle (and) have fun among their very own age group,” the Deputy Prime Minister stated.

He added that there will be future engagements between the seniors and school students and encouraged the seniors to share interesting stories and sayings from yesteryear that can positively shape the development of the youth.

Dr. Hanley noted that every effort will be made to ensure that the seniors are comfortable and remain engaged with activities that stimulate their minds as well as their physical and spiritual wellness.

The opening was also attended by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew.

The Governor-General, Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd GCMG, JP, after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, has designated Reverend Bishop Cyprian Williams to act as Ombudsman. Bishop Williams will operate initially, as of March 20, 2023, from the Integrity Commission’s Office on the 2nd Floor of the Delisle Walwyn Building, Liverpool Row, Basseterre, St Kitts.

The Government considers the presence of an Ombudsman as an important element of its Good Governance Transformation.

“The Government has committed to the people of our Federation that we will govern with transparency and accountability. The installation of an Acting Ombudsman is another key element of our Good Governance Transformation. Our people have not had the ability to seek assistance from an Ombudsman for six (6) years, since 2017, and we have moved swiftly to reintroduce this important democratic institution,” said Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew.

The Ombudsman is empowered by statute to investigate any administrative action of a government authority for the purpose of deciding whether there is evidence of maladministration on the part of the authority and to make recommendations, pursuant to an investigation, to the authority concerning any administrative action that formed the subject of the investigation and, generally, about ways of improving its administrative practices and procedures.

Bishop Williams expressed his pleasure to begin acting as Ombudsman and stated that he is “committed to serving our people in a professional, independent manner. I am charged with investigating actions or decisions taken by or on behalf of any government authority in the exercise of its administrative functions—any failure to make a decision or to do an act, including a failure to provide reasons for a decision, any recommendation, and any action taken because of a recommendation, or a failure to make a recommendation. I will take this role seriously.”

Maladministration means inefficient, bad, or improper administration and includes unreasonable delay in dealing with the subject matter of an investigation, abuse of any power, or administrative action that is contrary to law—unfair, oppressive or discriminatory, or based on procedures that are unfair, oppressive or discriminatory, based wholly or partly on a mistake of law or fact or irrelevant grounds; or related to the application of arbitrary or unreasonable procedures, or negligence.

Bishop Williams has undertaken to lead an education campaign throughout St Kitts and Nevis, to bring awareness to the general public about the functions and role of an ombudsman.

The Government has also expressed its interest in proposing amendments to the Ombudsman Act to strengthen the Ombudsman’s Office.

The Department within the Ministry of Sustainable Development is concluding the field (data collection) activities for the Population and Housing Census 2021.  This census is a vital source of information on the current population count and characteristics – including the standard of living, of the residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.  Further, the information gathered is essential for proper strategic policy and planning decision-making in areas such as housing, health care and education, and in general to promote the sustainable economic growth and development of our country.

To those persons/households who have already completed the interview, we say a sincere thank you for your cooperation.  However, if you have not yet been interviewed, please inform us, and we will plan for your interview to be conducted.  Please contact the Department of Statistics at 467-1257 or 467-1188, or visit our office: Upstairs Total Concept Building, Bladen Commercial Development, Basseterre.  Everyone counts in the Population and Housing Census.  “It’s me, you, us…2021 Census”! 

The Public Works Department (PWD) on St. Kitts is currently in the drafting stage for the St. Peter’s Road Rehabilitation Project slated to commence later this year.
 
Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Konris Maynard stated in the National Assembly on March 7^th that “In December, Parliament authorized seven (7) million dollars for this road project, but it may cost a little more.”
 
“It is important to note that it was not a part of the previous island main road project much to the dismay of the current representative and Prime Minister and though there is now allocation to the project, there was none before and so the works of planning and designing could only have started this year,” Minister Maynard said.
 
Minister Maynard also spoke about some decisions made to upgrade the road infrastructure which include not just repaving the road but widening some areas, upgrading drainage systems, building sidewalks, as well as levelling the road.
 
“The process to begin work is sometimes long and invisible and this is the part where the public does not see all of the works and planning that has to go through this process,” he said. “A scope of works has to be developed, contractors and consultants have to receive tender documents, they have to be given time to tender usually six weeks minimum for a project of this size.”
 
He also explained that coordination with utility companies such as The Cable, Flow, SKELEC, and the government’s Water Department is paramount as they will identify their underground and aboveground assets to ensure they will fit into the new road infrastructure.
 
He stated that home and property assessments will be done for properties that are within 100 feet of the road to track any adverse effects of the vibrations caused by the rollers.
 
“All of these things will take time and so I urge and ask for some patience as this process continues,” said Minister Maynard.

Services for women and children who experience domestic or gender-based violence will benefit from a newly updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Garden of Rebirth.

The new MOU was signed on Wednesday, March 08, 2023, during a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities housed in The Cable Building on Cayon Street. It lays out the terms of the partnership between the two parties. The signing was symbolically done on International Women’s Day.

Minister of State responsible for Gender Affairs, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, welcomed the updated terms noting that the government cherishes its relationship with civil society.

“We lean a lot on our civil society organizations, our NGOs, to be able to fill gaps that government just cannot get to at this point in time,” the Minister of State said. “… I’m hoping that with continued discussions that we will be able to continue evolving the relationship in the way that we work together … so that we can improve system efficiencies and really provide the services that are absolutely necessary as it relates to combating gender-based violence.”

According to its website, the Garden of Rebirth is “an empowerment centre housing women and children victimized by abuse.”

Mrs. Etsu Bradshaw Caines, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Garden of Rebirth, noted that the organization offers several services that can be used to strengthen persons.

“We are a centre that has branched out into empowerment training,” she expressed. “We have a lot of projects; we have funding that we have sitting there for programmes that we hope we can partner with your ministry [benefiting] youth, men and women.”

Funding for training to combat gender-based violence as well as an upcoming hydroponics project was highlighted by Mrs. Bradshaw-Caines as areas for improved cooperation.

“We are happy that you are our sister, our brother,” she said to the government officials in attendance. “We are ready to work and go out there and save women and children. And I want to say that my family, who are a part of this project, they are already challenging that we have to start looking after men and boys as well.”

The MOU was signed by Virgil Jeffers, Director of Gender Affairs, Minister of State Phillip, and Mrs. Bradshaw Caines. Rita Cable also signed as a witness.

The Policy and Labour Relations Unit in the Department of Labour will make a Cabinet submission recommending an increase in the minimum wage, said Honourable Marsha Henderson, Minister of Employment and Labour, during her presentation at the sitting of National Assembly on March 7, 2023.
 
“The last administration would have put together a minimum wage advisory committee in 2018 and they would have submitted a report to the government in 2019,” Minister Henderson.
 
“The last time the minimum wage increased was in 2014 under a Labour-led Administration and I can report that the next time minimum will be increased will be under this labour-led administration,” she added.
 
“We have the report, and the report did make some recommendations as to what needed to be done. We met as a Cabinet and we have put together the committee that is going to embark on the work that is coming out of that same report that was made available in 2019,” she said.
 
Honourable Henderson indicated that the Labour-led Administration of St. Kitts and Nevis is serious about labour and labour relations within the Federation.
 
Honourable Henderson also said, “The second significant suggestion being considered by the policy and labour relations unit is something referred to as a four-day work week which came out of COVID-19 and the practices that we adopted as a result of the pandemic.”
 
“In fact, when we met with the central bank as a Cabinet about two Mondays ago, we inquired about this as well and we had that unit working on the submission to be made to the Cabinet,” she said.
 
She also stated that a pilot project will be undertaken once the Cabinet agrees with the Ministry’s recommendations.