The Energy Unit on St.Kitts handed over a data logger to the St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) on February 10, 2023.

Director of the Energy Unit, Dr. Bertill Browne, speaking at the handing over ceremony, said that the Government of Japan donated the data logger to the Federation when members from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, SKELEC, the Nevis Island Administration and NEVLEC (Nevis Electricity Company Limited) travelled to Barbados for a workshop on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Dr. Browne said that “The Japanese government is undertaking a project to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in the Eastern Caribbean.”

He said that the purpose of the data logger is to record electrical parameters such as voltage and current over a period of time at particular intervals.

“We think that the data logger would be best used by SKELEC and so we have decided to donate this data logger to SKELEC,” Dr. Browne said.

Present at the ceremony were the Minister of Energy, the Honourable Konris Maynard, Attorney-General the Honourable Garth Wilkin and the General Manager of SKELEC, Mr. Clement Williams.

Senior Minister and Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Number Six, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas strongly supported the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was successfully passed in the Federal Parliament on February 08.

“I am very pleased to be here in this Parliament to lend support to what this Administration, this Parliament is seeking to do, which really started several years ago. This very piece of legislation that we are amending today was in fact passed in 2014,” said Dr. Douglas. “Now we are amending and improving that Act to ensure that we, as a responsible government and Parliament, respond to what is happening around us in this world on the matter of drugs, use and abuse of cannabis, ganja, etc.”

Senior Minister Douglas said that future amendments will be made to this important piece of legislation as it relates to drugs and drug abuse. However, the government “wants to make sure that when we would have done all of the revisiting, we would have prepared our people properly,” he added.

Minister Douglas commended the Members of the Cannabis Commission who “responded as part of their public duties to help to bring some solution to the ongoing issue. I want to thank the participants who were also part of the Cannabis Authority because this is going to continue.

“I also commend this Parliament, the government for bringing this at this time, so that although we are doing the incremental changes, I think the pace at which it is going is good because it gives time for proper education and understanding,” he added.

The Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, amended the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act to expand the offences by which convicted persons’ criminal records can be expunged to include cultivation of five (5) or less cannabis plants or cultivation such that the convicted person was fined or sentenced for imprisonment for less than three years.

The National Sports Policy (NSP) 2022-2026 has built-in mechanisms to ensure that sporting facilities across St. Kitts and Nevis are regularly maintained, and the opportunity for vandalism is significantly reduced.

Dr. Lin Sambili-Gicheha, Project Manager of Sport for Development and Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said that the NSP calls for the creation of an online booking system that will help to structure the use of sports facilities and record breaches of property or other damages.

“If there is a leak or a broken window, or there has been a breach in security, that would be recorded within the booking system for the NSC (National Sports Council) and also for the sporting federations to be alerted and aware of,” she stated.

Once this is logged, remedial actions will be taken to address the issues.

The NSP also seeks to enhance cooperation between the Ministry of Sports, sporting associations and other stakeholders. An expected result from the enhanced relationship is increased sporting engagements for persons of all ages. The added activities will ensure that the facilities are used more frequently to the benefit of the community.

The Department of Agriculture will deploy 500 monkey traps throughout St. Kitts to reduce the population of monkeys that are causing destruction to farm crops throughout the country. 

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Corporatives, the Honourable Samal Duggins in a recent interview said, “The monkeys have been a significant threat to our food security here in St. Kitts and Nevis and they are a nuisance to many of our farmers. Our programme here at the Department of Agriculture is to help to control that and improve our food security agenda.” 

Acting Director at the Department of Agriculture, Junelle Kelly  spoke on the issue noting that the Department of Agriculture has been dedicated to assisting the farming community with the establishment of the Feral Control Unit. 

“Here at the department, we have various traps at various sizes, we started with some smaller traps and now we are taking into consideration that perhaps we would want to have some bigger traps so we can catch larger numbers so we can ensure the food security of the nation,” she said. “We have been getting some results with our methods, however, we want to go a bit further as the whole point of the programme is to reduce the population because it has been affecting the farming community.” 

The Acting Director also stated that “We want to have this discussion and consultation with our stakeholders to come up with new ways and new avenues in which to reduce the population.”

The Department of Agriculture will hold a monkey control symposium during the month of February.

The Ministry of Sports is pushing forward with the implementation of the National Sports Policy (NSP) and Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which seeks to enhance involvement in sports/physical activity, expand the role and influence of sports across various sectors while fostering the professional development of athletes. It also outlines the obligations of public and private sector stakeholders in achieving the wide-ranging objectives.

Members of the media were briefed on the ambitious objectives of the National Sports Policy at a press conference on Thursday, February 09, 2023. The press engagement featured updates from the Minister of Sports, the Honourable Samal Duggins, Chairman of the National Sports Council, Glenn Quinlan, Managing Director of the Thuso Group, Matthew Robert Goldie Scot, and Dr. Lin Sambili-Gicheha, Project Manager, Sport for Development and Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat. The press conference was hosted by Valencia Syder, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports.

Minister Duggins noted that the NSP, funded by UNESCO, was originally launched in 2020. However, the rollout was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several gaps were identified in the policy, which prompted the ministry to seek assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Thuso Group was subsequently contracted.

The sports minister applauded the contribution of all involved who produced and revised the policy.

“It focuses itself around a number of goals, goals that are highly achievable and also very practical,” Honourable Duggins stated.

These goals relate to promoting health and wellness through physical activity, creating pathways to excellence, upgrading local sporting facilities, and enhancing sports enterprise opportunities, to name a few.

“This policy wraps itself around our international commitments as well because we are party to a number of treaties here in St. Kitts and Nevis. I am happy that this sports policy has taken into consideration its impact and its connection with these international treaties,” the minister expressed.

One such treaty relates to anti-doping. The Ministry of Sports is working closely with UNESCO to develop the necessary regulations that will govern this area. More information and how it relates to the NSP will be outlined at another forum.

The National Assembly of St. Kitts and Nevis welcomed Mauriel Knight as the new Deputy Clerk on Wednesday, February 08, 2023.

Mr. Knight is 19 years old and gained a greater appreciation for parliament and parliamentary procedure when he joined the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association (SKNYPA) in 2019. He held several posts in the youth organization, including Vice President in 2019 and Chair of several committees, before being elected President in 2021.

Mr. Knight said it was a proud moment to be selected to fill this post in the National Assembly.

“It is definitely an honour and a privilege to serve my country in this capacity,” Mr. Knight said, noting that it aligns with his strong sense of civic responsibility. “I’m happy to be given the opportunity to serve in this way, fulfilling a passion and serving my country.”

The experience in SKNYPA, which organizes mock parliament sessions for members, helped Mr. Knight to transition easily into this new role in the Federal Parliament.

“The various leadership roles that I was thrusted into definitely allowed me to gain an appreciation for prioritizing tasks and for organizing different events. Working alongside the Clerk and the Speaker for today’s sitting as well as seeing how parliamentary procedure is done from SKNYPA’s end, definitely gave me the skills and the mindset necessary to enter the halls today,” he stated.

In introducing Mr. Knight during the first parliament sitting for 2023, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Lanien Blanchette, said that the young man is prepared for the role as deputy clerk.

“He comes with a wealth of knowledge and is uniquely poised to be an asset to the National Assembly. He has been an incredible help to the Clerk and to the office as a whole,” Speaker Blanchette said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Youth Empowerment, the Honourable Geoffrey Hanley, congratulated the new deputy clerk, noting that he is extremely proud of the integral role he has had in moulding Mr. Knight’s development, just as he did others who served and currently serves in the parliament.

Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew also commended Mr. Knight, whom he described as “very astute and dedicated.” He added that Knight’s appointment to the role is a testament to his passion and love for country and expressed confidence in his future prospects.

The passage of the Official Gazette Bill, 2023, in the National Assembly of St. Kitts and Nevis was fully endorsed by Senator the Honourable Isalean Phillip, who noted that digitizing the document is important to enhancing public access and promoting transparency.

The Bill was debated and passed in the Federal Parliament on February 08, 2023. Senator and Attorney General, the Honourable Garth Wilkin, piloted the Bill, explaining that the Gazette is an official government publication that lists the actions and decisions of the government. It is also a source of information on various matters emanating from the public and private sectors.

Senator Phillip, who serves as the Junior Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Federal Cabinet, said that placing the Official Gazette online provides young people with the ability to access important decisions of the government.

“Having the Gazette online, modernizing it, ensuring that its access is more widespread through the availability of publications and online platforms such as the website … will ensure that we are no longer behind the times when it comes to the way we communicate and the way that we ensure there is access to government information for the transparency and good governance that we talk about,” Honourable Phillip stated.

It was also listed as part of the administration’s e-government strategy, which enhances online service availability. Another benefit touted was the environmental impact as the government pushes forward with creating a sustainable island state.

“… When you use less paper, you save more trees, and we need the trees Madame Speaker to heal the ozone layer, so this Bill is also good for the environment,” the senator expressed.

The Official Gazette Bill, 2023, was passed without objection. The Gazette will be accessible via www.gazette.gov.kn.

Persons desirous of accessing future Official Gazettes of the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis online will soon be able to do so by visiting gazette.gov.kn following the passage of the Official Gazette Bill, 2023, in the Federal Parliament on February 8, 2023. 

“[T]he purpose of this Bill is to create certainty as to when laws and statutory instruments are published and to provide for the digitization and publication of the official Gazette of St. Kitts and Nevis. It is a modernization Bill” said mover of the Bill, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Garth Wilkin.
 

Attorney-General Wilkin said it was extremely important to add this piece of legislation to the government’s good governance agenda.

“It fits part of that agenda, which is accountability and transparency. If you have laws, if you have proclamations, if you have judgments, if you have decisions of the government that must be published in the Gazette, accountability and transparency is allowing all of the people access to those laws, those decisions, those lists, etc,” said Attorney General Wilkin. 

TheAttorney-General explained why it was necessary to modernize the Official Gazette of St. Christopher and Nevis.  

“The World Bank in its 2017 report said approximately 81% of the population of St. Kitts and Nevis have access to the internet. Madame Speaker, we are in 2023, we are an online people. Even the most senior member of us has full access to the internet,” he said. “The young gentleman who represents the good people of number 6, who just turned 70 years old, is a frequent user of the internet, and that shows you that it is not limited just to young people…we are coming into the modern age with this bill, Madame Speaker,” Attorney General Wilkin added. 

Hesaid that the Federation will join other countries such as Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Seychelles as they too have “sought to modernize their Gazette legislation, by making their Official Gazette be the publication of material on the internet, where most of the population have free access.”

Attorney-General Wilkin stressed that the “objective in providing the online publication of the Gazette is to better facilitate proper dissemination and greater access to the Official Gazette.”

Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Number Two (2), the Honourable Marsha Henderson supported the Bill entitled, Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which was passed in the National Assembly on February 08.

HonourableHenderson, in her speech to the National Assembly, said, “The intent is to provide for certain criminal offences to be spent and to be expunged from the police criminal records of the persons who become rehabilitated.”

“What this means is that if you have been convicted, you are still going to be punished so this is not going to act as a means for people to plant; until it is decriminalized. If you commit the offence, you are going to be convicted,” she added.

HonourableHenderson took the time to reflect on a constituency member and said, “I remember a few months ago when I was canvassing a particular area called Delisle Gardens and I encountered an elderly rastaman living in poverty. I spoke to him and he said his entire family lives in the US. He was going to get his papers and couldn’t because he had a record for cultivating cannabis.” 

MinisterHenderson said that was just one of the many cases she has encountered.
 

“In court, I have seen a number of persons convicted for this type of offence and so I think the introduction of the Bill is indeed a step in the right direction and we will do what is needed to be done to push the agenda forward in relation to the rehabilitation of our offenders as well as decriminalizing the offences related to drugs as the High Court would have ruled some years ago,” said the Honourable Marsha Henderson.

During his presentation in the National Assembly on February 08, Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Number Three, the Honourable Konris Maynard said that the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, represents something of a new fresh start for persons convicted in the past and will also help to ensure that St. Kitts and Nevis is not left behind with regards to the responsible use of the cannabis plant.

The Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, amended the Criminal Records(Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act to expand the offences by which convicted persons’ criminal records can be expunged to include cultivation of five (5) or less cannabis plants or cultivation such that the convicted person was fined or sentenced for imprisonment for less than three years.

Minister Maynard said, “There is hope in this for the young man or woman who perhaps innocently or naïvely [did not realize] at the time the significant consequence of their actions. And we are saying that as a progressive nation that still has a lot to do, we cannot afford to disproportionately affect potential, serious contributors to the buildout of our country, and so this offers an opportunity at least to start with a fresh slate.”

“I want to the commend the Government…for attempting in this way, in the first instance, to prepare our society and our community for the responsible decriminalization of cannabis and associated activities,” the Honourable Maynard added.

The honourable minister also voiced his support for the establishment of a sustainable medicinal cannabis industry, noting that, “We must not be afraid to explore the possibilities of the economic returns on responsibly investing in cannabis.”

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, under the leadership of Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, has signaled its intention to move ahead responsibly with the creation of a medicinal cannabis authority. This was supported by the recent appointment of Dr. Garfield Alexander as the Chief Executive Officer of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority.

The Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, received unanimous support and was subsequently passed in the National Assembly.