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Bank of Nevis Comes to Basseterre

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Bank of Nevis Comes to Basseterre

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 7th April 2021)-With a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Tuesday 6th April 2021, after 35 years of operation, The Bank of Nevis officially showcased establishing its first branch in St.Kitts’ capital of Basseterre at premises once owned by Royal Bank of Canada on Fort Street in the vicinity of The Circus.

Officials pose for a photo following the ribbon-cutting (SKNIS photo)

That morning’s opening ceremony was highlighted with remarks by Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, Premier Mark Brantley, Central Bank Governor Timothy Antoine and Bank of Nevis’s Board Chairman Laurie Lawrence.

Each speaker in his own way extolled the humble beginnings of the bank and it starting share capital of $250,000 (XCD) and that the bank is a symbol of the economic independence of the federation. 


In an interview with this media house, Premier Brantley described the Bank of Nevis as “A quintessential Nevisian institution” which has grown in leaps and bounds. He commented on Tuesdays opening to have been “the culmination of a long-held dream of the late great Simeon Daniel who saw great things happening.” 


The Premier spoke glowingly of the bank’s expansion from only five ( 5) employees at the start in 1985 to its present complement over 140 staff members and an asset base growth to now over $1.5 billion (XCD).


“This expansion should be commended and I wish the institution every success,” Premier Brantley concluded. 
On hand to cut the ribbon at Tuesday’s opening ceremony was Lady Sheila Daniel, widow of the late Premier Daniel. The visibly elated Lady Sheila present to see another facet of her husband’s social and economic vision blossom and bring fruit. 


The Bank of Nevis offers a full range of banking services which include ATM services, online banking, brokerage services, merchant services and foreign exchange purchases and sales. The bank is guided by the motto, “Improving the Quality of Life.”

Before Tuesday’s opening, the Bank of Nevis offered a comprehensive range of banking services primarily to Nevis-based clientele. 

The bank’s work on Nevis helped to promote the vision of the island’s first premier, Simeon Daniel, who rallied others to incorporate the bank on August 29, 1985. 


In December 2019, the Bank of Nevis joined with other members of a consortium of indigenous banks of the OECS to buy the banking operation of the Royal Bank of Canada which had announced its decision to leave the islands. With the required regulatory approval and other closing conditions, the Bank of Nevis has completed all steps to adequately replace the Royal Bank of Canada. 

Police Investigating Incident In Which Two Men Were Injured

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Police Investigating Incident In Which Two Men Were Injured

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 05, 2021 (RSCNPF): The Police are investigating an incident in which two men were injured.

Vincent Francis and Darren Caines, both of whom are from St. Paul’s, were taken to the Pogson Medical Centre after being involved in an altercation in their village.


The Police responded to a report of a wounding sometime after 11 a.m. on April 02, 2021. Preliminary investigations so far have revealed that Caines wounded Francis to his head with what appeared to be a knife. Francis then injured Caines on his hand and foot with a machete. Caines was treated and discharged at the Pogson Medical Centre. Francis was transferred to the J.N.F. General Hospital for further medical attention where he was kept for observation. He has since been discharged. Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.


Persons with information regarding this incident are asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Department in District ‘B’ by dialling 465-7261.

SKN Spotlighted To Turn Around Fortunes Of Swiss Energy Firm

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SKN Spotlighted To Turn Around Fortunes Of Swiss Energy Firm

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Monday 5th April 2021)– Leclanché, a Swiss-based provider of energy storage solutions, has declared a loss in its 2020 financial statements, and partnership with the government of St.Kitts and Nevis is debatably expected to improve the company’s monetary records.

Notably, the company has declared losses of an average of CHF 31 million (Swiss Francs) each year from 2012 to 2019; 2019 was the highest year with losses of CHF 83.4 million while its half year reporting to June 2020 was a loss of CHF 37.4 million.


In December 2020, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis announced that it was entering in a partnership with Leclanché to build out a “fully integrated solar photovoltaic generation and lithium-ion battery energy storage system, will displace 30-35% of the islands’ diesel-generated baseload power.” This relationship would see Swiss partner owning more than 50% of the arrangement. 


Leclanché is on the record blaming delays in this arrangement for its financial malaise in 2020. The Swiss firm had had expectations of turning its financial fortunes and a decade of losses around by doing business in the federation. 

UK-based editor and reporter of Energy Storage News reported, “One of the reasons for its balance sheet difficulties in 2020 was delays to activities due to COVID-19, with the slowing of progress on a project to build a 35.6MW solar PV farm with 44.2MWh of battery storage in St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean among the main factors.”


The delays in St.Kitts and Nevis may now come to an end as the company secured CHF59.6 million of financing from equity and asset fund investors. Before this, the company had been strapped for cash and was unable to start work in the federation.


In a March 30, 2021 press release, Leclanché projected, “In the Stationary Storage Business, continuing delivery of the St. Kitts and Nevis project and additional new stationary projects in fast EV charging applications will deliver turnover growth and positive margin.”


At the sod-turning event in December 2020, Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris described the arrangement with Leclanché as a “visionary project will help secure our energy independence, provide long-term price stability and reduce our reliance on diesel fuel.”

As gathered, the energy independent outlook of the prime minister will come at the expense of repatriation of millions of local dollars to shore up the Swiss company and economy. 


Deputy Prime Minister Richards praised the arrangement as having economic benefits “without having to make a costly up-front investment.” 


Speaking in confidence with this publication, a local educator and economic analyst said, “Richards needs to read Jamaican economist George Beckford and learn that what he is promoting is the perpetuation of the plantation economy where businesses operate in our country for the financial benefit of some other developed economy.

“To be proud to say that we have not spent any money on the investment of transforming our energy independence is to say that we prefer to provide economic opportunities for others before we consider how we can empower our people in this or any other venture,” the economic analyst concluded. 

The arrangement between the St.Kitts-Nevis government and Leclanché is expected to give the Swiss company the opportunity to become profitable while local energy company, SKELEC through a 20-year power purchase agreement, will be a profit-making client of Leclanché

Cricket Biennial General Meeting Postponed

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Cricket Biennial General Meeting Postponed

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Monday 5th April 2021)- The Executive Committee of the St. Kitts Cricket Association has notified its membership that the biennial general meeting of the body which was originally scheduled for Tuesday 6th April 2021 has been postponed. 


The governing body of the SKCA issued a release on April 2nd stating that it had passed a resolution the day prior to delay the meeting by seven days. 


The Resolution read, in part, “BE it resolved that a meeting of the St. Kitts Cricket Association Executive Body held on Thursday 1st April 2021, members requested that the Biennial General Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 6th April 2021 be extended by one week.”


The highest decision-making body (the General meeting) of cricket St. Kitts is now set to meet on Tuesday 14th April, 2021. 


The April 13 agenda will remain unchanged. The gathering will receive the president’s report and a secretary’s report along with a report on the financial accounts of the association in accordance with the provisions of the association’s constitution.


Members present will also receive and deliberate on draft plans for the continued development of the association. These plans are expected to include presentations on the upcoming cricket calendar, the management of local facilities, rebuilding the status of local cricket, and ensuring there is effective stakeholder involvement.
The resolution was carried with the support of three-quarters of the members of the Executive Committee.

St. Kitts and Nevis Flagged in US Report for Corruption, Sexual Assault and Workplace Issues

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St. Kitts and Nevis Flagged in US Report for Corruption, Sexual Assault and Workplace Issues

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Monday 5th April 2021)-The US State Department has issued its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in other countries around the world of which St.Kitts and Nevis is included with areas such as corruption, sexual assault and workplace issues being highlighted.

The review , which was publicized on Tuesday 30th March 2021 via www.state.gov, covers seven sections which include worker’s rights, discrimination and societal abuses, government attitude toward alleged abuses of human rights, lack of transparency in government, freedom to participate in the political process, respect for civil liberties and respect for the integrity of the person. 

A review of country report on St. Kitts and Nevis shows that a number of laws continue to be in place to promote the right of citizens. It also outlines areas of weakness that the country would need to review to ensure that human rights practices in this country meets internationally acceptable standards. 

St. Kitts and Nevis is considered to be lacking in its transparency mechanisms that are associated with the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. Section 4 of the report states that in 2020, “Citizens expressed concern about the lack of financial oversight of revenues generated by the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme.”

This issue persists even after the St. Kitts and Nevis introduced measures to make the CBI process more transparent. In 2020, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis withheld information on the number of passports issued through the programme and the nationalities of the new passport holders.

Section 4 also outlines that in 2020, media and private citizens reported government corruption was a problem. Furthermore, the report highlights that the provisions are not in place that subject public officials to disclose their assets and finances. 

Lack of transparency and the cloak of corruption were also pointed out where the report showed that in St. Kitts and Nevis, “The Financial Intelligence Unit and the police white-collar crime unit investigated reports of suspicious financial transactions, but these reports were not available to the public.”

In Section 7, the report outlined the substandard occupational safety and health (OSH) standards for workers in St. Kitts and Nevis. The US State Department stated, “The [St. Kitts and Nevis] government sets occupational safety and health (OSH) standards that were outdate.”

The Ministry of Labour was portrayed as being reactionary since “it relied primarily on worker complaints to trigger inspections of facilities using informal [labour].” Such a situation exists even though, “The number of [labour] inspectors was sufficient to enforce compliance.” 

The US generated 2020 review document made mention of the pronounced issues of rape and sexual harassment in St. Kitts and Nevis. It pointed out that “Court cases and anecdotal evidence suggested that rape, including spousal rape, was a problem”. Also, in 2020, “The press reported that sexual harassment occurred in the workplace.”

The US State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices assess the ways different nation states and their governments obey the UN declaration of human rights.

Access official report:
https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/saint-kitts-and-nevis/

Police Update: Deceased Guest House Visitor, Woman Reported Missing

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Police Update: Deceased Guest House Visitor, Woman Reported Missing

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Sunday 4th April 2021)-A source at the police Public Relations Department has provided updates regarding a woman recently reported missing as well as a woman who died at guest house in Basseterre.

Credible information gathered by this media house indicates that a female resident of Cayon-said to be in her late 30s- was reported missing by her family and that she was found in Nevis on Saturday 3rd April 2021.

“Given the nature of her situation, no release will be forthcoming. No criminal offences are suspected in the matter, ” an official police source said on this incident.

In relation to the guest house visitor found dead on Sunday 28th March, it was later revealed on Saturday 3rd April  that based on the findings of an autopsy performed “no foul play is suspected.”

According to police details, the woman who was staying at the “guest house in Basseterre took ill and the Emergency Medical Service was called. When they arrived she was unresponsive.”

ECCB Launches World’s First Digital Cash

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ECCB Launches World’s First Digital Cash

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Sunday 4th April 2021)- The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has launched it digital cash version of the EC Dollar.

At a virtual ceremony and media session held on Wednesday 31st March 2021 details were shared about the digital currency, called DCash.

It is the first of its kind and is expected to raise the profile of doing business and cash transfers in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.

The launch is a pilot of the online application in four of the eight ECCU territories – Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia – but the Central Bank Governor, Timothy Antoine anticipates a full roll out in all member states by September, 2021. 

The central bank has partnered with Bitt, a Barbados-based financial technology company, to pioneer the development of a cashless platform to virtually shop and share money across the islands. The digital currency is expected to form an integral part in building out a digital economy sub-region. 

Governor Antoine, in his presentation at the media launch, spoke to the pioneering effort the bank undertook to develop DCash.

He outlined that when the project started, the idea of a digital currency was considered to be extreme. However, “the extreme is fast becoming mainstream” as there are 9 other central banks now pursuing the concept of digital currencies. 

The governor presented DCash as being “safer, faster, and cheaper” method of doing business that will redound to the benefit of businesses and consumers alike. 

He described DCash as being safe because unlike physical cash, it cannot be stolen; it is a contact-less method of payment during the COVID-19 new normal; and it is embedded with anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism protocols in its design. The use of DCash also allows for data privacy. 

DCash transactions are settled in as few as three seconds. The near instantaneous transaction time was demonstrated during the media event to show funds moving among intended recipients in the different islands where the platform is being piloted and back to the initial sender. 

There are no hidden user charges to operate on the DCash platform, plus this reduces the cost associated with transporting physical at the close of the business day. DCash intends to make it more affordable to do business. 

DCash wallets are of two types. These are value-based and register-based wallets. A value-based wallet allows DCash users to operate without using a bank account. The register-based wallet allows users to operate in connection with their banks accounts and allows for transfers of funds from account to wallet and reverse. 

The first group of participating financial institutions across the ECCU are Communal Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (Grenada), G U T Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (Grenada), Republic Bank (Grenada) Ltd., 1st National Bank St. Lucia Ltd., Bank of Saint Lucia Ltd, JANNOU Credit Union (St. Lucia), Caribbean Union Bank (Antigua and Barbuda), Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank Ltd. (Antigua and Barbuda), and St. Kitts Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. 

Merchants who are already accepting DCash payments include Stuart A. Lockhart Legal Services (Antigua and Barbuda), One Coor Mining (Antigua and Barbuda), Solange and Sunny (Antigua and Barbuda), Packed Grocery Delivery (Antigua and Barbuda), 268 Buggies (Antigua and Barbuda), Stanhope Shepherd (Antigua and Barbuda), Huggins Foodland (Grenada), Abstract Décor (Grenada), File and Style ‘em Nails (Grenada), Ramdhanny’s True Value (Grenada), Gr8 Taste (Grenada), KFC Grenada, Grenada Laundry Services Ltd, Eastern Caribbean Rum (Grenada), True Blue Bay Resort (Grenada), Creative House (Grenada), Grenadian Optical Laboratories Ltd, KeyLargo Italian (St. Lucia), True Value Building and Hardware Supplies Ltd. (St. Lucia), J’s Wrap Citi (St. Lucia), KJ’s Delightful Treats (St. Lucia), Tastee Tinges (St. Lucia), Operative Car Rental (St. Lucia), Fred’s Lumber and Supplies Ltd. (St. Lucia), Wizo Ltd. (St. Lucia), EcoCarib (St. Lucia), Computer and Business Services (St. Lucia), Nature’s Best (St. Lucia), Bass Bakery and Bargain Superette (St. Kitts and Nevis), Schools Apex Cooperative (St. Kitts and Nevis), Innovative Education and Training (St. Kitts and Nevis),  Luxury Interiors (St. Kitts and Nevis), Dahlia Architectural and Construction (St. Kitts and Nevis), eCaribbean (St. Kitts and Nevis), and F&H Frisco (St. Kitts and Nevis).

Police Investigating Death of Young Man in Sandy Point

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Police Investigating Death of Young Man in Sandy Point

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 02, 2021 (RSCNPF): The Police are investigating the death of a 15-year-old boy from Crab Hill, Sandy Point. The incident occurred on Thursday, April 01, 2021.

The Police responded to a report received at about 9 p.m. and visited the Sandy Point Basketball Court. Investigations so far have revealed that the juvenile and his friends were playing a game of basketball when a large tree fell on top of him. His friends managed to escape. He was transported via the Emergency Medical Service to the Pogson Medical Centre where he succumbed to his injuries.

He was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer.

An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

Police Investigating Fatal Shooting Incident in Newtown

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Police Investigating Fatal Shooting Incident in Newtown

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 01, 2021 (RSCNPF): The Police are investigating a fatal shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. 

Police responded to a report of a shooting incident in Newtown sometime after 6 p.m. Upon arrival, they met the motionless body of 24-year-old Leon Phillip of La Guerite laying on the ground with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the chest. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.  
The District Medical Officer visited the scene and pronounced him dead. Personnel from the Forensic Services Unit processed the scene and collected items of evidential value.

Persons with information regarding this matter are urged to contact the Violent Crime Unit by dialing 467-1887, 467-1888, 662-3468, their nearest Police Station or the Crime Hotline at 707 where information can be given anonymously.

Zack: ‘I Miss Aquatic Sports… Let Us Vaccinate’

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Zack: ‘I Miss Aquatic Sports… Let Us Vaccinate’

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 31st March 2021) – The event coordinator of the annual Basil Henderson Easter Monday Aquatic Sports Meet, Winston ‘Zack’ Nisbett, is encouraging citizens and residents of St.Kitts-Nevis to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the second year in a row the usually well-anticipated outdoorsy event has been put off as a health measure in avoiding mass gathering.
“It’s a big event… It’s a big crowd that gathers there and so I understand what the National COVID-19 Task Force is saying.”

Nisbett, who is known as ‘The Doctor of Culture’, says he has been asked to the Chairman of the task force Abdias Samuel to encourage persons to get the vaccine “because by having the vaccination and you reach to 70% of the population that would help in opening back up the country.”

When asked what direct message he has for the public, he expressed: “I believe that people should be encouraged to go and take the vaccine. It ain’t something that going kill you. It’s a worldwide pandemic that we have and by getting vaccinated, it will help us to recover and the tourism industry will begin to open back; that is a big thing because the industry is suffering right now and so the more people take the vaccine, it would be better for the visitors and others coming for us to open the country. The taxi operators and other workers and partners within the sector will be able to go back to work and pick up a decent pay because they are really suffering right now.”

“I believe than sooner than later , the vaccine will be incorporated into travelling  in terms of going overseas , you’ll have to get the vaccine somewhere along the line so for those who are able to take the vaccine, I encourage them to do so,” he remarked.

Nisbett said he is going to take the vaccine.

“I myself would try to go and get it sooner rather than later  because I am a public figure  who are involved in programmes and activities at the various schools and other related events, and so I would like to protect myself and others also.”

 “Oh yes, I miss it!  he said about the yearly event which is hosted at the Basseterre Ferry Terminal whilst adding “People keep calling. Sponsors keep calling and others who still remain onboard in the area of contribution and sponsorship.”

Nisbett shared details and ideas he has to make next year’s 65th edition.
“I’m going to make it big event and have a statue in honour of Mr. Basil Henderson. I have the picture already of how I want it done and I’m going to pursue that. I spoke to one of his family members and told her what I’m going to do and I’m going to see if it can be erected at the Ferry Terminal.”

Henderson is recognized a community icon.  He is said to have started a branch of the 4-H in St.Kitts. He is said to organized the first Easter Parade and first Aquatic Sports meet at the Bay Front in 1951.

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