Post Cabinet Briefing for August 21 & 28, 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 31, 2017 (SKNIS) — The formal meeting of the Cabinet took place on August 21 and 28, 2017. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Here are the salient matters that were discussed at that meeting:
Cabinet considered the assistance given to citizens by Social Services and reiterated that the vulnerable in the society will be helped with back to school materials.
Cabinet considered the recommendations of the National Honours Awards Committee and the eight persons favourably considered will be named shortly.
Cabinet was given an update on the performance of students in the recent sitting of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, which were shared publicly with the people of the Federation by Education Minister, the Honourable Shawn Richards.
Cabinet also considered and approved requests from persons wishing to go overseas to pursue tertiary education to the tune of over one million dollars in terms of bursaries, scholarships and grant assistance.
Cabinet considered a number of submissions for projects to be initiated within the Federation.
Cabinet in its meeting considered the security of Port Zante and discussed methods aimed at making Port Zante more secure for business people, locals, and visitors alike within that vicinity.
Cabinet received a presentation from the Deputy Financial Secretary on August 28 on the medium to long term fiscal framework for 2018-2020. The projections for economic growth are satisfactory as is the reduction in the Debt-to-GDP Ratio.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security came to the Cabinet to present a proposal for a second chance gang reduction programme. The proposal was well received and Cabinet agreed to seek the funding for helping to transform the lives of at risk youth.
Cabinet was briefed and updated by the Councillors of the Board of the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) on the relationship and the ongoing engagement with the Kittitian Hill Development.