Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 20, 2017 (SKNIS): More jobs were created in St. Kitts and Nevis with 94 percent of the 320 permanent employees hired at the newly opened Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour being locals, a figure the country’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has lauded as remarkable, while underscoring that locals are already benefiting from the operations of the five star luxury resort situated at Banana Bay on the South-east Peninsula in St. Kitts.
“This is a clear indication of the deserving confidence that has been placed in the ability of our people to excel and to reach their God-given potential,” said Dr. Harris, while adding that through discussions with top Park Hyatt officials they showed interest in ensuring that the core people coming out of the colleges in the federation were equipped with the skills and the attitudinal disposition to render exceptional service.
“I am sure that they will render to you excellent service as they need to. This excellence in service we want to engender in all of our people in the government sector, in the private sector, in the media even, and of course, that becomes the ethos, the enduring values by which the people of St. Kitts and Nevis become best known—excellence of service, excellence of imagination, that is critical in the task of national development,” Prime Minister Harris added.
He said that the government remains committed to ensuring that locals are empowered, but added that they themselves must make that extra effort to market their products and grab at the opportunities available.
“We will hope that our farmers, fishers and those involved in arts and in the production of things will find at the Park Hyatt a good place with which to do business,” he said.
Mohammed Asaria, Vice Chairman of Range Developments, the developers of the 126-room luxury resort, shared similar sentiments and said it was always a plan to ensure that locals benefit in whatever way possible.
“I think that is an incredible result and it hasn’t happened by accident… and it’s not just the employees, the staff which make the hotel, it’s the rest of the opportunities which this hotel provides to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. There are a number of opportunities, be that from the sale of produce, be that from the sale of other materials,” said Vice Chairman Asaria, while highlighting that the management of the hotel is committed to “work hand in hand with the Government and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to ensure that that opportunity is maximized.”
