BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 12, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister)– A full day of visits to the different manufacturing plants here on St. Kitts on Monday (February 11) gave members of the Federal Cabinet an opportunity to see firsthand the daily operations of the various plants, as well as provided thousands of manufacturing employees the opportunity to express their views and concerns directly to the leaders of Government.
The visit to the manufacturing sector by members of the Cabinet and officials from the Labour Department formed part of the activities organized in observation of the Team Unity Government’s second anniversary, being celebrated under the theme: “TEAM UNITY: Making Dreams a Reality in Every Community!”
Senior Minister and Minister of Labour, the Honourable Vance Amory, stated that Labour officials make regular visits to businesses, including those within the manufacturing sector.
However, Minister Amory noted that Monday’s tour provided a unique opportunity for his fellow Cabinet colleagues to get a personal feel for the work employees within the manufacturing division do daily to maintain the high standards of this important sector.
“I think it was important for us to have seen the workers in the manufacturing industry at work and to interact with them and to listen to them because we also had some questions and answers. But it was really to see them at work and to let them know that they do an important job and to also advise them from the Government’s standpoint what we as a Government are prepared to do, and that really is the function which I think we can continue to play,” said Minister Amory.
Plant Manager for API Harowe St. Kitts Ltd., Mr. Carol Evelyn, said it is always a wonderful occasion when government ministers visit and take interest in the manufacturing sector.
He added, “It is always good to have the government coming around, especially the prime minister. People always feel as though the government should show more interest in the manufacturing sector so to have them here today, and so many of them – the prime minister and at least five others with him – it was really significant for us.”
Following the final stop at API Harowe, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris indicated that they were impressed with the enthusiasm expressed by the workers in all five plants visited on Monday, and noted that, “It was clear from the questions that were posed at the factories we visited that the policies and programmes of the Government are impacting and that more persons would like to benefit.”
The prime minister continued, “We have had some suggestions and some ideas, which we are going to work on to ensure the strong delivery patterns which have been associated with my administration over the last four years will continue to excel so that more people, more families, more communities will benefit.”
The Government ministers were also pleased with the 2019 outlook for the majority of the plants visited, as most reported projected increase in revenue based on the introduction of new products and plant expansions.
