Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 07, 2020 (SKNIS): Guests who attended (Saturday, January 04, 2020) Prime Minister’s New Year’s Gala at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, walked away with an infused sense of patriotism and optimism as a result of inspiring remarks shared by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris as well as special guest speaker Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski.
The 5th annual gala was held under the theme “Building a Brighter, Stronger Future for All Our Citizens and Residents.” The evening’s messages successfully conveyed the positive gains over the past five years and the outstanding projections for the future.
Prime Minister Harris reflected on the remarkable improvements in multiple areas in St. Kitts and Nevis such as tourism, information and communication technology, safety and security, justice, and housing. The prime minister also highlighted several key indicators from a December 2019 ECLAC report entitled Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean that showed St. Kitts and Nevis has the lowest central government gross public debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio, the lowest gross external debt in the region, and the highest fiscal balance as a percentage of GDP.
With economic growth figures projected for 3.5 percent in 2020, Dr. Harris told the hundreds in attendance that “Our beloved St. Kitts and Nevis has every cause to believe that the 2020s can be our best years.”
Dr. Hrabowski, a world-renowned influential educator, repeated a message that he learnt from the legendary American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King – “Tomorrow can be better than today.”
“When you can talk about your country gaining the respect of the world in thinking about financial stability, and leaders who are experts, and ambassadors who are economists and physicians, and a [prime minister] with a PhD, there’s a sense of pride that every person in this country should have,” Dr. Hrabowski stated.
The renowned educator, who serves as the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), challenged persons in the packed Marriott ballroom to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, as well as humanities and the arts to continue the outstanding development currently taking place in St. Kitts and Nevis.
