BASSETERRE, ST KITTS, December 14, 2022 (Press Secretary’s Office)- St Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew has told the St Kitts and Nevis National Assembly and the Nation, that his four-month-old St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP)-A-Team administration in its first four months in office has “hit the ground running and has already recorded a number of important people-centred achievements.”
“During the election campaign, we recognized many of the shortcomings of the Government system and pledged to bring better management of and results from the operations of the Public Sector. We have come to office to pursue a better pathway for the development of our country to the benefit of all citizens and residents. That is why, immediately upon taking office, our Labour Administration set the wheels in motion to ease the heavy burden of some of the most vulnerable citizens and residents. Our new Administration moved swiftly to make good on its promise to those workers who lost their jobs because they chose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Drew in presenting the Second Reading of the “Appropriation Act 2022 (2023) in the St Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
The Minister of Finance stated that the Government secured the resources necessary to support the gratuitous payment which has been paid to all workers who registered their termination notice with the Labour Department; a pledge made to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis during the August 2022 election campaign. Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew stated –
“To date, the Government has disbursed EC$1.3 million in payment to 64 persons who were affected by the discriminatory policies of their former employers. Similarly, our Labour Administration has kept its promise to thousands of Public Sector workers who risked their lives in service to our country but were forced to suffer serious dejection for being overlooked when it was time for the previous Administration to show tangible appreciation for their service. To date, a total of EC$5.4 million has been paid to 2,679 Public Servants. This investment in our people is symbolic of the care and compassion of our St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration. It also represents our appreciation of our workers; hence, our attempt to bring relief by repairing the breach in trust and restoring the morale of many Public Servants who we all rely on daily to deliver some of the most critical services of the Government.”
He added: “Our people can always count on this Labour Administration to do the right thing and always work to protect the interests of all our people in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Dr. Drew also pledged that SKNLP Administration will work assiduously over the coming years to ensure that “our country thrives, regains its prominence as a leading small island developing state and moves closer to achieving its full potential.” “As we examine the current systems, we have come to the realization that much effort is required to rebuild our institutions into strong, well-functioning, self-sustaining and resilient public entities. Moreover, our Government has started the process to reimagine and redesign the approach to economic and social development by upending some of the existing systems to make them more equitable, inclusive, and responsive,” said Dr Drew.
“We will therefore build on the successes of the past Labour Administrations to bring to life our new vision for good governance, economic and climate resilience, job creation, social justice and protection, food security and fostering entrepreneurship,” the Minister of Finance said.
The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration continues to work assiduously for the betterment of all within the Federation.
