Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 11, 2023 (Cabinet Secretariat): The Cabinet Ministers met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, on Monday, July 10th, 2023, and made several important decisions to improve the welfare of our people.
The Cabinet received a comprehensive presentation from the Director of the Department of Constituency Empowerment, Mrs Colincia Levine. Director Levine shared that the main philosophy of the department seeks to impact the citizenry to:
- Assist in the creation of a dynamic socio-economic environment
- Provide an opportunity to improve the standard of living or quality of life
- Facilitate community activism
- Nurture resilient livelihoods, participatory local governance, representation and self-management; and
- Aid in the formulation of evidence-driven policy in the areas of standard of living and quality of life.
Following several weeks of community observations, the Department is now in its engagement phase which Director Levine expressed will see a further enhanced presence of empowerment officers in the communities, connecting citizens and residents to avenues of assistance of their varied needs. In addition, the Department of Constituency Empowerment will embark on a major project for the cleaning of ghauts and removal of debris etc., as well as the improvement and enhancement of green spaces.
In a concerted effort to bring relief from the increased cost of food, fuel and other items, the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration has instituted concessions on all school supplies until the end of September 2023, has lowered corporate income tax and unincorporated business tax, as well as reduced the excise tax on gasoline. Additionally, the Cabinet has approved the formulation of a taskforce to examine strategies and solutions for reducing the cost of living. The Honourable Prime Minister will be meeting with the major food suppliers and traders to find solutions to reduce the cost of food in the supermarkets.
The Cabinet approved Saint Kitts and Nevis’ accession to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). La Francophonie represents countries and regions where French is a customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are French speakers), or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture. With over 88 member countries, La Francophonie holds tremendous cultural, commercial, and political benefits opportunities for Saint Kitts and Nevis as we look to build strategic partnerships with Canada, France, and the countries of Africa, for development and resilience.
The Cabinet approved the calendar of activities to mark the nation’s Fortieth Anniversary of Independence. The Independence 40 Calendar will be officially revealed during an official launch event on Friday, July 14th, 2023, at The Circus, Downtown Basseterre at 4:30 p.m.
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