Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 18, 2023 (SKNIS): The Honourable Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, during his contribution to the 2024 Budget Debate on Monday, December 18, 2023, highlighted the significant increase in the budget allocation for water since the Dr. Drew-led Administration assumed office in August 2022.
“I want to stress that we met a budget of 8.7 million dollars for water in 2022, despite the many challenges that we were having with water. When we got there we increased the budget by 160 percent to 22.7 million dollars in 2023. And guess what we are proposing to spend this year, an additional increase of another 20 percent to 38.6 million dollars,” said Minister Maynard.
Minister Maynard said that since August 2022, there has been a 344 percent increase in the water budget under the current administration. He added that this substantial financial commitment is a testament to the government’s dedication to resolving the water supply issues in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“That is a commitment to change the water situation here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Minister Maynard. “We have done a number of things. We reinitiated BEAD. For some reason, the former administration thought that for 7 ½ years, there was no focus whatsoever on water, no new investment, no new nothing at all. When we came to office in 2022, we said that we can’t have that and so we have invested.”
The Honourable Maynard said that as St. Kitts and Nevis moves forward, the government’s unwavering commitment to enhancing water infrastructure and supply is evident. He noted that the substantial budget increases and strategic partnerships like those with BEAD LLC underscore a future where water scarcity is effectively addressed, ensuring the well-being and prosperity of the nation.
BEAD LLC is a private company dedicated to the premise that nature provides fresh renewable groundwater in sufficient amounts to supply large population centres in selected areas in their growing need over a very long period of time at affordable prices. It deploys superior geological and hydrological methods to map the most favourable geological formations and then supervises the drilling and fitting out of the well and pipeline infrastructure required for significant freshwater supplies to local water authorities.
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