Basseterre, Saint Kitts, December 18, 2025 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Sustainable Development has made remarkable progress in restoring fairness, transparency, and order to the management and distribution of national lands. Through targeted reforms and direct citizen engagement, the ministry has resolved hundreds of outstanding land matters and expanded access to land ownership for citizens across Saint Kitts and Nevis.
During her presentation in the 2026 Budget Debate on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Senator, the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, outlined the extensive work being carried out by her ministry to strengthen the land management system and empower citizens through secure land tenure.
“Land access for us is a lifeline to ensuring empowerment,” Dr. Clarke stated. “This undeniable fact motivated the introduction of our lands initiative in 2023, and it continues to be the driving force as we recognise our land resources and improve our management systems.”
Dr. Clarke said that the ministry has invested significant time and effort into hosting a weekly Open House programme, where officials from Administration, Lands, and Surveys met directly with members of the public. “We sat, we interfaced with prospective landowners, and we had real and impactful conversations to be a source of assistance to [address] the concerns of the people who came to us,” she explained.
Minister Clarke added that the initiative was intended to “welcome citizens more directly into the process of land application” and to “demystify the steps and promote transparency where there was once chaos and confusion.”
“It has been two arduous years, but productive years of actively improving land access, correcting past wrongs, and at the baseline, improving and investing in the lives of our people,” Dr. Clarke said.
The Minister reported that the ministry has served over 900 citizens through the issuance of 310 balance letters, 83 statement letters, 179 completion letters, 166 crown grant letters, 69 land resolution letters, and 147 cadastral surveys. Additionally, 531 lots were distributed across all constituencies, representing a total of 1,485 land-related solutions delivered to citizens.
“These numbers each represent a person served, an issue resolved, and progress provided,” Dr. Clarke emphasised. “In a small island developing state striving for sustainable solutions for the future, this represents investment, insight, and of course, progress.”
She expressed gratitude to the hardworking staff of the Ministry, noting that their dedication has been instrumental in resolving longstanding land issues—many of which were inherited from the previous administration. Dr. Clarke reaffirmed that the ministry’s efforts are centred on restoring trust and efficiency in the land management process.
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