Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 28, 2017 (SKNIS): The Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Post, Transport and Urban Development, urged members of the newly launched East Basseterre Management Team to look more into the “future as it relates to the development of the community and to focus not just on the human resources, but also on the physical resources”.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, July 27, Minister Liburd said that “in some cases the task of managing” human and physical resources, “sometimes, in some places are delegated to professional services” when indeed those same services are readily available within the community.
“I also want to implore you that without proper management of our material resources it may just become depleted or rendered unusable,” he said, while encouraging them to look at it from an economic perspective, making mention of the many vacant buildings in the community that can be put to good use. He urged members to utilize the financial institutions in order to gain the necessary help on a number of community projects that can eventually create jobs. “Perhaps this community group can consider being the mouth piece and challenge those banks to find ways to assist small businesses in the area to comeback, be revised and have some real economic activity within the community.”
Minister Liburd encouraged the members to revive the Fisherfolk, as that is a skill that really needs to be enhanced.
“I believe that our community ought to be activity developed and managed in order to promote communal activity and welfare and I note the responsibilities and the role that this team is mandated to play,” he said. “In terms of the environment, we believe that is of critical importance to us here in [East Basseterre]. I want to also ask you to look at the environment, the derelict vehicles. You be the mouth piece, you be the action-oriented ones to help us to get them moved. Our drains need cleaning. You be the ones to make sure we put the [Department] of Environment and the Ministry of Health on the spot.”
The East Basseterre Management Team serves as the central community-based representative body for the community of East Basseterre and its environs. It also has the responsibility to canvas and keep up-to-date with the churches, schools, business society and each and every individual in East Basseterre. This is the second community group to be launched thus far, with the first one being in Conaree.
