by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Terrance Drew said a fair analysis would prove that the island of Nevis is benefitting much more under the Labour Party Administration than under the era of the Team Unity Administration.
On Tuesday, February 13, Drew told the press that alongside the usual Budgetary support, the island of Nevis has been receiving an additional $5 million.
“Since we have come into office, we have shared much more with Nevis and the people of Nevis; not just the Government, but the people of Nevis. We continue to send the Budgetary support of about five million dollars per month. That is outside of everything else. That’s extra support, and that is most likely coming from the consolidated fund where the Citizenship By Investment (CBI) proceeds also go. So, that’s about $60 million per year. In addition to that, we used to get a grant from a favourable country to us, and it was being hidden from Nevis. Since then, I have opened up the grant, and Nevis receives 25% of it, which is about $5 million that they never used to get, that they get now.”
The Federal Government has been giving financial support to Nevis in several other ways, the Prime Minister alluded.
“The other thing to look at is to see where the Federal Government continues to do its spending in Nevis. For example, all of the security in Nevis is paid for by St. Kitts or 90%. Those are the police officers, the military and so forth. All of that is paid for by the Federal Government coming out of the same consolidated funds, and there are multiple things that the Federal Government pays for on Nevis, such as those who benefit from the PAP, soon to be the LIFT Programme, such as those who benefited from the ELEVATE Programme and other Federally driven programmes. They also benefit from the consolidated fund and not from the Nevis Island Administration.
During the campaign leading up to the 2022 General Elections, Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley appeared not to be very pleased about the financial support that Nevis was receiving under the Team Unity Administration. He repeatedly called for a fair share of CBI funds for Nevis.
PM Drew said the financial support Nevis has received under various programmes and initiatives comes from the consolidated fund where CBI proceeds are deposited.
“I would also say that we introduced other things, such as the dividend payments; the Nevisians who qualify, such as the Kittitians who qualify, got in the millions sent to them, so the Nevisians benefited from that from the CBI Programme. On multiple occasions. Of course, I would say that the dividend is dependent upon the inflows from the CBI. I want to clear that up. It doesn’t mean it will be the same all of the time, or you will get it all the time. It is a dividend…Â The other thing is the Independence reset. You all remember the $1,000 was a part of the Independence reset. Again, [the] people of Nevis benefited in the millions of dollars. They have never happened before, and that came out of the consolidated fund from CBI proceeds.
Prime Minister Drew said the children of Nevis will soon benefit directly from CBI proceeds. He assured that children in Nevis would have equal opportunities as those in St. Kitts.
We have gone now to do the $1,000 where we have the savings and financial education plan, including all the children in Nevis who qualify. This is the first time I think that Nevisians can say that they have benefited directly from the CBI.”
All in all, Drew said the Government is keen on ensuring that the people of Nevis are not excluded.
