Published 22 August 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Federal team briefs Nevis Island Administration Cabinet on Poverty Alleviation Programme
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 22, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Mr Andrew Skerritt, was on Wednesday August 22 in Nevis leading a four-member team from the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to ensure that the data collection process for the Poverty Alleviation Programme is being rolled out on the island of Nevis.
The team, which included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Mrs Beverly Harris, Director of Statistics Mrs Gaile Phillips, and Social Statistician Mr Corneal Williams, met and briefed the Nevis Island Administration’s Cabinet at the Cabinet Room in Pinney’s Estate.
“It is nice of us to be here in Nevis to launch the Poverty Alleviation Project,” said Mr Skerritt who is also Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis. “This is a very important project to the Federal Government, and we have here some of the technical officers.”
Deputy Premier the Hon Alexis Jeffers stood in for Premier the Hon Mark Brantley who is on a short vacation. Present were the Minister of Social Services the Hon Eric Evelyn whose Ministry will be spearheading the project in Nevis, and the Minister of Communications and Works the Hon Spencer Brand.
Others present were Junior Minister of Health and Gender Affairs the Hon Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Education and Information Technology the Hon Troy Liburd, Legal Advisor to the Nevis Island Administration Mrs Hélène Lewis, and Permanent Secretary in Premier’s Ministry Mr Wakely Daniel who stood in for Cabinet Secretary Mr Steadmond Tross.
After the team briefed the Nevis Island Administration’s Cabinet on the Imitative, it started conducting training of the enumerators at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room in Charlestown, ensuring that all enumerators accepted to take the court administered Oath of Confidentiality.
“I personally would want to commend the Prime Minister and the Federal Government for ensuring that the island of Nevis also benefits from this initiative,” said Deputy Premier the Hon Alexis Jeffers in welcoming the team from St. Kitts. Under the Poverty Alleviation Programme, households earning less than $3,000 per month will qualify to receive $500 monthly from the government.
“It was an initiative that was spoken about during the campaign of 2015,” noted the Hon Jeffers. “It was also in the manifesto of the Team Unity Administration which of course every time one prints a manifesto, the effort is to ensure that we accomplish as many of those goals that were set out, and this is one of those important initiatives that I believe will make a difference in the lives and the livelihood of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The Hon Eric Evelyn, Minister of Social Services in the Nevis Island Administration and who will be spearheading the programme in Nevis, said they were happy that the Federal Government had decided to have the Poverty Alleviation Programme extended to the island of Nevis.
“We have been getting a lot of questions here on the island regarding the Poverty Alleviation Programme, and we are happy that part of the programme will be extended here,” said the Hon Evelyn. “We as a Cabinet we are indeed happy that we will be briefed in terms of what the programme is all about, what is expected of us here in Nevis, (and) how the programme will be rolled out.”
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Nevis Deputy Premier Alexis Jeffers at the head of the table as the NIA Cabinet was briefed on the Poverty Alleviation Programme by team led by PS Andrew Skerritt (right).
2: Hon Brand (left) and St. Kitts team Mr Andrew Skerritt (2nd left), Mr Corneal Williams, PS Mrs Beverly Harris, and Mrs Gaile Phillips. On right is NIA’s Mrs Hélène Lewis.
3: The Hon Eric Evelyn (left) confers with PS Andrew Skerritt (right). In the Middle is the Hon Spencer Brand.
4: Part of the NIA team: From right, Mr Wakely Daniel, the Hon Hazel Brandy-Williams, the Hon Troy Liburd, and Mrs Hélène Lewis.
