Published 28 September 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A47QF2C8kQ4&feature=youtu.be
Link to Transcript of Prime Minister Harris’ Brief Remarks:
https://mcusercontent.com/bb7c8b2d02cf287e7132078a2/files/2b644de4-0dbc-4623-92e2-001fc31155ae/Prime_Minister_Harris_2020_Diaspora_Conference_Remarks.pdf
Brief Remarks by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis,
Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris,
At the St. Kitts and Nevis Diaspora Virtual Conference
Sunday, September 27th, 2020
As Prepared for Delivery
My fellow citizens and well-wishers, I extend special greetings to all who are viewing this Conference and who in any way contributed to its planning and execution. I must recall that this is a global diaspora conference and our people are everywhere in different time zones, so let me greet our people according to your time of day. Good night to those of you who are in the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. To those in the Asian Continent and Taiwan in particular, I say good morning. I thank all who have joined us via Zoom.
It is indeed gratifying to be able to converse with you all, and particularly our citizens in the diaspora. In times foregone, we would have been “updating” you on the progress of our Nation but with the advent of the many conveniences of modern technology, you are undoubtedly kept abreast of the developments in our land that we love.
Case in point: we are today able to communicate with so many of you, deployed far and wide across the globe, simultaneously and in real time. Advancements in technology, Internet use and access have not left St. Kitts and Nevis behind. Indeed, our outstanding performance in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) build-out has been recognized globally by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at its 14th World Telecommunication/ICT Symposium in Botswana 2016. We were the only country to have won two (2) prestigious awards. That we as a young Nation can be on par in these respects with the great and ancient powers and economies must be a source of great pride in accomplishment for us at home and abroad. I say at home and abroad because we all contribute to our successes; and, as you would agree, it is true what others say: “You can take them out of St. Kitts and Nevis, but you can’t take St. Kitts and Nevis out of them.” So, we know you in the diaspora celebrate our successes at home, as indeed you should, for in many ways and in various forms, you have contributed to those successes. At home, we delight in your successes too.
In times past, especially those years prior to and immediately following our independence, when some of our people ventured overseas, the remittances that you would have sent home at regular intervals helped many of us here. The packages and barrels at Christmas were eagerly anticipated. As our country grew its domestic economy and the lives of our people improved, the contributions of you in the diaspora continued to change with the needs of our people at home. We are poised at our present state of economic and social development to transition again to another level of development, and your help in building our St. Kitts and Nevis as a Garden of Eden will be much appreciated.
As we look to build that springboard for the next chapter of our development and advancement, we call on you and invite you to remit your expertise, talents, knowledge and networks to assist our continuing efforts to improve St. Kitts and Nevis on every developmental indicator.
St. Kitts and Nevis has done remarkably well as the youngest independent state in the hemisphere. We have the highest per capita income in the OECS and the second (2nd) highest per capita income among our peers in the hemisphere. We are an above average performer on the United Nations Quality of Life Index, one of the best ranked countries amongst small island states.
On the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, we are among the best performers on indicators of justice. We stand top of the class among our peers in the sub and wider region.
Turning to more current events, we have successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic. We are rated as a low-risk jurisdiction by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America (USA) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). We have been successful in keeping infections low, avoiding the undermining of our health system and preventing deaths. For God’s favour, we give him praise.
We are now contemplating the full opening up of our borders to regular commercial travel. We are finalizing all protocols and arrangements to open our borders and stimulate our economy without jeopardizing the health of our people. Health comes first, as does life before livelihood. We require everyone to comply with existing protocols of mask wearing, frequent hand hygiene and physical and social distancing. Complacency should not be acceptable.
COVID-19 has been a difficult and hurtful experience for all of us at home and abroad. COVID-19 will not adjust to us; we must adjust to life with the invisible COVID-19 in our midst. We must do the right thing to control it and protect ourselves from it. We are determined to build a St. Kitts and Nevis that is resilient, innovative, safe and secure. We need your support and welcome your suggestions and advice.
We at home have witnessed with much pride and admiration how you, our people in the diaspora, have achieved and excelled in artistry, international business, technology, medicine, scholastic and scientific research (including climate change), politics and diplomacy. We have citizens holding senior and important positions and posts in multinational corporations, foreign governments, international bodies, universities, and even the entertainment capital of the world … Hollywood. We will count on your support and advice as we develop our country.
It is exactly these expertise, talents and world experiences that we would wish to harness. In so doing, we hope to solidify our position as one of the best places to live, and also as the best run and best managed small island state anywhere in the world.
Let me commend several of our citizens abroad who have been providing ideas and support in our efforts of nation building. I recognize Dr. Everson Hull who is helping us develop our policies and programs for pay for performance in St. Kitts and Nevis. I commend Dr. Frank Laws who has been helping us with the development of an App to be used in the fight against COVID-19 and to enhance our contact tracing capability. He is also assisting in the build-out of a state-of-the-art Cardiac Unit at our JNF Hospital. I point to Dr. Cliff Baird in Canada for work on policies relating to the Cannabis Industry. And I thank Nurse Sylvia Garnette and many others for holding up our Nation before God. All your careful considerations and encouragement play a role in shaping the development of our blessed land of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Conclusion
No country can ever reach its full potential without the participation of each and every person in our society and economy. We invite our citizens abroad to make their continuing contributions to the onerous task of building our beloved country – St. Kitts and Nevis.
We have faith that St. Kitts and Nevis can reach its full potential, in spite of the hurdles that COVID-19 has created. We are working a tailor-made plan to create a stronger and safer future – a future to which all of us can make our ongoing contribution to its resilience, innovation and security.
No doubt there will be obstacles, challenges and setbacks. But obstacles are merely opportunities to excel. You would have had your share, leaving family and friendly shores, to chart your various courses and to leave your mark on the world. We ask you to join us on this exciting journey to a stronger, safer future for all of St. Kitts and Nevis. I now invite your suggestions on how we may best achieve that stronger, safer future.
Thank You.
