Published 15 November 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Amidst corruption in St. Kitts and Nevis, Transparency International says it is on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean
Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 15, 2017 – Amidst growing concern about corruption in St. Kitts and Nevis, an international organisation is of the view that corruption is on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Transparency International in a recent report noted that corruption is a scourge that hurts ordinary people every day across the Americas. And when they speak out about it, far too often they face retaliation.
“Almost two thirds of people that we surveyed for the latest Global Corruption Barometer, People and Corruption: Latin America and the Caribbean, said that corruption had risen in the 12 months prior to when they were questioned (62 percent). More than half said that their government is failing to address corruption (53 percent). And one in three people who had used a public service in the last 12 months said they had to pay a bribe (29 percent),” said Transparency International which pointed out that it spoke to more than 22,000 people in 20 countries.
“Based on the estimated population size of these countries, this means that around 90 million people paid bribes. The people of Latin America and the Caribbean are being let down by their governments and the private sector. Bribery represents a significant barrier to accessing key public services, particularly for the most vulnerable in society,” said the organisation.
Transparency International submitted four key recommendations to strengthen the judicial system and help people speak up without fear of retaliation.
“Governments across Latin America and the Caribbean should strengthen the institutions involved in the detection, investigation and prosecution of corruption-related crimes; lift political immunity for corruption-related cases; strengthen police investigative capacity, reinforce internal disciplinary measures and establish permanent accountability mechanisms for the police as well as create accessible, anonymous, reporting channels for whistleblowers, which meaningfully protect them from all forms of retaliation.
In April, Jamaican pollster Bill Johnson found that over 80 percent of Kittitians are concerned about the high levels of corruption in the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Administration.
“70 percent were concerned about nepotism, 75.6 percent about crime, 51.8 percent on victimisation and 46.4 percent on the Citizenship by Investment Programme,” said the poll.
The height of corruption in St. Kitts and Nevis prompted a national to pose the question: “Is there a conspiracy of silence among professional groups in St. Kitts and Nevis?
He made reference to the continuing international spotlight on St. Kitts and Nevis in relation to damming reports that a rogue herpes vaccine trial involving 20 United States and British citizens was conducted at a private home on St. Kitts as well as a unethical stem cell programme at the J. N. France Hospital last year.
“I do not understand why there is a conspiracy of silence among professionals in this country. I really do not understand it. It seems like anybody has the backbone or the culture anymore to talk about issues that even affect them in their professions,” said the caller to the popular programme.
The caller said there are too many issues where the opinion of the St. Kitts and Nevis Medical Association is warranted.
“I can think of the Basseterre High School, the (illegal) stem cell at the J. N. France General Hospital, (deteriorating) health management, and now this ( herpes vaccine trial). Why is there a silence from the professionals,” said the male caller.
His comments come at a time when several professional bodies including the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Nevis Christian Council, the Nevis Evangelical Association, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association, the St. Kitts Christian Council, the St. Kitts Evangelical Association, the St. Kitts Business Forum, the Nevis Teachers Union and the St. Kitts Teachers Union have remained totally silent on several national issues including crime, corruption, cronyism, nepotism, the stifling of parliamentary democracy in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, the watering down of the Public Accounts Committee, the refusal of the Team Unity Government to provide office space and finance the functioning of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, the decision of the Team Unity Government to construct a new Basseterre High School on the Basseterre water table which provides millions of drinking water to residents of Basseterre and its environs; the Lanny Davis payments from the Office of the Prime Minister despite his denials and the call by ousted executive and founding members of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) allegation that over EC$10 million in campaign funds cannot be accounted for.
