Local news, News

PREPARATORY WORK FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BHS IN 2019 IS PROGRESSING

Published 17 January 2018

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

PRIME MINISTER DR. THE HONORABLE TIMOTHY HARRIS
PREPARATORY WORK FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BHS IN 2019 IS PROGRESSING

 

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 17, 2019 (SKNIS): The preparatory work for the construction of the new Basseterre High School (BHS) this year is progressing, says Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris at this monthly press conference on January 16, 2019.

“The drawings are being reviewed by a Technical Committee chaired by Dr. Halla Sahely prior to submission to the Development Control and Planning Board,” said the prime minister.

The ultramodern high school will be located on about 14 acres of land at Pond’s Extension in East Basseterre. It will provide 32 classrooms, a music centre with two dedicated music rooms, at least four science labs and six computer labs, a dedicated lecture room, five dedicated vocational workshops, teachers’ lounge, counselling and health service facilities, an auditorium with seating capacity for a minimum of 1,200 persons and upgraded sporting facilities to meet international standards. All floors and rooms of the new BHS will be accessible for wheelchair egress via code compliant ramps, while the amenities will cater to those who are differently abled.

Read More...

Local news, News

Sandy Point Police Station to have own home, says Prime Minister Harris 

Published 17 January 2018

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

Sandy Point Police Station to have own home, says Prime Minister Harris 

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, January 17, 2019 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, has announced that the Sandy Point Police Station which is housed in a rental property will soon have its own home.

“You would recall in our budget address we indicated that from the public sector, and the Government sector in particular, over 150 million dollars will be pumped into the economy, to facilitate growth, to facilitate employment of our people, and to put our country to work again,” said Prime Minister Harris while addressing his first press conference for Year 2019 at the Parliamentary Lounge in Government Headquarters on Wednesday January 16.

Read More...

Local news, News

TEXT: Prime Minister Harris’ Opening Statement at First Press Conference for 2019

Published 17 January 2018

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

TEXT: Prime Minister Harris’ Opening Statement at First Press Conference for 2019

PDF Link to Full Text of Prime Minister Harris’ Opening Statement:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/bb7c8b2d02cf287e7132078a2/files/25bb3049-8cb0-4cbe-80a3-ca67017e4bf1/PM_Harris_Pressconfjanuary162019.pdf

Opening Statement by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, 
Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, at his Monthly Press Conference 
Parliamentary Lounge, Government Headquarters, Basseterre
Wednesday, January 16, 2019

 

Fellow Citizens and Residents, representatives of the media, I wish all of us a wonderful New Year and I hope that 2019 will be a remarkable year for the positive things that our people and the Country will accomplish. 2018 was a very positive one for us.  Our economy grew for the 4th year in a row and our fiscal performance saw surpluses on every account i.e. Recurrent, Overall and Primary.   It is the accumulation of surpluses that has provided the wherewithal for your government to do good things for so many people and to move the Country forward in the right direction.  As a new government, we have been able to do in less than 5 years what some governments have not been able to do in 20 years.  This is a blessing, which our people truly deserve, and we give God the Glory.

Tourism

According to the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), some 149,871 passengers came through the Robert L. Bradshaw (RLB) International Airport in 2018, compared to 140,338 in 2017.  This represents an additional 9,533 passengers over 2017 for a seven (7) percent increase year on year. Some 7,947 flights came to the RLB Airport in 2018 – up 315 over the 7,632 flights in 2017. Regarding cruise tourism, SCASPA is reporting cruise passenger arrivals of 1,103,571 in 2018 versus 1,058,662 cruise passengers in 2017.  This represents an increase of 44,909 passengers. Twice in our history – and only under Team Unity – we have passed the one (1) millionth cruise passenger milestone. Congratulations to all stakeholders in the industry and to the Honourable Lindsay Grant, our Minister of Tourism.

For 2019, we witnessed a record number of arrivals by air with RLB Airport receiving the largest number of passenger arrivals on 5th January 2019 when over 2,728 passengers travelled through our international airport.  Our RLB airport is now twenty (20) years old. There has been no major expansion over that period. Given the record-breaking arrivals, the increase in airlifts and new destinations from which we now access direct flights, our Administration must seriously determine the next steps in the modernization and expansion of the RLB Airport.   In the interim, the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) and related Departments such as Tourism, Immigration and Customs will work cooperatively with other stakeholders to determine and implement measures to enhance the customer experience at the RLB Airport.

Capital Projects

I am pleased to report that the following projects are poised for early implementation in 2019.

Read More...

Crime/Justice, Local news, News

PM HARRIS SAYS RSS TROOPS WILL STAY IN ST. KITTS-NEVIS AS LONG AS LOCAL SECURITY HEADS DEEM IT NECESSARY

Published 17 January 2018

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

Photo: Local police and RSS officers during a vehicle checkpoint in 2018
PM HARRIS SAYS RSS TROOPS WILL STAY IN ST. KITTS-NEVIS AS LONG AS LOCAL SECURITY HEADS DEEM IT NECESSARY

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 16, 2019 (SKNIS): The deployment of security officials under the Regional Security System (RSS) in support of law enforcement operations in St. Kitts and Nevis will continue in 2019.

Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, addressed the topic during his monthly press conference on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, by saying: “They will be here as long as the High Command of our security forces deem the support to be necessary.”

The RSS was deployed in St. Kitts and Nevis in October 2018 to complement the local security forces. The additional manpower has resulted in several successes by law enforcement, including the seizure of 37 illegal firearms in 2018.

Read More...

Crime/Justice, Local news, News

POLICE TO RESTRUCTURE TACTICAL UNITS TO BUILD ON SUCCESSES OF 2018

Published 17 January 2018

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

Photo: Security forces receive are briefed by ACP Adams before an operation
POLICE TO RESTRUCTURE TACTICAL UNITS TO BUILD ON SUCCESSES OF 2018
Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 16, 2019 (SKNIS): Two tactical units in the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) are set to undergo a number of reforms in order to consolidate gains achieved in 2018 that led to the enhancement of public safety in the Federation.

“Since most of the violent criminal activities have been linked to gangs, the Anti Gang and the Anti Drug Taskforce will be reorganized to achieve more efficacious outcomes,” Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, said during his monthly press conference on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

Read More...