Buckie Got It : St Kitts and Nevis News

Local news, News

APIS BILL ENHANCES ST. KITTS AND NEVIS’ REPUTATION, WHICH HAS SEEN A MARKED INCREASE UNDER HARRIS-LED ADMINISTRATION

Published 28 May 2017

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 26^TH, 2017 (PRESS SEC) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said on Tuesday that the safe passage of the Advance Passenger Information Bill “helps St. Kitts and Nevis’ reputation as a responsible member of the international community.”

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis stated that the safe passage in the Parliament furthered the progress, which the Government of National Unity is making at a steady clip in offsetting the reputational damage to the country suffered under the previous Denzil Douglas-led administration.

Progress on that front has seen reforms to the country’s AML/CFT [anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism] regime, as well as a robust overhaul and rebranding of its Citizenship by Investment Program to include a strengthened due diligence process that is now the platinum standard. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) commended these improvements during the recently held Article (IV) Consultation in St. Kitts and Nevis.

This progress has also seen a reputational rebound for St. Kitts and Nevis’ passport, which is ranked number one in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), number two in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) behind The Bahamas, and number 50 in the world out of 199 countries and territories, according to the Nomad Passport Index 2017.

News

PLANS UNDERWAY TO HOST 42nd REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE CARIBBEAN, THE AMERICAS AND THE ATLANTIC REGION OF THE CPA

Published 28 May 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 25, 2017 (SKNIS): Plans are in train to host the 42^nd Regional Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), which will be held in St. Kitts at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort during the period June 16-24, 2017, under the theme “Enhancing Democracy through the Use of the Parliamentary System and the Media”.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary General, Mr. Akbar Khan, is scheduled to attend, along with 12 speakers of parliaments to date and 75 delegates, who have already confirmed their attendance, representing 14 parliamentary branches including Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis Island, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. There are 19 parliamentary branches in the region.

Education, Local news, News

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS ASSURES NEW BHS SITE WILL BE SAFE

Published 28 May 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 26, 2017 (SKNIS): Cromwell Williams, Director of Public Works, has reassured the public that the site of the new Basseterre High School (BHS), Ponds Estate, has been properly assessed and all checks have been carried out to ensure that the environment remains safe.

On May 25, Mr. Williams, along with the technical team appointed by the government, made his way to the site, which is at the southern end of the Basseterre Aquifer. The director said that “there will be some concerns in the public domain due to the fact that this area is considered an environmentally sensitive area,” but that plans have been put in place to mitigate any fallout.

“The fact that we have chosen this site, which is at the southern end of the aquifer, in itself is a mitigation step in that it is downstream of the wells and the water in this area moves from north to south,” he explained. “So, by the time it gets to this area on its way to the sea, it would have passed the wells already. Notwithstanding that we will ensure that in the design and construction that adequate redundancies are put in place to deal with any possibility of any spill of any kind of waste whatsoever.”

Local news, News, Travel

HOLDERS OF DEACTIVATED ST. KITTS AND NEVIS PASSPORT WITHOUT PLACE OF BIRTH REQUIRED TO PAY THE COST OF APPLICATION FOR NEW PASSPORT

Published 28 May 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 26, 2017 (SKNIS): The Ministry of National Security wishes to advise all holders of deactivated St. Kitts and Nevis passports without the country of origin field that they must reapply for new passport by paying the full cost.

St Kitts and Nevis passports issued between the years 2010 – 2014 excluded the data field, “Place of Birth”.

The Ministry reminds that commencing 10^th December, 2014, all such St Kitts and Nevis passports were recalled for re-issuance of a new passport with the inclusion of the aforementioned data field and a notation on the passport observation page, where applicable, of any name changes. The re-issuance was at no additional cost to the applicant.

This initiative continued through 31^st December, 2015 and was further officially extended until 31^st March, 2016. However, since that time, the Ministry of National Security / Passport Office continued to facilitate persons until approximately the third (3^rd) quarter of 2016.

In light of the prolonged period of attempting to accommodate holders of a St Kitts and Nevis passport without the data field, in March 2017, the government announced that all passports without the data field, “Place of Birth” would be deactivated and holders would now be required to bear the costs for the re-issuance of a new passport.

All St. Kitts and Nevis passports without the data field, ‘Place of Birth’, have now been cancelled and can no longer be used as valid travel document.

The government regrets any inconvenience caused, and hopes that affected individuals will now comply with this new requirement. Persons are asked to contact the St. Kitts and Nevis Embassy closest to them.

International news, Local news, News

Canada’s new international assistance policy will put women and girls at the heart of its new approach

Published 27 May 2017

Canada’s new international assistance policy will
put women and girls at the heart of its new approach.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 27th 2017 – Canada has announced it will soon introduce a new international assistance policy that will focus on protecting and promoting the human dignity of the poorest and most vulnerable.

Dean Beyea, Canada’s Temporary Alternate Governor told the 47th Annual Board of Governors Meeting of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in the Turks and Caicos that Canada’s international assistance will support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by putting women and girls at the heart of its new approach.