PM Timothy Harris approves 46.6% increase in annual Budget support for Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris provided unprecedented income and budgetary support to Nevis. He stated that they approved a 46.6 percent increase in annual Budget support for Nevis to $66M. 

He said, “Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Timothy Harris has agreed to request of the Premier of Nevis to increase budgetary support to the Nevis Island Administration from $45 million per year to the largest amount of $66 million, an increase of 46.6 percent.”

Prime Minister Timothy Harris stated that unprecedented income and budgetary support had been given to the #Nevis Island Administration since 2015 under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris. Both former Premier the Late Vance Amory and current Premier Mark Brantley have both been on record several times.

The Federal government, led by Dr Timothy Harris, has the best record of support for the people of #Nevis and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA). 

The record of support has been described by Premiers Hon Vance Amory and Hon Mark Brantley as the best ever.

In 2022 the Harris led administration agreed with a request of the Premier of Nevis to increase the historic budgetary support to the NIA from $45 million per year to the largest amount of $66 million, an increase of 46.6 percent.

He further stated, “For the record, we are and have been a vibrant people-centred national party called People’s Labour Party with formal structures in all constituencies in St Kitts. These structures facilitated the victory of Team Unity in 2015 and again in 2020 when the people’s action movement was weak. PLP working with them made the string hence the revival of PAM after 20 years in the wilderness. There has never been any agreement by my Party to restrict itself to only two constituencies, No three and No 7 in St Kitts.”

In addition to this historic allocation the Federal government continues to pay:

• The STEP workers assigned by the NIA to both public and private sector entities in Nevis
• the monthly stipend of $500 for every Nevisian on the PAP
• Income Support to displaced workers in Nevis
• the wages of those of the Peace Programme managed in Nevis, medications ordered by the NIA, wages, salaries and other operational expenses in maintaining Police Services in Nevis,
• wages, salaries and other operational expenses of Fire Services Unit in Nevis,wages, salaries and other operational expenses of Defense Force Unit in Nevis
• payment of economic cost for Nevisians studying at the University of the West Indies,
• support on the participation of Nevisians pursuing studies at other Universities
• fully meet cost of membership of Federal entities to all regional and international organizations, thereby bringing technical and other resources to the islands of Nevis and St. Kitts,
• meet double salary requests for every employee of NIA and statutory bodies proposed by the NIA for double salary,
• pay millions of dollars in severance benefits to affected workers on Nevis and St. Kitts,
• support requests of the of the NIA for assistance from financial institutions including the SIDF, National Bank etc
• willingly provided many other support and assistance to the NIA and Nevisians.

The federal government has the record of being most supportive and facilitating with the NIA. Our federal government since 2015 has been instrumental in ensuring that a record sum of over $400 million of financial support has been made to the government and people of Nevis.

The federal government will continue to work cooperatively with the Nevis Island Administration for the peace, good governance, growth, and development of all the people of Nevis and St. Kitts.