Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 25, 2016 (SKNIS): The formal meeting of the Cabinet took place on Monday, October 24, 2016. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.
1. Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris updated Cabinet on the recently concluded 86th Meeting of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council, which took place on Friday, October 21, 2016, via video conference. Prime Minister Harris shared information on the substantive issues that are before the Council. He is the lead on a committee, comprising three countries, namely, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. The special committee has been set up to review the Banking Act and address concerns that the region is faced with with respect to derisking and correspondent banking issues. The Monetary Council is the highest decision-making authority of the ECCB. It comprises eight Ministers of Finance, one from each member government, namely Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
2. Cabinet received an update on the immigration operation which took place on the 22nd of October, 2016. The matter was discussed in great detail. Suggestions from the Ministry of National Security were taken on board to assist persons to regularize their status and legally be a part of the federation.
3. Cabinet approved the policy for the qualification of fractional ownership for properties under the Citizenship by Investment Programme and gave approval for five (5) measures, including a special committee to review existing projects and projects yet to be approved to protect the integrity of the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
4. Cabinet considered the issue of land areas for use as cemeteries in some areas. Where land has already been so allocated, discussions surrounded the proper commissioning of these lands for the use as originally planned. These land areas will have to be consecrated, infrastructure will have to be put in place and they will have to be parceled/distributed to different churches.