NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (January 17, 2014) — The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) wasted no time to identify a suitable available option for relocation of the Treasury, Inland Revenue and Value Added Tax (VAT) Departments on Nevis, after an early morning fire on January 17, 2014, engulfed the Government-owned Treasury Building and disrupted the services offered there to the Nevis public.
Premier of Nevis and Minister of Finance Hon. Vance Amory told the Department of Information on January 20, 2014, after the NIA’s Cabinet toured the Nevis Cooperative Credit Union’s (NCCU) Ingle Blackette Building Business Complex, that the facility offered the requisite needs for the relocation of the three displaced offices to commence operations in a short time.
“I think we are satisfied having looked at the building, that it meets to a fair degree our requirements. I think we will certainly be finalising agreements with the Credit Union for the use of this premises for the reestablishment of the operations of the Treasury and the Inland Revenue and the VAT offices. I think it is important that we get things up and running as quickly as possible.
“I want to say thanks to the staff, the Permanent Secretary Finance Mr. Lawrence and the Treasurer Mr. Colin Dore and their senior staff for promptly getting on the ball and discussing with potential property owners the possibility of finding something suitable. We have here at the Ingle Blackette Building, an area which clearly meets that requirement and I think, should be able to house all of the operations and as soon as the senior staff are able to acquire equipment, furnishings we will have them operating out of this area for a period anyway,” he said.
Present on the tour were Deputy Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley, Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Hon. Troy Liburd, Cabinet Secretary Stedmond Tross, Legal Advisor to the NIA Colin Tyrell and Treasurer Colin Dore while the NCCU was represented by General manager Sydney Newton, Member of the NCCU Board of Directors Mackie Tross and Former Project Manager of the construction phase of the Complex Spencer Brand.