Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 22, 2015 (SKNIS): Premier of Nevis, Honourable Vance Amory has stated on this week’s edition of “Working for You” that the relationship between the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and the Federal Government is one to be applauded as much has been done to ensure that both countries receive a fair share.
Premier Amory, who is also a senior minister in the Federal Cabinet, referenced the Citizenship By Investment Programme (CBI) which he requested, around 1995 and 1996, to receive a fair share of the proceeds.
“It is a citizenship programme, because it is a ‘resource’ of the entire federation where citizenship is acquired of St. Kitts and Nevis not just St. Kitts. There should have been an opportunity for the NIA to benefit directly from a fair share, an equitable share in the CBI programme. That was denied.”
The Premier noted that the Government of National Unity stepped in and dealt with it head on.
The relationship has garnered a shared benefit from the removal of Valued Added Tax (VAT) on food, funeral expenses and medicine. He stated that it was not plausible for the government “to tax the people and tax them into poverty.”
“If people are poor, they become disgruntled,” Minister Amory explained. “If people have a bit more money to spend on the necessities of life…they will certainly be happier because they will be able to satisfy their own simple needs for life.”
The payment of the former sugar workers also played an important role in the relationship as Nevis was included in the pay-out.
The premier stated that over the past eight months the government has been showing the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and the world that it is focused on providing good, transparent governance for the benefit of the people.