Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis Government are rolling out its good governance draft legislation next month.
Attorney General the Honourable Garth Wilkin said that the Anti-Corruption Bill, Freedom of Information Amendment Bill, Integrity in Public Life Amendment Bill, and the Official Gazette Bill will be read in the Federal Parliament for the first time on February 08, 2023.
At the Prime Minister’s Conference with Cabinet Ministers on January 18, 2023, the Attorney General explained that these four pieces of legislation are designed to create a good governance infrastructure that controls the operations of government. The inclusion of the Official Gazette Bill is a relatively new development.
“The reason that we’ve added the Official Gazette Bill is so that people can have full access to the laws of the country,” Honourable Wilkin stated, noting that the idea came about during discussions with a senior official from Seychelles during the Commonwealth Minister’s Meeting held in Mauritius in November 2022. “He said that since they created the Official Gazette Act, which allows all laws to be published online, not just showing up at the Government Printery, they have seen the impact that has had in educating the people about the laws of their country.”
The Attorney General indicated that his Chambers are currently awaiting feedback on the Anti-Corruption Bill circulated in November 2022.
“The Bar Association promised to get back to us very soon. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce promised to get back to us and the Christian Council, but whether they get back to us or not, we are still proceeding because that [good governance legislation] is a promise made and it will be a promise that is kept,” Attorney General Wilkin expressed.