As he rallied several hundred supporters ahead of the 6th May, 2024 Labour Day march, the political leader of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), Dr. Terrance Drew pointed to several campaign promises his government has delivered upon in less than two years.
According to Drew, his “A Team” cabinet moved swiftly to mobilise several projects which the former Dr. Timothy Harris-led government convinced the nation were impossible to deliver during their seven years in office.
“Things that could not have been done in seven years, and that they say were impossible, we have done in less than two years,” said Dr. Drew during the meeting in his Constituency 8 on Thursday.
We had a serious water problem here in this constituency [8], and the minister with responsibility for water, in less than two years, we have worked together to deliver a well in Cayon. That is [an] A Team working on your behalf,” he continued, acknowledging the efforts of MP Konris Maynard.
“We did not only deliver a well; we deliver a desalination plant right over there in Canada which is to complete in about July or August [next year].
The SKNLP leader said the former administration’s failure to deliver water, which is essential for human life, to the nation’s people will remain an unforgivable stain on their administration.
He also admonished the former administration for their failures in addressing deficiencies in the country’s energy supply and welcoming in an era of cleaner, cheaper renewable energy.
In contrast, the new labour administration has finalised arrangements for new generators to be put online which will allow for others which have passed their serviceable time to be retired and others which are long overdue for overhaul to undergo maintenance.
“Very soon…we will have two, brand new up-to-date generators at Needsmust Power Plant that can use two sources of energy giving us 80 megawatts of power,” said Dr. Drew.
He also addressed the Basseterre High School, which was never completed by the former administration after they gave a commitment to reconstruct a new campus.
Seven years and twenty-one million taxpayer dollars later, Drew said not a brick was laid. His administration, he committed, will right this wrong which has affected the education of hundreds of students.
“The Minister of Education, the Hon. Dr. Goeffrey Hanley, revealed [on Thursday] in parliament the plans for the Basseterre High School. They mash up a school and can’t fix it back,” said Dr. Drew.
On 2nd May, 2024, Education Minister Hanley reported to the National Assembly that the Basseterre High School was now in Phase Two, conceptual design. Once construction of the new campus commences, Dr. Hanley said his ministry has been assured that the new, modern campus will be delivered in eighteen months. He also indicated that the project’s construction, which will be funded with resources from the Citizenship by Investment programme, will be led by a local contractor.
The SKNLP leader also noted that several areas of agriculture, which is led by Samal Duggins, have recorded successes. In particular, since coming to office, the fisheries sector reported its most profitable year in the country’s history; $15 million in 2023.
Tourism has likewise enjoyed an about face under the direction of Marsha Henderson. According to Dr. Drew, MP Henderson was critical in negotiating the increase in flights and new air carriers for the federation. Her intervention was also critical to St. Kitts and Nevis increasing port calls by cruise liners and attracting some of the largest vessels in the world including Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas which has a capacity of 7600 passengers.
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