The Special Sustainability Zone Authorisation Bill has sparked vigorous national debate in St. Kitts and Nevis, as Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, Premier Mark Brantley, and opposition leaders clash over its implications for land ownership, investment, and the Sustainable Island State Agenda. The legislation, which establishes legally designated areas for investment under strict environmental, infrastructure, and social standards, has divided opinion across the Federation, particularly in Nevis.
Prime Minister Drew has continued to defended his administration’s introductionof the Special Sustainability Zone Authorisation Act as a progressive step to attract foreign and local investment, noting that similar frameworks exist in Panama, the United States, and several Caribbean nations. He argued that the legislaton provides a structured mechanism to drive economic growth while safeguarding national interests.
“That gives us the opportunity to set up these zones to help to drive the economy. We can’t be left behind… But given the size of St. Kitts and Nevis, small land base, we have to be careful what we allocate for the development of such zones. Rules and regulations must ensure the country is not negatively affected, but that the zones bring positive benefits of growth,” Dr. Drew explained.
On questions of federal influence in Nevis, he stressed that the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) must agree to any such development, highlighting constitutional protections that give Nevis control over its lands and development decisions.
Opposition Concerns and Public Unease
Despite assurances, opposition leaders in Nevis have raised alarm over the law. Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) Leader Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge condemned the measure as a threat to Nevisian land rights, warning that properties could be compulsorily acquired under the guise of “public good.”
“In recent months, serious questions have been raised about whether there is a plot being hatched, behind closed doors, to force landowners on the southern side of Nevis to sell their property… Land may be deemed needed for a ‘public good’ and taken without your permission,” she argued, accusing Premier Brantley of surrendering powers that should remain with Nevis under the Constitution.
Daniel-Hodge criticised the Special Sustainability Zone Authorisation Act for prioritising investors over citizens and declared that she would resist any attempt to displace Nevisians from their ancestral lands. Quoting her father, the late Sir Simeon Daniel, she insisted that development benefiting only a wealthy minority cannot be considered true progress.
The Transparency Conversation
Cleone Stapleton-Simmonds, Opposition MP in the Nevis Island Assembly, has also weighed in suggesting that widespread public unease stems from limited access to accurate information. She noted that many residents have been approached by real estate agents with offers to purchase their lands in the south of Nevis, despite difficulties in accessing official land registry documents.
“There is a lot of uneasiness about the whole idea of the Special Sustainability Zone and the land issue. What is perhaps causing that anxiety is a lack of awareness and education,” she said, urging the Federal and NIA governments to improve public engagement and provide clear explanations of investors’ intentions.
Brantley’s Shift and Investor Interest
Premier Mark Brantley, who previously dismissed claims of investor interest as “rumours,” confirmed in an a 25th August address that the NIA has been formally approached by a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis to develop a Special Sustainability Zone. He pledged that no project would advance without full approval from the NIA and ratification in the Nevis Island Assembly.
“The law makes it clear that there can be no zone created in Nevis without the consent of the NIA… Full control of Nevis’s development direction remains firmly and exclusively with the NIA,” Brantley said.
He outlined stringent preconditions for any developer, including independent economic analysis, renewable energy production, infrastructure self-sufficiency, environmental safeguards, health and safety plans, and oversight by an independent regulatory body.
Brantley argued that a properly designed zone could transform the island’s economy, creating thousands of jobs, generating billions in investment, and reducing reliance on the Citizenship by Investment Programme. “For years, I have said that Nevis needs a game-changer… I see before us a future fuelled by prosperity, sustainability, and indomitable Nevisian pride,” he declared.
The Debate Continues
The passage of the Special Sustainability Zone Authorisation Bill on 11th August, 2025, has reignited divisions over land use, sovereignty, and the balance between economic development and citizen protection. While some welcome the potential for job creation and modernisation, others view the Special Sustainability Zone Authorisation Act as a vehicle for dispossession and secrecy.
Public sentiment remains mixed, with calls growing for more transparency, broader community consultation, and stronger guarantees that Nevisians will not be excluded from the benefits of large-scale investment projects. As discussions continue, the SSZ debate has become a defining test of governance, trust, and the vision of a Sustainable Island State.
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