Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to transparency, democratic accountability, and the protection of national sovereignty as he addressed public concerns surrounding the Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) legislation during today’s Roundtable Press Conference.
Responding to questions from the media, Dr. Drew emphasised that the SSZ law represents a major step forward in open governance, requiring all major development proposals to be brought before the Federal Parliament for full public scrutiny.
“This is an advancement of our democracy,” the Prime Minister said. “Any major development must now come to Parliament. Our people will see the agreement before anything is implemented. That was always the intention.”
He drew a clear distinction between genuine public inquiry, which he said he welcomed, and political actors attempting to exploit the issue.
“I will never disregard the concerns of our citizens. But politicians who refused to speak in Parliament and now want to attack the legislation cannot be taken seriously,” he said.
Dr. Drew explained that the SSZ legislation was crafted to prevent the secrecy that historically surrounded large development agreements in St. Kitts and Nevis. He referenced major projects of the past, where agreements were signed without parliamentary discussion or public visibility. The SSZ reverses that pattern by forcing transparency into the process.
Critically, the Prime Minister stressed that the SSZ contains strong constitutional guardrails, ensuring that national institutions remain fully and exclusively under local authority.
“Our sovereignty can never be threatened. We have one police force, one customs authority, one immigration system, one court system. Nothing in any development will be allowed to affect those.”
Dr. Drew reiterated that the SSZ does not grant automatic approval to any development. Instead, each proposal must be scrutinised individually by Parliament.
“Even if someone thinks they are clever and there might be a space, each development must come individually to Parliament. The SSZ does not give anything to anyone automatically,” he explained.
Responding to questions about the proposed “Destiny” development, Dr. Drew stated that he had not received any formal submission but made it clear that any project, regardless of origin, would be bound by constitutional limits.
“If I were to receive anything, it would have to say clearly: nothing can affect sovereignty, independence, policing, customs, immigration, or any national authority. Everything must be governed fully by our Constitution.”
He reaffirmed his willingness to strengthen and amend the SSZ law where needed.
“If there are opportunities to make it stronger, I will strengthen it. If there are areas to tighten, I will tighten them. But repealing it is irresponsible.”
Dr. Drew criticised calls for repeal from opposition politicians, noting that such a move would return the country to an era where multi-million-dollar development deals were made “in back rooms, in Cabinet sessions,” without public debate.
“You cannot repeal a law that brings light of day to major development. Those who look at this objectively will recognise the real intention: transparency.”
The Prime Minister concluded by calling the SSZ a modern governance tool, designed to protect the country’s sovereignty, ensure public access to information, and guarantee that development takes place under the full oversight of the people’s elected representatives.
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