PM Addresses Security, Budget, Revenue Generation, Energy and VAT
(ZIZ News) — The Global Security Environment, the 2015 Budget Presentation, recent accomplishments of the St. Kitts-Nevis Anguilla National Bank, energy, security and government concessions for the holiday season and beyond were the items addressed by Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas during his recent monthly press conference.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Douglas briefed the media and public on the government’s decision to re-issue E-Passports. He said although Canada’s decision to implement visa requirements for citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis was not the cause for this decision, he was grateful that it allowed his government to improve the security features of its passports.
“We here in St. Kitts and Nevis, in this government, we are grateful for this particular feature to be pointed out so that we have an opportunity to not only examine exactly what is happening but the opportunity to re-issue passports to those persons who might have changed their names but we did not capture it when of course they were first issued with our travel document. So, in a way, Canada has assisted us to ensure that there is some sanitation I would think in the system as we go forward,” the Prime Minister explained.
The Nation’s leader, who has held several other leadership positions throughout the region, also spoke of ongoing discussions with other Caribbean leaders about visa requirements and passport changes.
“Two years ago, I think it was, I sat in a meeting with my two colleagues, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Prime Minister of St. Lucia in New York on the margins of the United Nations meetings and spoke with the Minister of Canada for Immigration and Citizenship. At that time, my colleagues requested a meeting of Canada to explain why is it Canada had imposed the same visa requirement on St. Vincent and St. Lucia. I sat in the same meeting with them,” he explained.
Meanwhile, in giving a sneak peek of the 2015 Budget Presentation, the Prime Minister revealed that there will be no new taxes next year.
He said, “Because the people allowed the government’s policy to work and the public servants ensured that we kept within those boundaries, there will be no need, of course, for any new tax in the Government’s 2015 budget.”
He also extended thanks to civil servants and other nationals who have cooperated with his Administration as it implemented fiscal adjustments for the country.
“The people of St. Kitts and Nevis, over the years, have given the government the space it needed for its policies to work. The Ministry of Finance officials have worked diligently to ensure that we maintain, within our own economic framework, the plans as we wanted them during the adjustment of the economy. Those policies have worked. We thank the people for their faith and for their support. We thank also of course the public servants for adhering to the government’s plan,” he said.