Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 23, 2020 (ZIZ News): Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley has announced his decision to forgo his salary and benefits until the covid19 crisis has subsided.
The Premier who made the announcement in an address to the Nevisian public on Von Radio on Wednesday also indicated the decision made by NIA minsters to take a pay cut for 3 months.
“In a show of solidarity therefore with our people, the Ministers of the Nevis Island Administration have all agreed to a pay cut of 10% for the next 3 months starting in May, 2020. In my case, I have since last month forgone my salary and benefits in full and shall continue to do so until we are past this crisis. Members of Cabinet are not all in the same financial position. Given the demands on them to sustain their own families and still assist constituents, I believe that this gesture demonstrates in a tangible way that we are indeed in this together.
The Premier and Ministers of Cabinet will also contribute monthly- $13,500, in groceries for persons who are in need.
“In addition, I have with the assistance of my colleague Ministers, deployed personal resources to provide $13,500 worth of groceries each month for the next 3 months to the most vulnerable across our island. We shall shortly provide details of how persons can apply and we invite other members of the Community at home and abroad to join us in this effort to ensure that no family in Nevis goes hungry in these difficult times.”
The premier also informed of the decisions to be taken to effectively recalibrate Nevis’ economy.
“At our meeting convened yesterday Tuesday 21 April, 2020 we continued the discussion on how we must recalibrate the Nevisian economy for the short to medium term during this ongoing pandemic. In this regard, we shall seek to forgo some capital projects and focus resources on agriculture to ensure greater food security, the construction sector, financial services, and the small business sector. We shall also re-allocate greater resources to social services to strengthen our social safety net for the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Premier Brantley ended by thanking members of cabinet for their unwavering commitment to the people of Nevis. He also thanked dr. Judy Nisbett and the members of the covid19 task force for their leadership and advice as well as the frontline and essential workers who have put themselves at risk to provide for the people of Nevis in this time of national crisis.