Government receives EC$16 Million from Venezuela

(ZIZ News) — The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has taken another step toward fulfilling its promise to sugar workers who have not received a severance package.

During a brief ceremony at Government Headquarters on Monday, the Venezuelan Government donated EC$16 million to the Federation to fund the initiative.

Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris noted that Venezuela had previously been involved in projects to support former sugar workers.

He said, “The Government of Venezuela as part of its ALBA project, has in the past been specifically associated with the agenda of support for sugar workers. You would recall that, for example, they had been involved in building homes for some of the sugar workers. They therefore had become interested in assisting the government in meeting this very major policy initiative.”

The donation falls under the Petrocaribe Agreement of which St. Kitts and Nevis is a part.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Hon. Ian “Patches” Liburd noted the significance of the agreement between Venezuela and St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We can speak to the lease agreement for the four generators for the SKELEC, our electrical company. We can also refer to the agreement that provide bitumen for our roads which are under repair and construction in some areas,” he said.

The visiting delegation was led by Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Bernardo Alvarez Herrera.

Ambassador Herrera said this is the first of several projects which will be made possible through the Federation’s participation in the Petrocaribe Agreement.

“This is going to be only the starting point of a process that will concentrate part of our efforts in a social agenda that the government has put together and that is precisely the nature and intention of PDP Caribe,” the Ambassador noted.

Prime Minister Harris also thanked Minister Liburd and the Hon. Wendy Phipps for their roles in bringing the project to fruition.