Government’s Sustainable Island Agenda is Delivering
BASSETERRE — Acting Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Geoffery Hanley says the Sustainable Island State Agenda has moved beyond planning. Pointing out that he used the Federation’s address to the United Nations General Assembly to report on the positive results on water, energy, food security.
Hanley made the remarks on the government’s In Focus program. He appeared with Minister of Sustainable Development the Hon. Joyelle Clarke.
The Acting Prime Minister led the Federation’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York two weeks earlier.
“It was the opportunity of course to show that the sustainable island state agenda has moved from aspiration to implementation,” Hanley said. He said he wanted to account for the Federation, and that “credibility abroad begins with action at home.”
On water, Hanley said about 75 percent of households now have 24-hour access, up from roughly 25 percent when the Drew-led Labour Administration took office in 2022. He cited a two-million gallon per day desalination plant, which was commissioned in February this year. Also, the continued investment in the water distribution network and the search for new water sources.
On energy, Hanley said work is advancing on a 30 megawatts of geothermal development in Nevis. He also pointed to a 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage project, in East Basseterre. For that work, he credited The Hon. Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information, Communication and Technology and Posts.
The Acting Prime Minister said the government is also strengthening climate-smart agriculture and building domestic production capacity. He said this would reduce the import bill and protect against disruptions in international supply chains. Hanley noted that The Hon. Samal Duggins spoke often on this. Duggins is the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources and Cooperatives, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Sports and The Creative Economy and Entertainment and The Arts, .
On health, Hanley said the government is modernizing the system, including a locally developed national digital health information system. CFBC students who are part of the robotics society are building it, and called it “young people being right at the table.”
Hanley said the approach shapes how the Federation deals with international partners.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is therefore approaching the international community from a position of partnership, not pity,” the Acting Prime Minister said. “We are not here to beg, we are here to partner.”
Richards noted that Premier the Hon. Mark Brantley held a press conference last week in which he credited the federal government and Prime Minister The Hon. Terrance Drew for supporting the geothermal project. According to Richards, Brantley said it should be a federal project with the support of the entire government.
The Minister of Sustainable Development said later in the program that the Federation’s commitment to 61 percent renewable energy by 2035, set out in its nationally determined contributions, can only be met through international partnership. Clarke said partners have taken note of the Federation’s own actions in policy, legislation and budgeting.
