BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS — Prime Minister The Hon. Dr. Terrance M. Drew delivered a pointed constitutional clarification on Tuesday during his third Roundtable press engagement of 2026, formally addressing the status of the proposed Destiny development project submitted by the Nevis Island Administration under Premier The Hon. Mark Brantley.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the Federal Government received the Destiny application from the Nevis Island Administration on January 29th, 2026, and that the matter remains under active review. However, his most significant remarks centred on the constitutional boundaries that govern what role — if any — the Federal Government may play in the proposed development.
“The federal government does not have a general power over development taking place on Nevis. I want to say that again. The federal government does not have a general power over the development taking place on Nevis,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister cited the Constitution to outline the extensive list of matters that fall squarely within the authority of the Nevis Island Administration and the Nevis Island Legislature. These areas include airports, education, health and welfare, land and buildings, economic planning and development, hotels, restaurants and casinos, housing, industries and trade, manufacture and supply of electricity, and tourism amenities, among others.
Dr. Drew was careful, however, to define where the Federal Government’s authority does apply. He noted that federal responsibilities are engaged where a proposal touches on matters such as immigration, customs, law enforcement, courts, the operation of federal laws, and treaty obligations. In those areas, the Prime Minister stated, the Federal Government has a duty to proceed “carefully, lawfully and in the national interest.”
The Prime Minister also revealed that the Federal Government has received the report of an Ad Hoc Committee he established in January 2026. The committee’s recommendations, which have already been discussed in Cabinet, are set to result in amendments to the SSE Authorization Act, with a first reading expected at the next sitting of the National Assembly — which Dr. Drew described as “imminent.”
The review process for the Destiny development agreement, he explained, will be conducted in a manner that allows the Federal Government to receive advice from a broad cross-section of professional persons, in keeping with the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations.
Anticipating criticism that the constitutional clarification might signal federal indifference to Nevis’ development needs, Prime Minister Drew took pains to outline the significant financial support the Federal Government has extended to the sister island. He cited the federal guarantee of a $17 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank and approximately $20 million from Saudi sources for Nevis’ geothermal project, with a further $11 million sought from the Inter-American Development Bank — all in US dollars.
He also pointed to the Federal Government’s guarantee of a National Bank loan for the development of the Vance Amory International Airport, the proportional sharing of grant funding from the Republic of China (Taiwan) with the Nevis Island Administration — a practice he noted did not exist before his administration — and the transparent distribution of Citizenship by Investment (CBI) proceeds to Nevis.
“The federal government remains committed to a lawful, responsible and transparent process that respects the constitution, respects the authority of Nevis in matters assigned to Nevis and protects the national interest of the federation and our sovereignty,” Dr. Drew said.
The Prime Minister closed his statement on the matter with a reminder that, constitutionally, “St. Kitts as an entity does not exist.” He emphasised that the constitution recognises two entities: the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Nevis Island Administration. There is, he noted, no “St. Kitts Island Administration,” and the Federal Government’s Cabinet is bound to attend only to those matters the constitution assigns to it.