Brand bids Farewell to SKNCIC Presidency
By Joyette Mills-Ward
Business Reporter- SKNVibes.com
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Mr. Franklyn Brand
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AS the sun sets on the tenure of the sitting President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SKNCIC), Franklyn Brand invited members of the media to a press conference at the Chamber’s headquarters, Horsfords Road, Fortlands, Basseterre on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
The press conference was aimed at allowing the media to post questions to Brand on three specific issues impacting society: Crime, the Electoral Reform Process and Price Control. Additionally, Brand sought to give a review of his tenure as president and to forecast the likely future of the SKNCIC under new leadership.
Brand, who spoke very briefly on the crime issue, expressed his confidence in the ability of the new “guard” (Commissioner of Police) and noted that the SKNCIC would continue to work with the security forces to ensure crime in the Federation is curtailed.
On the issue of Price Control, Brand referred to the old days and/or war times when his parents and grandparents went ‘back to the soil’ and planted. He pointed out that it was one of the ways in which Kittitians and Nevisians could buffer against the impact of imported food prices.
“In 2004 the Price Control issues popped up...there was a lull and then it resurfaced last year”, Brand said. He further revealed that the SKNCIC had already forwarded a position paper to government concerning the matter of the Basket of Goods, after which there was no further dialogue between the Chamber and the Administration.
Brand declared that the list SKNCIC subsequently received from the government had grown in size, and now contains about 200 items. The SKNCIC felt that the size of the list of items in the ‘Basket of Goods’ is unmanageable, because concerns were raised on “who would police the implementation of this price control measure”. ~~Adz:Right~~
The Chamber, Brand said, suggests a shrinking of the list, and requests that a holistic/health-based approach be used when compiling the final list, as many items included were felt to have no nutritional value (e.g. corn curls). Brand said the government would attempt to give some protection/relief to smaller income families and though that is a laudable goal, it was, however not good economic policy.
In response to a question on what he would like the Chamber to achieve, Brand said, “Private sector unity...the coalition of Private Sector groups.” Brand further stated that disjointedness gets nowhere, and felt it was about time that the SKNCIC sat down with the Hotel and Tourism Association, or the Shipping Association, or whatever other associations within the private sector and join together to work out deeper ways of handling issues.
“As it stands now,” he added, “it takes forever to enact legislation, but if such a coalition were to be formed, the government would have to respect that coalition and its views.” Brand said, “We can work together; working together does not mean that their (other private sector groups) issues would be crowded out.”
Although not a topic within the parameters set out for discussion at the outset of the press conference, one journalist questioned Brand about the looming implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT). Brand said, “VAT was a tricky tax to administer and our (SKNCIC) wish was that whatever tax policy the government adopted, it would not increase the tax burden on the private sector, and that the government use caution in its implementation.”
To his successor, Brand admonished the person “to be objective and forthright in their views, to call a spade a spade and the country will respect you for it”.
Brand went on to say that meetings of transition would be held to ensure continuity, and that he would exist as immediate Past President on the Chamber’s executive board (although with no vote) as an advisor to the new president . To ensure further continuity, Brand said a number of other persons within the Chamber’s executive who had served with him would also remain. His successor would also be apprised of the ins and outs and both sides of the coin of the known ‘hot-button’ issues.
Brand said he had no intention of forcing items from his agenda upon the new President and he “expected the person to bring their own creativity to and leave their personal stamp on the position”.
Brand noted that raising the public profile of the SKNCIC was something he was proud of, but it was his greatest disappointment to not have been personally able to secure and ensure a closer partnership between government and the SKNCIC.
SKNVibes previously interviewed Brand and published an article concerning his views on the Electoral Reform process, which can be located in the Business Focus section of its Business Page.
Information reaching SKNVibes today state that following the 59th Annual General Meeting of the SKNCIC held yesterday at the Ocean Terrace Inn, Franklin Brand was replaced by Mark Wilkins.
