BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - PRIME MINISTER, Minister of Finance, and National political leader of the St. Kitts - Nevis Labour Party the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas made a plea to citizens to join him on Monday, May 7, which is also Labour Day, in a march to lower the unbearably high cost of electricity.
He made this request while at the first of a series of public meetings which was held last Thursday, April 26.
Prime Minister Douglas said that there are a number of issues that need to be dealt with and the high cost of electricity is one of those issues, noting that just seeing the electricity bills that some persons have to pay makes him want to weep.
"Comrades, there are some issues that we have to tackle. One of the issues is the high cost of electricity. My mother! When I see some people bills, I want to cry. And me ain gon say it's because they're worthless because I believe it is because things were hard and I empathise and we have to do something about that," he said.
The Prime Minister said that it is for these reasons why citizens must march this upcoming Labour Day - to bring down the high cost of electricity.
"We have to do something about the electricity's high rate that we are paying and to give encouragement to your government to get involved in renewable energy to bring the cost of electricity right down...Nobody suppose to be living in modern St. Kitts and have bottle and candle in their house; that has to stop."
He further stated that his government is currently in the process of working on renewable energy noting that recently he held a few meetings with a company in Washington DC that is working with Nevis on the geothermal project.
"Would you believe that if we were to use geothermal energy and get electricity from that, there is no surcharge at all to pay?" he asked.
He went on to state that if the twin island Federation were to use geothermal energy, they would be the first islands in the Caribbean to have the lowered their rates on electricity.
Prime Minister Douglas said that the Federation would be getting renewable energy from geothermal, wind energy and solar panels.
"We are going to march on Labour Day to bring in renewable energy to replace energy and electricity from fossil fuel or oil. We done with that, that is of the past.
"We have to march on that and stomp on that and get rid of high electricity cost and reduce it by way of renewable energy," PM Douglas said.
