Grant Calls Government to Disclose Business Dealings

Leader of the People's Action Movement (PAM), Lindsay Grant

This viewpoint is demonstrated by the fact that the Government has already set up the entity for foreign investment, the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (SKIPA) since December of last year, while the agency for local entrepreneurs, the National Enterprize Development Division (NEDD) is still under development. So as it stands, the Labour Government has given foreign investors almost a nine (9) month head start over local entrepreneurs.??

By this disregard for the private sector, the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce has also expressed reservations about the Labour Government's decision to disadvantage Kittitians and Nevisians, by creating two separate agencies for foreign and local investors.

Today, the Labour Government acted in response to announce, July 23,2008, that EC$1.5 million in concessions will be granted to local businesses.

The People's Action Movement welcomes the action to grant EC$1.5 million in concessions to local businesses, and therefore calls for the Labour Government to also release the amount in XCD Millions concessions granted to foreign businesses.

The people of St. Kitts and Nevis require this measure of accountability and transparency to ensure that locals will not continue to be treated differently than foreigners.

The People's Action Movement (PAM)
Secretariat,
#3 Church Street, Basseterre
St. Kitts ~~Adz:Right~~