BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has responded to comments made by the Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Vance Amory, concerning the source of monies to be used to pay civil servants a double salary later this week.
In an address to the Nevisian populace on Monday (Dec. 15), Premier Amory spoke of the inequitable distribution of Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) monies, noting that while the Nevis Island Administration would pay its civil servants their double salary by whatever means necessary, the Federal Government would do so from the SIDF fund.
“Put simply or put bluntly, your counterparts in St. Kitts are receiving a double salary. No fuss, easy because the funds are there generated from the Citizenship by Investment Programme. And whether it comes from the SIDF as resources granted to Government from resources generated by the CBI in terms of fines and fees for the Federal Government, it is a contribution which is financed by the CBI whether directly or indirectly while the People of Nevis through your NIA is denied access. This cannot be fair nor is it equitable; it is a blatant disregard for the NIA and the people of Nevis!” Amory said.
While on his weekly ‘Ask the Prime Minister’ radio programme yesterday (Dec. 16), Prime Minister Douglas said the Premier’s suggestion that the Federal Government would pay double salary with the assistance of the SIDF was “absolute nonsense”.
“He also says in his statement…that is whatever form the money for the double salary for St. Kitts comes from the SIDF. That is absolute nonsense, total, absolute hogwash! That is what it is. The Federal Government has been able to put its finances in order by making very painful adjustments. That is what it has done. It took away increments from public servants for three years.
“We’ve actually transferred 1 200 areas of land to the National Bank in order to get the kind of fiscal space that is necessary in order to do things stimulating the economy and providing services for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. So you can’t say that comes from SIDF. What SIDF?”
The Prime Minister said the Premier’s comments were misleading and informed that it has been a while since the SIDF has given money to the Federal Government.
“The SIDF has not given the Government any money for quite a long time and he knows that…whatever the SIDF is doing, it is pumping money into projects, capital projects, supporting the PEP…”
