BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A new Board of Directors of the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) was recently appointed and Dr. Robertine Chaderton was designated Chairperson.
SKNVibes got wind of this new development earlier today (Jan. 15) and had contacted the Attorney-General, the Hon. Vincent Byron Jr., who, in an exclusive interview, confirmed the Board’s appointment.
When asked if there was any truth to the reports, AG Byron said: “I cannot deny it! I would have wanted to wait until a press release came with proper details, but there is a Board that has been put in place and that was done according to the construction of the SIDF.”
He explained that the SIDF is a foundation that was founded by the National Trust Company of the St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank.
“The National Bank Trust has now appointed a small Board of three Counsellors. You have Dr. Robertine Chaderton as the Chair, Mr. McClure Taylor as a member and another individual from Nevis whose name I cannot recall,” AG Byron declared.
He indicated that a Secretary to the Board is in the making and pointed out that the Team Unity Government had in the past signalled its intention to discard the old Board.
“I understand that a Secretary is to be appointed by the Board and I would not want to pre-empt who they have identified as Secretary. But the Counsellors, as it is, are there as part of the management function. The Government of National Unity had taken a position all along that there should be, as it was, a transition to a new body. That has been our position all along and it has been part of our Manifesto.”
AG Byron informed that within a week’s time members of the public would be proactively involved in a Government’s proposal to put in place “another structure that would transition from the SIDF”.
“This,” he emphasised, “is because we feel that it should reflect the Constitution. The SIDF is under the Government’s purview and therefore it is subject to control by some constitutional body related to that, whether it is the Consolidated Fund mandated by the Parliament of my Government.”
He insinuated that very shortly the SIDF Board would be having its full capacity of membership which would conform to the Constitution.
“Within a short week, there will be a proposal to have a new body that conforms to the constitutional provision. But in the meantime there needs to be management of the current structure so as to be able to continue our transition in terms of a new Government.”
Since the Team Unity Government took Office in February last, it was reported that the former Board members were not formally asked to resign, but most of them did so in the following month (March) after hearing Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris publicly calling on them to step down.
Prior to and during the February 2015 Election campaign, member of the coalition Team Unity had accused the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration of using the SIDF as a slush fund for political gains.
