New measures being implemented
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – BASED on the recently released World Bank Rankings, St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be ranked very low when it comes to the Ease of Doing Business.
According to the World Bank, St. Kitts and Nevis is rated 134th in the Ease of Doing Business, out of 190 countries; 92nd in Starting a Business and 41st in Dealing with Construction Permits.
When it comes to Getting Electricity, the Federation is rated 90th, 184th in Registering Properties, 157th in Getting Credit 102nd in the Protection of Minority Investors.
Addressing those ratings, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris told reporters at his monthly press conference on Wednesday (Oct.20) that the ease and improvement of Doing Business that the Government has envisaged would “not come overnight”.
Dr. Harris declared that this comes as several areas that need plugging are either structural in nature or require legislative framework.
He noted that the Government anticipates that as they move forward in establishing certain institutions, including “a genuine one-stock center that would lead to significant improvements in the ease of doing business”.
For that to be done, the Prime Minister disclosed that it would require collaboration across all departments, pointing to the development of the ICT platforms.
“Those areas in which action is needed, we are committed. The Ministry of International Trade has been charged with doing much of the follow through in relation to this matter,” Dr. Harris stated.
Minister of International Trade Hon. Lindsay Grant informed that several of the greatest negatives for the Federation in the Ease of Doing Business is that of the Land Registry, the legislative agenda pertaining to foreclosures.
Grant explained that very shortly the Government would have a separate Land Registry that would lend itself to “making the process faster when dealing with issues of land”.
Additionally, the Government of National Unity is expected to roll out its “cadastral service” which is expected to lend itself to a “sustained, precise and clear capture of our land”, Grant stated.
Attorney General the Hon. Vincent Byron declared that the Government has already started the process of establishing the National Land Registry.
“We have already identified a location that will be upstairs of the Georgian House in South Independence Square. Public Works has already done drawings. They have drafted and developed estimates for the preparation of that building.”
The World Bank Rankings also saw St. Kitts and Nevis placing 143rd in the area of Paying Taxes, 72nd in Cross-Border Trade, 46th in Enforcing Contracts and 169th in Resolving Insolvency.
