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| The Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas delivering 11th New Year's Message as Prime Minister |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 1ST 2006 - Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said Sunday that his governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government which has been in office for 10 years, has created at least three jobs in the Tourism and the other booming sectors of the economy for every job lost in the Sugar Industry.
"Since coming to office this Labour administration has made tremendous progress in raising the standard of living and the quality of life of our people," said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas in his traditional New Year's message.
Asking the nation to cast their minds back to the first half of the 1990's when there was political chaos and economic stagnation in St. Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister Douglas noted that since 1995, under a Labour Government, "this country has made rapid strides, reaching a Human Development Index, second only to Barbados in this region in a matter of 10 short years."
He recalled that in his 2006 Budget address less than three weeks ago, he provided a detailed breakdown of the progress the Federation has made and the challenges that will confront this developing nation.
"I outlined also several of the programmes and projects that will be undertaken to carry the process of development and modernisation forward. I do not propose on this occasion to repeat such. What I call upon you to do at this time is reflect on the progress that we have made, as a nation and as individual families, over the past ten years," said Prime Minister Douglas.
Dr. Douglas singled out Good Governance and Strategic Planning as the means whereby St. Kitts and Nevis has been transformed from an obscured agriculture-based society to a modern service oriented, competitive state, with a buoyant economy, and a well-educated and comfortably housed population.
He said that a classic example of good planning and astute management is the way the Government has dealt with the decline of the sugar cane industry in world markets and was proud as the leader of St. Kitts and Nevis to have overseen the demise of King Sugar without the devastating economic decline and social unrest that are associated with the collapse of a major economic sector.
"Notwithstanding our valiant efforts to save the Sugar Industry, out of an abundance of caution, we had made meticulous preparations for the eventual demise of this important Industry," said Dr. Douglas.
