BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, January 5, 2010 (Labour Secretariat) - A new year is always a time when we look forward to new things. It is a time of hope, a time when we aspire to bigger and better things; a new way of life; a better relationship; a better country; a new job; a more peaceful world. Whatever it is, we hope that it would be better and beneficial to us in some way.
But, as we embark on our journey in a new year, we thank God for the past year and the many things that were achieved. All of us have something to be thankful for. Everything we set out to do and achieve might not have gone our way. A relationship might have failed. A loved one may have died. We may have been fired from our job. We may have acquired an illness that has changed our lives in ways we never imagined.
Nonetheless, there must be something we can be thankful for.
Here in St. Kitts and Nevis, citizens have plenty to be thankful for, despite the many challenges that we face. We can be thankful for a government that continues to move the country forward in positive and meaningful ways. Citizens can be thankful of a better quality of life in general.
Despite the global financial crisis, that caused many to lose their jobs worldwide, businesses to close down, people to lose their homes, banks to crumble and families to wonder where their next meal was going to come from, St. Kitts and Nevis can boast, while at the same time standing in solidarity with those less fortunate, that we have weathered the financial storm with resilience and good stewardship.
The new economy, spearheaded by the tourism industry, continues to grow every year since 2005 from strength to strength. Tourists arrivals for the last cruise ship season numbered over 400,000 passengers with about 150 cruise liners docking at Port Zante. This tourist season, over 500,000 cruise ship passengers are expected to visit the Federation on 200 plus cruise ships.
Tourism continues to drive the economy with positive growth, providing employment for many nationals. The project to complete Christophe Harbour, a high-end resort-development with a world-class Tom Fazio golf course on the South-East Peninsula, continues to progress steadily, while other villas, such as Ocean’s Edge, continue to move along to completion. Many other tourists’ projects are in progress, while others are to come on stream like Kittitian Heights.
The recent opening of the historic, multi-million dollar Beaumont Park, a horse, greyhound and theme park, located in Dieppe Bay, has brought an added attraction to tourists and locals alike who love horse racing.
Education continues to play a major role in the development and skill enhancement of our people. The new Saddlers Secondary School, a multi-complex school, opened in November, is designed to provide students with a top-class education geared to both the academically-inclined and those with a propensity toward technical and vocational skills training.
Our young people continue to go abroad for training to places like Cuba, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Taiwan, Europe and North America with the aid of scholarships (governmental and non-governmental) and student loans from the St. Kitts and Nevis Development Bank.
The government continues to provide also for early childhood education with the opening of the Tabernacle Day Care Center over the past year. The Labour Government has had the best track record in Education by far.
Over the past year, many people continue to benefit from the government’s housing programme, unmatched like no other in the history of the Federation. Ex-sugar workers continue to benefit from homes built by the government.
In 15 years, the People’s Action Movement (PAM) created 250 homeowners, while the Labour Administration created over 3000 homeowners in 14 years, in what can be called a housing revolution.
The road network in the Federation got better in the past year with the opening of the West Basseterre by-pass road, which would make the flow of traffic much easier to motorists, and cut down on traffic congestion in the heart of Basseterre.
The concerns for the youth of the Federation continue to show itself with the Y.E.S. (Youth Empowerment through Skills) programme, which came on stream in the past year to provide unemployed youth with a skill, so that they can be more productive citizens.
The government is very cognizant of the needs and desires of our young people to lead productive lives, which in the absence of can lead to social malady. The Y.E.S. programme continues to bring meaning and self-esteem to the lives of many of our youth.
Health continues to be promoted by the government. The monthly community walks, and health fairs are designed to make citizens more aware that their health is of utmost importance. In the past year, the health of citizens has been highlighted in the maintaining of a healthy and productive workforce, which would make for a better developed society.
Continuing in the same vein of health, the new Pogson Medical Centre, opened in Sandy Point in the past year is testimony to the government’s goal in providing quality health care to communities. The Mary Charles Hospital in Molineux is expected to also be upgraded to include modern health facilities and equipment including an area for dentistry in the New Year.
And just how our young people are important, our old people are just as important. The Government’s social development programme continues to provide for the care of our elderly, who have given long years of service to the development of this, our beautiful country.
So when we think of it, we have much to be thankful for and the list has not been exhausted. As we embark on a new year, the elections are fast approaching and we must exercise our vote in showing our thanks for all the government has done and has been for us over the past year and years before that.
We approach the New Year with hope, optimism and determination that all of us would put “Country above Self” in making our Federation a better place to live in.
Happy New Year to all of us from Labour!
