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Minister Perkins (right) and Mr. Osama Al Atal, Director of disbursement (left) speaking to the government information service along with Mr. Sushi Joshi (2nd from left back) of M A Kharafi & Sons/National Piling Company |
Charlestown Nevis (June 28, 2004) Nevis’ Minister of Communications, Works, Public Utilities, and Infrastructure, the Hon Mr. A Michael Perkins said that the island of Nevis, although small, had demonstrated its ability to access and develop strong relationships with major financial institutions in the world.
He was at the time speaking to the Government Information Service at the Charlestown Port, (one of the Kuwait Fund projects) while welcoming a three man delegation from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to the island of Nevis, over the weekend.
He said, “Nevis has been transformed in a major way over the years, through our access to such funds, and it is a clear demonstration, that even though we are a small nation, it does not mean that we do not have the means or the expertise to access and develop strong relationships with some of the major financial institutions in the world, and the Kuwait Fund is one such organisation.”
Headed by Mr. Osama Al Atal, Director of Disbursement for Kuwait Fund, Mr. Perkins noted that the delegation was on a fact-finding mission to examine the projects for which funds had been spent. He expressed, “We are in a position to demonstrate and show to the Kuwait Fund this morning, areas in which Nevis has developed.”
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Minister of Infrastructure,Hon Michael Perkins (right) along with Kuwait delegation standing on one of the fund projects, the Charlestown Port. |
“There has been funding made with respect to a water project in 1994, followed by the Charlestown Port Development Project where we are here assembled this morning, followed by work at the Deep Water Port at Long Point, and the last project which was opened or completed two years ago, the Vance Amory International Terminal at New Castle village.”
In expressing sincere thanks on behalf of the Nevis Island Administration and the people of Nevis to the Kuwait Fund, the Minister of Infrastructure observed that the Nevis Island Administration had established a very strong working relationship with the Kuwait Fund for over ten years, adding that some EC 50 million dollars had been spent on Nevis.
“We have come a long way and at the same time and in the same breath, I would want to extend special thanks to the company of M A Kharafi and Sons, and their subsidiary company, National Piling who has been one of the main contractors utilising the funds,” ended Perkins.
Director of Disbursement for Kuwait Fund, Mr. Osama Al Atal also spoke to the government information service. He said, “We are actually here visiting St. Kitts and Nevis making sure we look at our projects working right and to find out if there is any need for future projects, and to make sure that all the disbursements go smoothly for the future.”
Mr. Al Alban who is head of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region and Mr. Youssef, who is Mr. Alban’s assistant both of whom work in the disbursement department, were among the delegation.
