“We’ve had enough!” says CIC President
By Joyette Mills-Ward
Business Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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| Mark Wilkin, President of St. Kitts-Nevis CIC |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – MARK WILKIN, President of the St. Kitts & Nevis Chamber of Industry & Commerce says the members of the organisation have reached a point where they “have had enough of placatory measures” in dealing with the escalating crime rate in the federation and called for the government to commit the requisite resources to law enforcement agencies to do their job.
It was during his oration at yesterday’s (Aug 14) annual National Consultation of the Economy that Wilkin emphasised that the private sector is unequivocally intolerant of crime and refuses to accept it as par for the course in modern day St. Kitts and Nevis .
“Everything that we are here to discuss...will become totally fruitless and useless if we allow the crime situation on our shores to escalate to unmanageable proportions,” Wilkin told the audience gathered at the event’s venue, the St. Kitts Marriot Resort Ballroom. Government ministers, members of the private sector and other stakeholders attended the third instalment of the National Consultation of the Economy.
The CIC president quoted from a report presented at the 2008 Annual Private Sector Banquet held some weeks earlier which stated that 2007-2008 was the most challenging period that the local business community had witnessed in the past ten years.
~~Adz:Right~~ “Coupled with external reverberating threats to our way of life we have the growing indigenous challenges brought about by the scourge of the relatively high per capita crime rate which in no way fosters investor confidence. The group perpetuating most of the criminal activities are idle and ill-focused young men, however regardless of the age-range of the offenders, a strong message needs to be sent to criminals and would be criminals that crime would not be tolerated and perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.
Wilkin encouraged the public to fully support the police force in order to enable the successful execution of their duties while decrying certain behaviours by the public, which affected the ability of law enforcers to properly perform their duties.
“Intimidation of witnesses is illegal, failure to report crime and to give evidence in a court of law is irresponsible and the Chamber is unapologetic in proclaiming that all such actions should be condemned and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, if so warranted.
“National security must be a national priority at all times and this must be demonstrated in what is invested in it, and in the quality of results that the public expects from our police forces. The last thing we need as a nation, is to give criminals young and old alike the impression that this country is theirs to do as they wish, whilst having citizens and residents living in fear,” he stated.
Wilkin reiterated the Chamber’s call for an urgent meeting of civil society and government to immediately address ‘the unacceptable escalated level of crime’. He also proffered the support of the Chamber saying, “We stand ready to assist in making this process a reality.”
